This site uses cookies.
Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site,
while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used.
For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Perhaps men wear something else, something native to Iran, on their heads – if you do have a native equivalent, that will be better.
As an ardent Kemalist (supporter of Atatürk), my Turkish wife has agreed that we can visit Iran next year. However, since she will be obliged to cover her head, for the sake of equality of the sexes (an important Kemalist tenet), she is insisting that I cover my head too. So I need to learn about headgear used by men!
No doubt, as a typical Westerner (as far as appearance goes) I'll look very silly, but for the sake of visiting my beloved Iran (a second homeland to all true Celts) and, of course, as a devoted husband, no sacrifice is too great.
Iranian men never wear anything on their heads except for hats. So, please try to convince your wife that you will absolutely look--please excuse my language!--silly if you wear anything other than a hat. You may also wear that چفیه (pronounced /chafie/) as suggested by Mr. Golavar, but you'll again look funny as it is only worn by Basijis. So, people might wonder how on earth a westerner is wearing that thing--and they will certainly laugh at you!
My last word: don't put anything on your head except a hat!
Yes, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Every society demands clothing that is peculiar to them in one way or another. The type of women's wear currently in use in Iran is that which I told you. Women in these clothes are usually very well received anywhere around Iran.
dear friends I agree with the you about chafiye but please bear in mind that chafiye belongs to a specific organization and thought behind it you know BASIJ and it is not used in general sense for ordinary people. So better to use another term. What I can propose is لنگ or something
Thank you so much for another fascinating insight.
The Christian position is that dress is not important in itself, but we must be very careful not to shock other people or upset them.
So, for example, in Turkey and in the West, it would definitely be wrong for a woman to go to church in a bikini.
But in the South Sea islands, where, as I am given to understand, very few clothes are worn by the population in general, I don't think it would be wrong at all.
As for the women in my home church, while of course they are free not to cover their heads, they are obviously following the principle of humility established by Christ Himself: you never grab your rights but instead choose voluntarily to give up your rights for the sake of others and become a servant.
Jesus’ disciples once quarrelled amongst themselves about who was the greatest amongst them, and Jesus told them that anyone who wants to be a leader, to be great amongst men, must humble himself or herself and become the servant, even the slave, of all.
I am sure you must have similar principles in Shiite Islam too.
You're welcome, Simon! I'm happy that I can help you.
I think the main reason why those Iranian women dress less conservatively than your wife is that they might have been living here in Iran for a long time, wearing what they might have not wanted to, and with force maybe. But now that they're free, they're choosing what to wear and how to wear it, like your wife has always been doing. Maybe they're now tasting various degrees of freedom--in clothing I mean!
Many thanks, Hossein! I'm sure she'll go for that option.
This is such a fascinating question.
As I've shared before, I regularly attend an Iranian church here in Turkey. The ladies who attend, who are, of course, former Muslims, while being of the very best character in every way, are, as a rule, far less conservatively dressed than the English ladies who attend the church I attend near Guildford (most choose freely even to cover their heads with shawls etc. during the church service itself), when we are staying at our son’s house.
The Iranian sisters I mentioned previously are also, of course, far less conservatively dressed than my wife.
There are lots of different kinds of مانتو, from very long ones which cover the body from the neck to the feet to shorter ones which cover only part of the thighs. I think you'd better get one which covers half the thighs. These are the most common types today. A shawl (our شال) would be more informal and beautiful than a scarf (our روسری). Finally, jeans are a good option for شلوار.
I think the most suitable clothes for your wife could be:
مانتو شال یا روسری شلوار
In this way, no part of the body is visible and the outfit is acceptable by the Islamic Republic; in fact, this is what most Iranian women wear. Your wife could look exactly like a respectable Iranian woman!
Which raises the question – what should my wife wear? Or rather, what can she get away with wearing? Obviously she will want to wear the closest thing possible to her Kemalist ideals (which means conservative western dress - she certainly doesn't agree with women – or men - going around showing most of their arms and their legs).
What is the Persian word or words for the most ‘liberal’ form of women’s dress tolerated by the Islamic Republic?
Iranian men never wear anything on their heads except for hats. So, please try to convince your wife that you will absolutely look--please excuse my language!--silly if you wear anything other than a hat. You may also wear that چفیه (pronounced /chafie/) as suggested by Mr. Golavar, but you'll again look funny as it is only worn by Basijis. So, people might wonder how on earth a westerner is wearing that thing--and they will certainly laugh at you!
My last word: don't put anything on your head except a hat!
Ryan Emami Canada Local time: 19:39 Works in field Native speaker of: Persian (Farsi) PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
many thanks excellent
Notes to answerer
Asker: many thanks - yes, of course you're right - in my own defence I did say so myself! I'll have a word with my wife and if necessary translate your answer into Turkish for her.
Explanation: This headgear is used by men in the Southern part of Iran, by Arabs, Kurds, etc. This word is literary in use; it is a little like Ammameh (عمامه).
narcissusego Local time: 03:09 Native speaker of: Persian (Farsi)
Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.
You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs
(or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
