What Is The Dress Code In IRAN?
Introduction
Fashion is now one of the world’s major industries. Many people spend a significant part of their earnings on trendy clothing and accessories. Fashion has also become a tool for young people to express their individuality. As a result, many young girls and boys all over the world are continuously on the lookout for new fashion trends and attempting to set up their own personal styles.
Iranians, contrary to popular belief, are no exception. Despite the constraints, many young adults in Iran respect fashion just as much as people their age in other countries, and they have actually developed distinctive and inventive styles. Even while they must follow the Iran dress rules to some extent, they have violated them in many ways throughout the years.
History of fashion in Iran
Fashion is a modern notion, yet what it signifies dates back to ancient times. It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that every item of clothes conveys a narrative. Dressing up has never just been a way to hide one’s body; rather, it has always reflected a notion about the person wearing it: who they are, where they come from, and what they do.
Clothing has always played an important role in Iran, as it does everywhere else in the globe. Clothing has gone a long way in a huge area with people living in it for more than 5000 years, and it has a lot to say.
With the exception of clerical dress and the chador, with which women cover their bodies, and local and indigenous dress throughout Iran, current formal dress in Iran has a western appearance.
Clothing and fashion in Iran had an eastern symbol prior to the Qajar rule. Although the designs, colors, and patterns were changing at the time, the principle of “non-stickiness, length, width, and freedom” was followed. During the Qajar period, events occurred that gradually gave way to the principle of “tightness and shortness” in the design and sewing of clothing fashions in Iran. The same principles govern the design and construction of Western clothing.
Fashion became popular in Iran during the Qajar period when Iranians began traveling to the West. Diplomatic trips to Europe at the time introduced the courtiers to Western coverings. Another reason for Western cultural influences in Iran was the travel of Iranian students to Europe to further their education, which provided the foundation for a shift in attitudes toward clothing style. Because men made the majority of these trips, men’s clothes were changed before women’s clothes. Until then, Iranian women’s knowledge of European clothing was limited, and European women’s clothing was identified through images imported into Iran.
In fact, paying attention to fashion began when Fath Ali Shah’s wife met “Elizabeth McNeill” at a court party. Elizabeth McNeill wore a white satin gown with lace pleats, as well as a silk red robe, which contrasted with the lavish and glamorous gowns and jewels of the court women. This simple dress drew a lot of attention from the Iranian court’s first lady and became the starting point for changing women’s clothing in the Qajar court.
This simple dress, however, caught the eye of the first wife of the Iranian court and served as the starting point for changing the clothes of Qajar court women. Lady Shale later met with King Jahan, Nasser al-Din Shah’s mother, in 1850. The European style entered Iran during the reign of Nasser al-Din Shah through the influence of his daughter Taj al-Saltanah, who was educated in Europe and supported the liberation of Iranian women.
With the start of the Pahlavi period and Reza Shah’s visit to Turkey, there were drastic changes in clothing styles, and the transition to modernity became forced. Reza Shah ordered the discovery of women’s hijabs and the wearing of Western suits instead of traditional clothing by men. In addition, men were required to wear a Pahlavi hat instead of a shapoo hat, and a turban, while women could wear a hat instead of a headscarf, chador, and scarf, but a hijab was prohibited. Following that, fashionable clothes were followed, and women prepared their clothes using magazines from European magazines that were published seasonally or annually, and they were kept informed of changes in color and style.
Because of increased relations with Western countries since 1320, the evolution of clothing in Iran and its coordination with foreign clothing has increased. Closed or open-front shirts with large English collars, wide shoulders, and tight waists were popular in Iran during the 1320s. The variety of clothing styles increased in the 1330s, and by the following decade, pleated skirts, as well as loose-fitting suits, were common among clothing design styles.
The French design style, which included maxi and miniskirts, as well as a variety of coats, skirts, and vests, entered Iran in the 1350s. Iranian fashion and clothing underwent a significant change in the 1350s as a result of the West’s influence. Western magazines made significant contributions to society’s fashion; on the other hand, punk bands, hippies, hairdressers for the Beatles, and other groups influenced Iran’s urban youth.
Iranian clothing culture changed after the 1357 revolution and the reduction of Western culture’s presence in society. In the 1360s, the Iran-Iraq war reduced people’s interest in fashion. During this time, women’s clothing was replaced with manteaus and chadors, while men’s clothing was replaced with loose-fitting trousers and plain shirts.
With the end of the war and the disappearance of the period’s special economic and political conditions, the fashion wave in society resumed. With the rise in foreign clothing imports in the 1370s, loose-fitting trousers gave way to skinny jeans, and casual men’s shirts gave way to T-shirts. During this time, various styles of women’s mantles, such as bat mantles, appeared.
Due to the introduction of the Internet in the 1380s, the pace of fashion evolution in Iran increased to the point where most people considered last year’s clothing out of fashion and unusable. However, the predominant clothing pattern was foreign media, and there was no such thing as Iranian clothing.
Fashion designers’ movements have resulted in changes in the way people dress in society since the mid-1380s. These activities were mostly carried out in private masons and by young designers who wanted to wear clothes that were different from what was available in stores. Given that black and dark colors were the predominant colors of Iranian women’s clothing in recent decades, the production of new clothing brought a wave of color to society.
Contemporary Iran fashion style
Iranians prefer to dress in bright colors and patterns, or to wear clothing with a brand of something they appreciate. In certain big cities, such as Tehran, it is common to see males sporting t-shirts with the logo of their favorite band or girls wearing colorful scarves and manteaus. Furthermore, many ladies are also opting for more daring variations of the traditional manteaus that have gained popularity over the years. In recent years, button-less and semi-transparent manteaus, hoodies, and somewhat bigger men’s shirts have supplanted the standard manteaus in many girls’ fashions.
They also strive to be more stylish by breaking the Iran dress code laws in various ways, such as folding up the legs of their pants, wearing ripped jeans, leaving their hair out of their scarves from the front and back, and so on. This innovative sense of fashion, generated by avoiding restraints as much as possible, is not unique to Iranian girls. In recent years, boys have also developed new fashion trends. Many of them like having tattoos, jewelry, or globally fashionable haircuts. Finally, it is crucial to note that the aforementioned styles are in the minority and are largely visible in big cities such as Tehran, Isfahan, and so on. Iranians who live in major cities in Iran and throughout the globe dress more elegantly than those who live in smaller cities.
Age is no barrier, and even the oldest generation of women is fashion savvy, nearly never seen in public without make-up and perfume. Makeup appears to be the only method for them to express themselves, and many of them overuse it in an attempt to be rebellious and create a distinctive style statement.
Iran clothing rules
In Iran, the Islamic clothing rules are rigidly enforced. Women typically wear manteaus or trench coats with jeans and headscarves to cover their heads. When entering religious buildings, a chador is required. The dress code requires women to cover their hair, necks, and arms. Men are not permitted to wear shorts.
Fashion for women
Modern Iranian ladies wear a “manteau” or trench coat. Trench coats have long sleeves and are generally knee-length or below the knee. The length of the overcoat varies with time and fashion trends.
Long trench coats were popular for a while, but in recent years, short coats have become more popular. Women cover their hair with a scarf or shawl. The maqnaeh is a traditional headpiece that is sewn to keep hair off of a woman’s face and maybe put on in a matter of seconds. The traditional Iranian method of tying a headscarf is to fold the two opposing corners of a scarf to form a triangle and tie the scarf around your head while knotting it at the chin.
Under the topcoat, trousers or black stockings are worn. Socks and pantyhose come in a variety of patterns and fabrics. Women wear the chador when praying or entering religious buildings. A gorgeous chador is made from yards of delicate materials and lace. The majority of Iranian ladies adore black and may be found wearing it all year.
Fashion for men
Iranian males are well-dressed, with the majority wearing formal shirts and trousers or suits to work. Short sleeves and “Western” attire might be risky. In public, shorts, T-shirts, and ties are not permitted.
Dressing up for special occasions
Many Iranians dress quite Western for private parties and occasions. It is extremely advised that you follow the guidelines when visiting government agencies, schools, and embassies.