The wigs worn by married Orthodox Jewish women, also known as sheitels, have become a topic of intense debates among the Jewish community in New York, as unusually long wigs are sometimes deemed inappropriate in some neighborhoods, The New York Post reported.
"People always say the longer it is, the sluttier it is," said Esther Adina Sash, a 30-year-old resident of Flatbush and a mother of two.
As Sash frequently posts photos of herself wearing long wigs on Instagram, she often becomes the target of hateful comments, with people blasting her for "negatively influencing young girls," the newspaper added.
One rabbi even tried enticing her to shorten her wigs in exchange for an "astronomical” spiritual reward," though Sash turned him down, joking about the man’s perceived connection between hair length and spirituality.
Last month, a New Jersey Jewish newspaper called The Voice of Lakewood also reportedly banned ads by wig makers featuring photos of hair.
According to the NY Post, prior to this move, anonymous fliers were digitally distributed to local wig makers, with one wig stylist in Brooklyn describing it as “a scare tactic.”
"Dear Jewish Women, how badly are you trying to look like a prostitute? How important is it for you to slap G-d in the face?!" one of the fliers said.
One makeup artist from New Jersey explained that she tends to sell long wigs to customers from outside her neighborhood.
"If you’re seen in a local pizza shop wearing a long wig, you’ll be talked about. People will go to [school or synagogue] administrations about you and you and your husband will be getting phone calls," she said.