Addressing questions about Purim dress

Prepared for print by Faigy Peritzman

My friends and I are renting gowns for Purim from a costume company. Are we obligated to check these gowns for shatnez before wearing?

A costume, whether bought, borrowed, or rented, is no different from any other article of clothing: It cannot be worn unless we know with certainty that it is free of shatnez. You need to consult with a shatnez expert, who has experience with the type of costumes you are renting, to find out if this type of costume is generally shatnez-free or not. Often, costumes are made from cheap material and are unlikely to contain linen or wool, but each type of costume needs to be researched. If you cannot obtain reliable information, then the costumes need to be checked.

Amazon and other stores have a policy of allowing customers to try an outfit for seven days before the purchase becomes final. Am I allowed to purchase a costume under this policy knowing full well I’m going to return it after Purim?

From a halachic perspective, it is not forbidden for an individual to take advantage of a store’s liberal policy that returns may be made within seven days for full credit, no questions asked. Some stores have such a policy since their market research shows that invariably, some customers change their minds and decide to keep a purchase even if initially they had no intention to do so. Other customers are forgetful or lazy and fail to return the item within the time period allotted. For whatever reason, the stores consider this policy part of their profitable business model, and it’s permitted for a customer to take advantage of it. Nevertheless, since shopping in this manner has the appearance of impropriety, one should always be wary of any potential chillul Hashem that can rise from this practice.

I bought my daughter a nurse’s costume but didn’t realize there’s a red cross on the hat. Must I erase that?

The red cross on a medical professional uniform is the internationally recognized symbol of the Red Cross and is not a religious symbol. Therefore, there’s no need for you to erase it.

I borrowed a toddler costume from my friend but accidentally lost the hat. She wants me to pay for the entire price of the costume, while I think I should only pay what the hat would cost to replace.

If it is possible to buy the exact same hat that was lost, then all you are required to pay for is the price of the hat. If, however, the hat cannot be replaced unless the entire costume is purchased, then you need to pay for the entire costume.

May a woman or a girl dress up like a man or a boy for the sake of simchas Purim?

The poskim are in agreement that the Torah prohibition of lo yilbash, that a man may not dress like a woman (and vice versa), applies on Purim as well, even though it’s evident that one is dressing up in this manner only for the sake of simchas Purim. This prohibition applies to young girls as well, beginning from when a girl is old enough to be embarrassed if her mother dressed her up in boys’ clothes on a regular day. The same guidelines apply for school and camp plays as well. The only leniency allowed on Purim is for a woman or a girl to dress fully in women’s apparel, but to wear in addition a single article of men’s clothing, such as a hat, a tallis katan, or a kippah.

Is it permitted for women to dress like men if they are only in the company of other women?

Most poskim rule that mid’Rabbanan women may not dress like men even if they are only in the presence of other women.

Is it permitted to dress up like a rasha?

It is not forbidden to dress up like a rasha — e.g., like Achashveirosh or Haman — but some poskim recommend against doing so. It is, however, forbidden to dress up like a priest or a pope, since that is considered a violation of the pasuk in Mishpatim (Shemos 23:13): “The name of avodah zarah you shall not mention, nor shall your mouth cause it to be heard.”

My teenage daughter wants to dress up like a married woman on Purim. Would this be an issue if she does not plan on covering her hair properly in public?

Since it’s well known that your unmarried daughter is merely dressing up for Purim, it’s not a breach of tzniyus for her to dress up that way without fully covering her hair.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 783)