I've heard from some that Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik's wife didn't cover her hair. I haven't managed to find a source for this. If there is a source, what is it, and if it's true, what was her reason?
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1Not too many women covered their hair in the last ~200 years. (ashkenaz, at least.)– Double AA ♦Apr 16, 2013 at 1:00
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5I've heard from a student of the Rav's that indeed his wife did not cover her hair, despite his protestations. He apparently told his students (including this rabbi I heard it from) that women must absolutely cover their hair. One student apparently asked why, then, the Rav's wife did not cover hers, to which he responded (again, I'm reporting second-hand), "You win some, you lose some."– Seth JApr 16, 2013 at 17:10
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4@DoubleAA according to what are you making such a statement? All of Ashkanez Jews? Litvish? Chassidim? Poland? Hungary? Russsia? Germany? Where is your proof for this?!– YehoshuaApr 16, 2013 at 19:01
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2@Yehoshua Aruch Hashulchan (75:7): ועתה בואו ונצווח על פרצות דורינו בעוונותינו הרבים שזה שנים רבות שנפרצו בנות ישראל בעון זה והולכות בגילוי הראש וכל מה שצעקו על זה הוא לא לעזר ולא להועיל ועתה פשתה המספחת שהנשואות הולכות בשערותן כמו הבתולות אוי לנו שעלתה בימינו כך. So at least in mid/late-19th century Belarus and Lithuania, this was rampant. If anything, hair covering was even less commonly observed in the US in the early and mid-20th century, and, at least up until sometime during the mid-20th century, the wives of several gedolim did not cover their hair (including R' Soloveitchik's wife).– FredApr 16, 2013 at 20:52
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1@Yehoshua I was thinking of that Aruch haShulchan among others. I tried purposefully not to limit it to a super specific geographic area, while also recognizing there were individuals who did cover their hair, as did your ancestor. (IAE sourcing and precision standards are certainly lowered when only commenting.)– Double AA ♦Apr 16, 2013 at 23:08
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