How to Choose a Tallit: Wool, Silk, Cotton, and What to Look For

A tallit is the prayer shawl worn during morning prayer and on the eve of Yom Kippur. The four corners carry tzitzit, the knotted fringes that the Torah commands. Choosing a tallit is one of the more personal decisions a Jewish man or woman makes, and the differences between a $100 tallit and a $1,500 tallit are real.

This guide is for the person buying a tallit for the first time, for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah gift, or for an upgrade after years of wearing the same piece.

Who wears a tallit

In traditional practice, married Jewish men wear the tallit gadol, the large prayer shawl, during morning prayer and on Shabbat and festivals. Sephardic men typically wear it from Bar Mitzvah onward. Many men also wear a smaller tallit katan, the four-cornered undergarment, throughout the day.

In Reform and progressive communities, women may also wear a tallit. In Conservative congregations the practice varies.

The two essential decisions

Two questions decide most of what you buy.

The material. Most often wool, sometimes silk, sometimes cotton or wool blends, occasionally a modern denim weave.

The size. A tallit gadol should cover the shoulders properly. Many men wear it from the shoulders to the knees, some from the head to the ankles, depending on community and personal preference.

Materials

Wool. The traditional choice. Natural fiber, the only material the Torah specifically prefers. The David Roytman atelier produces tallits in fine merino-grade wool with hand-finished collars in suede, velour, or silver appliqué. See Wool Tallit.

Silk. Smoother, lighter, drapes more elegantly. Often the choice for warmer climates and for women's tallit. Silk also takes color and original artwork better than wool. The David Roytman silk tallits in the Silk Collection feature original artwork from the atelier.

Denim. A signature David Roytman material. Modern aesthetic, traditional construction. The Denim Tallit collection is popular with younger buyers and the diaspora.

Cotton. Lighter than wool, machine-washable, less expensive. A good first tallit for a Bar Mitzvah boy who is hard on his clothes.

A proper tallit gadol does not mix wool with linen, in keeping with the prohibition of shatnez. The David Roytman atelier respects this rule across the wool collection.

The neckpiece, the atarah

The atarah is the band along the top edge of the tallit, the part that rests on the back of the neck when the tallit is worn properly. Traditionally an atarah is silver, embroidered, or simply the same wool with a darker stripe. Some atarot carry the blessing recited when wrapping the tallit.

The David Roytman tallits feature atarot in suede, velour, silver inlay, or original artwork depending on the collection. The Luxury Chabad features hand-set silver detail.

The artwork

A traditional tallit is white with black or blue stripes. The David Roytman atelier produces several modern lines that depart from this:

Art Collection. Original artwork by David Roytman, often Jerusalem skylines, synagogue facades, or abstract Hebrew letter forms. See Art Collection Tallit.

Jerusalem Collection. Tallits with the Jerusalem motif worked into the cloth. See Jerusalem Tallit.

King David Collection. Tallits inspired by the royal tradition, often with crown or harp motifs. See King David Tallit.

Israeli City Capsules. Tallits named for Israeli locations and inspired by their character: Arbel, Carmel, Meron, Hermon. Each tallit in this line uses wool with denim accents. See the main Tallits collection.

Sizing

Sizes are typically given as a range. The standard adult sizes:

• Size 50 to 55: 18 to 22 inches by 72 inches. Sephardic style, smaller, sits on the shoulders.
• Size 60: 55 by 75 inches. The most common size for an Ashkenazi adult man.
• Size 70: 65 by 80 inches. Larger, drapes from head to mid-calf.
• Size 80: 75 by 90 inches. Full coverage, head to knee or further.

A child's first tallit is typically size 40. For a Bar Mitzvah, size 50 or 55 grows with the boy.

The tzitzit

The four sets of knotted fringes at the corners are not decorative. They are the commandment. There are several traditions for how they are tied:

• Ashkenazi: 7-8-11-13 windings between knots.
• Sephardic: 10-5-6-5 windings.
• Chabad: 7-8-11-13 windings, with specific knot variations.

The David Roytman atelier ties the tzitzit according to the customer's tradition. Specify when you order. The strings are sourced from kosher producers in Israel.

The bag

A tallit deserves a bag that protects it. The David Roytman atelier produces matching tallit bags across Italian leather, exotic leather, denim, and Tzfat designs. Many customers order the tallit and the bag as a set, often with a matching tefillin bag.

What to give for a Bar Mitzvah

The convention is a wool tallit in size 50 or 55 with a matching bag. The first tallit a boy wears for his first morning of being responsible for himself before Heaven is the tallit he tends to keep, photograph, and pass down. Choose a piece that holds up to that.

The David Roytman atelier produces a Set "Tzfat" for Tallit and Tefillin made of denim and several other complete sets that work well for Bar Mitzvah gifting.

Care

Hand wash a wool tallit in cold water with mild soap. Lay flat to dry. Do not tumble dry. The tzitzit can tangle in the wash, brush them flat before drying.

Silk tallits should be dry cleaned by a cleaner experienced with religious garments.

Denim and cotton tallits can be machine washed cold, gentle cycle, hung to dry.

Pricing context

A basic kosher tallit can be bought for $50. The David Roytman tallits start at the $200 to $400 range for hand-finished cotton and wool pieces, and reach $1,500 and above for the silk Art Collection and the Luxury Chabad with silver inlay. The price difference is in the wool grade, the construction, the atarah material, and the hand-finishing time.

Questions we hear

Do I need a tallit before Bar Mitzvah? Customs vary. Sephardic boys wear tallit gadol from Bar Mitzvah. Ashkenazi boys often wait until marriage, though many wear tallit from Bar Mitzvah today.

Can a woman buy a tallit for her son's Bar Mitzvah? Yes. The most meaningful gift is one chosen by family. Many mothers and grandmothers have purchased David Roytman pieces for their sons.

Can a non-Jew wear a tallit? Wearing tzitzit is a positive commandment specifically for Jewish people. A non-Jewish guest at a Jewish service typically does not wear a tallit.

How long does a hand-finished tallit last? Decades when cared for. The wool, the silk, and the linen are all natural fibers that age well. The atarah, the silver, and the silk artwork can be restored by the atelier if needed.