A strictly Orthodox rabbi has defended an official letter telling women not to wear clothes which are red, bright yellow or fluorescent because “hot colours solicit attention”.

The message, written by Rabbi Eliyahu Falk and approved by the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, was sent to 5,000 homes in the Stamford Hill area of London with the local Heimishe Newsheet.

Rabbi Falk, a scholar based in Gateshead, told women and girls that eye-catching, see-through, short or tight clothes were “no less forbidden than … eating Treife food or mixed swimming”.

“It is truly loathsome to dress in such an inadequate manner,” he added.

“The width of the blouse or other top garment should be so that the shape of the upper body is not apparent,” while hips and thighs, he said, should be “hidden and camouflaged by the skirt”.

The letter drew criticism from Dina Brawer, who founded the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance and is training to be a rabbi.

She told The Times modesty was “a very important Jewish value” that applied equally to men and women.

She added: “It is about a mindset that values dignity and discretion. Tasteful clothing is only one manifestation of this value.

“Obsessing over women’s hemlines paradoxically undermines this value and smacks of male control.”

But Rabbi Abraham Pinter, a prominent figure in Stamford Hill – home to the largest Charedi community in Europe - defended Rabbi Falk.

He told the JC: “I don’t know what the big fuss is about. Women who dress in that way are looking for guidance, and he is just stating what the halachah is.

"Rabbi Falk is not telling Dina Brawer or anyone else how to dress.

“People can make their own choices; I respect other choices too. It’s not for me to tell them how to dress. Charedi women should be allowed to choose their lifestyle too."

He said strictly Orthodox rules governing modesty “apply just as much to men.

“For me, no women in the Charedi community feel that way. If she chooses to be a radical feminist, that’s her choice. Good for her.

“I respect her as an individual, and she’s entitled to her views, but we've got a certain decorum which is demanded of men too.

“You’re unlikely to come to Stamford Hill and see men walking around in shorts, especially if they have varicose veins.”