"The figure of Rebecca might indeed have compared with the proudest beauties of England. […] Her form was exquisitely symmetrical, and was shewn to advantage by a sort of Eastern dress, which she wore according to the fashion of the females of her nation. Her turban of yellow silk suited well the darkness of her complexion. The brilliancy of her eyes, the superb arch of her eyebrows, her well-formed aquiline nose, her teeth as white as pearl and the profusion of her sable tresses[…]—all these constituted a combination of loveliness, which yielded not to the loveliest of the maidens who surrounded her. […] The feather of an ostrich, fastened in her turban by an agraffe set with brilliants, was another distinction of the beautiful Jewess, scoffed and sneered at by the proud dames who sat above her, but secretly envied by those who affected to deride them."
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Sir Walter Scott romanticized Rebecca quite heavily with 19th-century Orientalist flair — describing her in "Eastern" dress, a yellow silk turban, and emphasizing her exotic beauty and "foreignness." That was more about making her a compelling, sympathetic "other" for his readers than strict historical accuracy.
Historical reality in 12th–13th century England/Europe:
Jewish women generally dressed very similarly to their Christian neighbors of the same social and economic class. Clothing was shaped more by local fashion, wealth, and sumptuary laws (rules restricting luxury fabrics) than by major religious differences in everyday attire.
*Tunics, gowns, surcoats, mantles, and veils/wimples were standard for women across communities. Jewish women in medieval Ashkenaz (northern Europe) wore the same basic styles: long, layered garments, belts, and head coverings.
*Head coverings were important for modesty in both Jewish and Christian traditions. Jewish women often used veils, scarves, or wimple-like wraps (sometimes called katela in some regions), but these weren't radically different from Christian women's veils.
*Distinctions existed but were often subtle or enforced externally:
*After the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), Jews in many Christian kingdoms were required to wear a distinguishing badge or hat (yellow in some places, a tablet-shaped marker in England). This applied more strictly to men, but women could be affected too.
*Wealthier Jewish families (like Rebecca’s) could afford fine silks, linens, embroidery, and furs — just like wealthy Christians. Jewish communities were often involved in textile trades.
In short: A prosperous Jewish woman in late 12th-century York would have looked recognizably medieval English, with perhaps slightly more modest or regionally influenced headwear and jewelry, but nothing like the dramatically "exotic" figure Scott painted. Therefore, I made her clothing a bit more accurate! I think she looks great as a grey fox too!
