Monday, January 6, 2014

All-White Tallit


The all-white tallit looks very elegant and is an accepted custom among many Sephardim. Today we received the following inquiry from a customer in the U.S. looking for an all-white tallit with Sephardic tzitzit:
 
Hello,
What is your best quality all-white, wool tallit? I am looking at the Hamefoar, Beit Yosef, and Malchut. The tzitzit would be tied in accordance with the Sephardic tradition.
When I mention highest quality, I do not necessarily mean heaviest weight since I live in a warm climate.
My current tallit is 25 years old and it’s time for a new one. My old one is 70" x 46" and I would like something a bit bigger, but when I tried a friend's Echt Turkish tallit size 67"x 80" it was much too long in back. I am 6 feet tall.
Steven
I thought long and hard about Steven's question, but I don't really have an answer, because all three of the tallitot he mentioned are top-of-the-line. I suggest that he go with whichever tallit has the features and look he prefers.
Hamefoar - Has a supply, luxurious fabric and satiny stripes
Beit Yosef - not shiny at all; the striping is integrated into the weave, both on the tallit and the atara (neckband)
Malchut - sort of a cross between Hamefoar and Beit Yosef; no shiny striping and the fabric is like Hamefoar; features distinctive fringes, which some people really like, and others don't.

Tallit Sizing

Steven's old all-white tallit is a good benchmark. It's a size 50. From size 50 to size 55 the tallit will hang down in back another 4 inches, from size 55 to size 60 another 4 inches, etc. So he could just put his old tallit on and figure out how many inches he wants to add to the length. To add an extra 8 inches, he would choose a size 60, to add 12 inches a size 70.






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