(thwacking forehead)
Hey guys, I thought it was self-evident, given I printed so much of the Text, that "foreign attire" has to do with the moral condition of God's people. The punchline really happens at the end of the story, btw.
"The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery" by Ryken, Wilhoit, Longman III offers 3 pages of explanation on the importance of garments and clothing imagery in the Bible as being highly significant. Very little of it has to do with fashion. In a very small nutshell, it can refer to physical, spiritual, economic, social and moral issues.
"Strange; foreign" denotes a sense of estrangement of Israel (due to her divided loyalties.)
Remember we're dealing with apocalyptic literature - symbolic images were easily understood by the ancient Jewish reader. We benefit when we notice patterns and repeated motifs and respect the meaning that the original writers intend. This can be done - even with out a dictionary of Biblcal motifs, if we're cautious about our presuppositions, cultural ignorance and keep the entire story in mind.
r.