Magneh's and Manteau's

By the time we cross the border out of Iran I will have been living "veiled" for three weeks. While saying goodbye to the friends we have made here will be hard, it will be my pleasure to say "Khoda Hafez" (good-bye in Persian) to the Hejab and the regulations around womens clothing and appearance in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

First time wearing a headscarf in Iran

If you are a woman planning a trip to this amazing country, here are the basics; Your legs should be covered down to your ankles, and your arms covered down to your wrists. Your bottom needs to be sufficiently hidden and to do this the woman wear what is known as a "Manteau" which can be a long top or jacket - as a result of this particular dress restriction you can find bucket-loads of beautiful coats and jackets in the many shops that line the streets. I have been wearing a light-weight jacket which has been invaluable, although sometimes it can be far too hot for a headscarf and jacket inside the overheated buildings - the manteau is required in any public situation, outside or inside.

Fail #1 - It was simply too hot to keep my scarf on my head inside this restaurant

Fail #2 - Escaping pony-tail!

 Your hair should also be covered and there are two main options to achieve this. You can use any old scarf in whatever way you want to hide away your precious locks and this is what I was doing at first. It looks much "cooler" and for the fashion-conscious, this is definitely the way to go. However, you should be aware that Iranian women have been honing the skill of balancing a beautiful scarf on their heads (usually trying to push the boundary of how far back they can wear it) since the age of nine when it becomes compulsory. For the novice like me, the battle of trying to keep my scarf in place throughout the day proved too much of a challenge and when I was shown another option (the Magneh), I was sold. The Magneh is a one-piece circular headscarf that is primarily worn in official situations like government offices and in schools. It's basically the more formal option and more importantly for me, much less hassle as it tends to stay put as you go about your business. I get quite a few strange looks from the locals who can see that I am obviously a tourist but also choosing to wear the much more formal (and boring) Magneh, but honestly, the energy it has saved (not having to re-arrange a scarf every minutes) is totally worth it in my opinion.

My Magneh!

Another stand-out piece of womens clothing that you sometimes see in Iran is the chador. Literally meaning "tent" it is a piece of material (usually black) and is used to cover the whole body tip to toe. Thankfully it is not compulsory to wear a chador except in a few select places. In the eyes of the government, successful dressing here for a woman means being as invisible as possible, hence the sea of shapeless, black, veiled, chador-clad women. One of my first impressions after seeing a street full of women in chador was the lack of identity it fosters. For me, the "invisibility factor" is in direct opposition of the knowledge that every human being is an incredible one-of-a-kind creation.

Met these guys whilst having chai one afternoon. Chiky-babe is sporting the chador.

Although a lot of women try to express themselves as much as possible, and many are very trendy, there is still good reason to stick to the official dress code because in Iran, Fashion Police are a real thing! Men in green police cars patrol the streets making sure that woman have correct hejab. I should mention here that tourists are not held to the same standards as locals, and at most you might be asked to pull your headscarf forward to conceal your hair a bit more. However if you are a native Iranian, the fashion police are totally within their rights to arrest you for not being dressed to their standards. It has certainly been an experience to wear a headscarf whenever in public and at times has even had its benefits - like when it's freezing cold outside and your neck and ears are able to stay toasty warm. But I will return to the un-veiled life without any problem what-so-ever. Regardless of the potential pro's and con's of wearing a headscarf I am looking forward to again having the freedom of choice.

Playing dress-ups with a friend's chador!