I'm curious as to why the Haredim feel that type of dress is considered "Jewish". No Jews in the Bible dressed anything like that. What is the history behind this kind of dress? To an outsider like myself it seems more Eastern-European than Jewish.
I know Chaim has made comments about how these Jews dress like Polish Jew-haters of the past and I'm looking to learn more about it.
Yeah, the mode of dress puzzles me too. Don't know where in Judaism it's a rule to wear a black coat and fedora,
It's not a rule. The haredim wear that because they've made it as a style for themselves. It's "cool" to have a fedora like in secular society it's "cool" for a young professional to wear a peacoat or for a businessman to begin to wear a suit and fancy tie. The haredim have their own social mores like any other group. Anyone who claims this attire is based in religious law is a charlatan or ignorant (or both).
I know for a fact that Moses and the Jews of the Exodus weren't wearing that stuff, and I'll go with that as a guide for myself, but whatever, if they want to look like a 19th century funeral director that is their prerogative. I do dislike the fact that this is the image of what a Jew is to a lot of people, makes us look weird.
I also do not like the style haredim wear, especially the hat which I associate with the mafia, but dressing like an ancient Judean would make us look equally "weird" in the eyes of the "modern man" of western and/or secular society. And who cares if they think we look weird? We have a Jewish culture, just like they celebrate their african culture, or their italian culture, etc etc.
But if you're going to reject the haredi style of dress based on Moshe, are you equally going to adopt the Judean style dress based on what the Torah, Tanach, and Talmud describe? As you're living in New York (I'm basing that on your name), I doubt that. For me, if I end up living in a settlement God willing, I would love to adopt the traditional Jewish attire.