Made-to-Order, Hand-Sewn, Made in the U.S.A—KKK Hoods and Robes →

Anthony Karen, writing for Mother Jones:

Coming from five generations of Ku Klux Klan members, 58-year-old "Ms. Ruth" sews hoods and robes for Klan members seven days a week, blessing each one when it's done. A red satin outfit for an Exalted Cyclops, the head of a local chapter, costs about $140. She uses the earnings to help care for her 40-year-old quadriplegic daughter, "Lilbit," who was injured in a car accident 10 years ago.

The following is a photo essay about Ms. Ruth by New York photojournalist Anthony Karen, a former Marine who has spent several years photographing members of the Ku Klux Klan. The essay includes audio of interviews with Karen and Ms. Ruth.

The pictures are fascinating, the audio clips from Ms. Ruth are terrifyingly must-listenable, and you know what—kudos to Mother Jones for the puns employed here, including “Aryan Outfitters” and “hate couture.”