The variety of colors and designs is one of the most prominent features of the clothes of all Iranian communities. This variety of colors in the clothing of Iranian women can only be seen in a few societies of the world. The traditional dress of Iranian Zoroastrians is no exception to this rule, and the variety of colors that have been formed according to the historical taste of Zoroastrians is the main appearance of their dress.

Zoroastrian Men’s Clothing

Zoroastrian men used to have long beards in the past. The desire to wear fully white clothing, as it is popular among Zoroastrians today, was also common in the past. Perhaps this is the reason why the Zoroastrians have been nicknamed “Sefidjamegan” (lit. white wearers) in some books. Presently, Zoroastrian traditional clothes are mainly used in religious ceremonies, family programs, and special occasions. As in the old days, these clothes were generally sewn from cotton fabric. The components of Zoroastrian men’s clothing are:

1 - Headwear, which is made of cotton fabric and in fawn, white, red, maroon, and black colors. This part of the dress is square-shaped and it is embroidered with black silk thread. In the past, Zoroastrian grooms wore this headwear with a sweatband, which may have been made of green cloth with patterns of flowers and plants. It is common to use white sweatbands, which are worn during prayer, under the headwear.

2 - Sedreh; an undergarment made of linen with short sleeves. Sedreh has a semi-round collar and a small pocket in the front, which does not open and is supposed to collect one’s good deeds. It is worn to protect the wearer from evil acts. It is considered a spiritual shield from evil.

3 - Outer shirt: This shirt is fully white, has a round collar is knee-long. Sometimes a shawl is tied on the shirt and around the waist.

4 - Trousers: Zoroastrian men do not wear special trousers and the only difference between their trousers and what other men wear is their fully white color.

Zoroastrian Women’s Clothing

The colorful clothes of Zoroastrian women attracted the attention of tourists and travel writers in the past. By searching in old travelogues, one can find references about the variety of colors, blue or checkered shirts, polka-dot pants, and colorful headdresses worn by Zoroastrian women.

Zoroastrian women’s clothing has a lot in common with the clothing of some other Iranian ethnic groups. For instance, their headscarves are similar to Bakhtiari women’s headscarves in terms of shape and way of tying; their dresses are similar to that of Lor women, their pants are similar to that of Azari women in terms of shape and cut, and their hats are similar to Bandari women’s hats. Zoroastrian women’s clothing generally consists of several components:

1 - Latchak: A triangular piece of cloth made of zari, velvet, or silk fabrics and tied in such a way that covers their hair.

2 - Scarf: A colorful cloth full of motifs with large dimensions that covers the front and back of women’s heads. Sometimes a scarf is tied in such a way that covers up to the wrist. Using large scarves that extend up to the ankles and cover all body parts has also been common among Zoroastrian women. This type of scarf is sewn from a material that is not slippery and stays firm on the head.

3 - Sedreh

4 - Outer dress: It is a loose dress with fringed cuffs, a round neck, and a small slit in the back. The dress has a loose skirt at the bottom - sometimes decorated like cuffs - and may extend to the calf. Presently, this part of the dress is less used.

5 - Trousers: In terms of cut, the trousers of Zoroastrian women can be described as similar to those of Azari women, except that the legs of this type of trousers have narrow and colorful stripes.