The covered bazaar in Tehran is a hive of activity. Whatever you may need you may find. All of the shops selling food are together, the chador makers together and the tailors and fabric sellers are also lined up, stall after stall. It really makes it easier to comparison shop for product and price. Black definitely is the color of choice in Iran. The women wear black pants and black jackets. The men seem to be in uniform as well with black, gray or dark suits, open collar shirts and black shoes. Walking past dozens of stalls selling fabric put some ideas into my head.
While on our tour I often commented to photo leader Jeremy Woodhouse that we should buy some material and have one of the bazaar tailors make us suits. He laughed and thought it was either funny or crazy while I thought of Steve Jobs wearing the same black sweater everyday or Facebook king Mark Zuckerberg wearing his uniform black t-shirt. Wanting to fit in wasn't the object, as we both obviously don't have the physical features of a typical Iranian man.
As I was walking past one stall and about to take a photograph of the commerce going on, the fabric seller waved me over and pointed to his wares. There on the counter were bolts of black, dark blue and gray material. Some with pinstripes and some as dark as night. I asked him the price but soon realized that he didn't speak English and I don't know Farsi. But luckily a women nearby came to my rescue and excitedly started to translate. She said that the material would cost me 1 million, 200 thousand rial ($40) and the tailoring half that price. My new friend told the tailor to get his tape measure ready before I could even think twice about it. I said, " just looking, but not buying." She shot back in perfect English,"buy a suit and you will become one of us, please give him some business." She went on to say that the Persian new year was next week and he wanted to make money so that be could buy his family gifts. I smiled, and he dejectedly looked at the camera as I hit the shutter button.
While on our tour I often commented to photo leader Jeremy Woodhouse that we should buy some material and have one of the bazaar tailors make us suits. He laughed and thought it was either funny or crazy while I thought of Steve Jobs wearing the same black sweater everyday or Facebook king Mark Zuckerberg wearing his uniform black t-shirt. Wanting to fit in wasn't the object, as we both obviously don't have the physical features of a typical Iranian man.
As I was walking past one stall and about to take a photograph of the commerce going on, the fabric seller waved me over and pointed to his wares. There on the counter were bolts of black, dark blue and gray material. Some with pinstripes and some as dark as night. I asked him the price but soon realized that he didn't speak English and I don't know Farsi. But luckily a women nearby came to my rescue and excitedly started to translate. She said that the material would cost me 1 million, 200 thousand rial ($40) and the tailoring half that price. My new friend told the tailor to get his tape measure ready before I could even think twice about it. I said, " just looking, but not buying." She shot back in perfect English,"buy a suit and you will become one of us, please give him some business." She went on to say that the Persian new year was next week and he wanted to make money so that be could buy his family gifts. I smiled, and he dejectedly looked at the camera as I hit the shutter button.
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