Believe it or not, Israel is more than just gorgeous men and women dressed in army fatigues. The clothes on their bodies are just as statement-making and trendy as the new Hebrew slang coming out of their mouths. Here are the five things I love about Israeli fashion.
Israelis are risk takers
Bright colors, wild prints, and mismatched textures. Israelis may be warm and friendly, but their clothes can be as bold as their tone. Israelis tell you the truth about how they’re feeling and they wear it proudly on their chests too—in their choice of clothing, that is. Check out Israeli Nimrod Avigal’s ILook “underground” street fashion blog for great examples of Israelis who proudly go where no Israeli has gone before—whether that means wearing blue tights as pants, big statement necklaces, or thick neon striped sweaters.
Check out these two lovely ladies from the blog caught in the Dizengoff Center mall, who are striking examples of loud but piercing fashion. And most of the clothes are from Israel. Fourteen-year old Michal on the right got her skirt and cardigan from TNT, an edgy urban store that mostly caters to teens, and her shirt from the Carmel Market (Shuk HaCarmel). Yasmin, 19, on the left, got her shorts from Zara, her hoodie from the Carmel Market and those loud leggings and platforms from the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv!
Trends from Europe come here before they go to the States
Yes, I saw it here first. Before high waist skirts became the “thing to do” for the American fashion fiend, I watched girls sporting them left and right with button down blouses and tucked in t-shirts last summer. Wearing leggings as pants may have been the go-to look for US fashionistas this summer, but Israeli chicks had already been sporting for a year.
And don’t get me started on trends like neon and animal prints, which have become a favorite for stars like Kim Kardashian and Claudia Schiffer; I’ve seen that Euro-chic look become top trend in Tel Aviv long before the American stars were wearing them in overkill. Milan, Paris, and London may be known as fashion capitals of the world, but Israel comes next; you’ll start seeing the trends here first, long before they become fashion fodder for the American set.
Vintage is King
Vintage, in case you didn’t know, is really just a fashion term for any item that is old, meaning it came from another decade or has been worn before. And Israelis are suckers for it. Take Israeli fashionista Daria Shualy, founder of the shop and share indie style site Sense of Fashion, who likes to thrift her clothes from Allenby or the World International Zionist Organization’s (WIZO) second hand shops, where donated clothes are sold cheaply to the needy or anyone who’s looking for fashion on a budget.
Or there’s Israeli Shenkin School of Engineering and Design student and style blogger Noa, a queen of layering, who collects dresses from the local flea market or her grandmother’s closet.
Don’t forget style blogger Maayan Goldenfeld who wears sweaters from dad and coats from mom or thrifts from the local shuk (market). You can catch this vintage aficionado on her blog Polka Dots & Moonbeams.
And if you’re living in Tel Aviv, like me, you can hit up a slew of shops like HaMachteret (The Underground) for hyper color vintage frocks from the 60s and 70s or Shtaim (Two) for great pieces from Europe. Don’t forget stores like Stella Vintage or Obsession. You can also join the Vintage For Sale group on Facebook, which advertises weekly vintage sales going on in apartments and other locations all over Israel’s fashion capital.
Israelis are fashionable but comfortable too
In the summer, flip flops ruled. It was rare to see an Israeli without them, even to the dressiest of nightclubs. While stilettos may go over well in the United States, you’ll rarely see an Israeli girl in very, very high heels, most of them are square-pegged to make it easier to walk on the unpaved roads of Tel Aviv.
While girls often go for flowy dresses and like to trade denim for leggings, boys will wear jeans, even to lavish affairs. Ties are practically non-existent. And unless you’re a relative of the bride or groom, you’ll often see guests at a wedding in jeans and casual tops they’ll just as likely wear walking down the street. If dressing up isn’t your thing, Israel is the place to be.
Fashion is intimate
Tel Aviv’s close-knit fashion community is tight, but inviting. As Haaretz fashion writer Hilla Ohayon describes in a recent blog entry, not only are Israeli indie designers like Mirit Weinstock and Inbal Gvili overpowering top retail chains like Castro and Renaur, but those designers are having major sales in their own homes with incredibly marked down prices and music and drinks galore.
But you won’t hear about it on the news, the designers tend to advertise by word of mouth, a Facebook event, or the occasional flyer on the street. I’ve been stopped in the middle of dinner by a fashion chick who was broadcasting a cool style sale in the apartment down the street. Or as Hilla puts it, one shouldn’t be surprised if they hit up a fashion sale in a bar Saturday morning, the very same bar you and your friends were drinking in the night before. In Tel Aviv, clothing swaps are current and urban knitting parties are the go-to gathering for ladies who lunch at the local café.
This is just a small taste of the fashion ferocity of Tel Aviv. What do you love about Israeli fashion? Let me know in the comments below.