To millions of Iranians it’s a symbol of purity. To conservatives it represents a critical bulwark against indulgence. To a lot of Westerners it epitomizes misogyny – although, curiously, the critics don’t seem to be as bothered with nuns or the Amish or the conservative Jews and countless others who also cover their heads in the public.
I can’t think of a piece of clothing more controversial, misunderstood and misrepresented (particularly by non-Iranians who judge without knowing the social and historical context) than the chador (CHAW-door).
Regardless, the chador is a lot of fun to photograph, especially to catch it blow in a windy day, and especially when the female in the chador is cooperative.
Thankfully, I’m married to a woman who loves to model for me in the chador. It’s just a matter of pulling over at a patch of desert and begging Saiedeh to hurry up before the sun disappears behind the clouds.
Took these on the way to Yazd from Tehran, just outside Nain (naw-EEN), Isfahan Province.
