Mohammad Javad enters a fashionable shop in well-to- do north Tehran with his mother. He wants a necktie, banned in Iran for the first time as a symbol of Western decadence.
The 27-year-old dentist said he opted for this clothing accessory in hopes of looking his best during the first meeting with his future in-laws.
He said that wearing a tie was like wearing a mask before COVID 19 hit, as the salesman adjusted his suit. People would look at you differently because of the negative view.
I think a man looks chic with one. We Iranians have imposed strange and unnecessary restrictions on ourselves. The restrictions on women who have been required to wear modest clothing and headscarves have sparked strong passions in Iran.
After the death of Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, 22, on 16 September, the country was gripped by unrest, labelled riots by the authorities, after she was arrested for allegedly violating the country's strict dress code for women.