bismillah ir rahman ir raheem
Those of you who have read my blog for a long time may remember how about 1-2 years ago I posted a picture about a Irani TV presenter who had on a yellow scarf with a brown chador-e melli and how it was kind of making people raise their eyebrows…because the chador was colored and it was on TV and out in public.
anyway…some cultural background so you understand why this is a bit surprising…currently black for chadors outside is the norm, the colors and prints are reserved for at home…although slowly, slowly, darker tones are becoming a bit more “acceptable” by some…its still far from the norm and many may consider it immodest…right now only really elderly women from small towns and villages go out, in public with a colored/printed chador as they still consider black as a color solely reserved for funerals…which was the norm in Persian society up until a few decades ago where few women unless attending a funeral would go outside in a black chador.
Hence…her wearing colored chadors in public, on TV is rather eyebrow raising.
Anyway, her name is Azadeh Namdari and she presents a TV variety show on Irani TV.
Not only is she known for her slightly OTT colored chadors but also for wearing very bright, colorful contrasting scarves with her black chadors as well. Her style is rather unique and different from what you see most Irani TV presenters wearing…all of whom tend to favor darker colored scarves with their chadors or if they just wear manteau and no chador, they favor more muted tones. Personally I really like her muhajabaah style!
What do you think?
grey…
brown…
Black with colorful scarves…
muhajabat.wordpress.com 
13 responses to “…the girl in the colored chador…”
I think she looks great mashallah although I can see how it could cause a bit of a stir when you’re going against cultural norms.
That last picture masha’ Allaah!
as salam alikum
as long as she is modest who cares what colors she choose to wear
I think it looks really nice mashaAllaah, it’s not like they are neon orange! I remember watching a documentary about Iran in the 70s and some of the women had really cool printed chadors (yes this was in Tehran) one lady had a star print one on (sooo ahead of her time) and I saw this in a sketch copied into an encyclopaedia of costume.
asalaamu alaikum..well historically up until the 80’s…most women didnt ear black chadors…the only times they ould really do so, was during funerals…so up until the 80’s or so when the war occured and most people were almost contstantly in mourning and the country was in mourning…women did wear printed, colored chadors outside of the house. Amongst rural women they were often of a plaidish print which was home-woven and actually rectangular…although maybe in the 50’s with the availability of commercial fabric that changed too…but only did black become the norm in the 80’s. Even to this day, women from rural or small town families will NOT wear black scarves or manteau as its considered bad luck ad associated with funerals…they will wear a black chador as its the norm…but nothing else black while elderly women from the same backgrounds will get a fabric which printed for wearing outside. So, i’m sure the darker tones do appeal to many women…from the cultural background standpoint, but you have some people who really do think anything less than a black chador is immodest..ofcourse Ive always found those types to be from families who adopted the chador in the 80’s…and not traditional wearers of the garment
Masha’Allah, I love her style! If non-black chador-e mellis were available in the US, I would be tempted to wear them every day!
She looks great!
I am curious though…why do many munaqabat or women who wear overgarments stick to such dull colors? I always see black, black, black…isn’t it possible to wear prints or bright colors once in a while?
For me personally wearing mainly black is purely practical, black is the most hard wearing fabric, it doesn’t show grease or stains and if looked after well can stay looking new and smart for a very long time. Also if you have kids there is just no contest between black or anything else. Another thing is most nursing friendly overgarments tend to be made in black, at least the ones available in my size. I do wear other colours even stuff like light stone beige but as they are just so impractical I rarely wear them. When it comes to niqab as well it’s the black fabrics that are most breathable, I’ve had niqabs in black and other colours from the exact same company and for some strange reason it’s the black one that is most breathable and most well made, also black doesn’t show grease or wet marks from your breath both of which can look just ugh when you’re wearing niqab.
salaamu alaikum…yes I’d hafta agree. I DO know sisters who think the only allowed color or colors are black or very dark tones, even though there really is no requirement for this according to most scholars, those who believe this follow the tradition of the Prophet saws wives looking like “black crows”…again, that is debatable with some scholars saying…thats not exactly the meaning which was intended by that hadeeth. While others like Umm Abdullah feel its a more practical color. Personally…if I KNOW I am going somewhere, where I know I will get dirty…like out to eat, or traveling or something I will choose black, dark brown or dark blue…I keep my khaki and beige and taupe and turquoise garments for days when say I go grocery shopping, or take a walk or go to the mall and am just walking around… because I have in the past worn light stuff to say the masjid for iftaars and I come home covered in sauce and grease and then have to tear my hair out with the Shout stick and Vinegar to get out the stains…y’know. So I think for most its pure practicality. There is also another side which is modesty, some sisters just feel more modest in black or dark tones…esp if they have a figure which tends to have certain features which even in the baggiest garment may be noticable…like if a sister has very large hips or a very large chest, she may feel MOST comfortable and covered in black or a dark color. So there are several facets to this…you have some who view it as religiously mandated, others for modesty and still others for practicality. I hope this explains it well!~
Also I was reading in a British women’s magazine a year or so ago that contrary to popular belief, black is the coolest fabric in the sun. The researchers were intrigued as to why Bedouin women wore black and used black fabric for their tents and furnishings, and they found while black absorbs heat the way it distributes it is actually cooler than any other fabric colour. I have found this to be true myself-with the right type of fabric. Some of the Korean and Japanese black fabrics are many times cooler and more breathable than cotton.
I am one of those sisters who just prefer black and other dark colors out of a sense of modesty. I simply prefer to save my colorful designs and prints for women only events or with family. I don’t necessarily believe that black is the only color acceptable but for me personally darker colors draw less attention to the attributes I wish to conceal in public. I have however, in recent years began to pair my dark abayas with a more colorful hijab although you can still often find me in all black from head to toe as well.
I think she looks great, mashallah! I’m a big fan of color though.
assalamu alaikum
anyone know where to get those chador ? it is so pretty