Traditional Iranian Dress

Iran is a vast country containing many different ethnicities and languages. As a result, the traditional dress tends to vary by region, territory and sometimes even individual village. By in large, the majority of the ethnicities pertaining to the regions of Iran, dictate the traditional costumes. These include dress styles for Bakhtiaris, Baluchis, Loris, Gilanis, Kurds, Ghoochanis, Ghashghahis, and others. Some dresses come also from the different historical times, such as the Qajar dynasty. We have reviewed a few of the traditional Iranian dresses here.

The traditional Bakhtiari dress for women (right) consists of a long colorful skirt with many layers, and an additional apron-like material, which is thinner and brighter. Bakhtiari women wear long scarves and wraps which can contain ornaments and decorations sewn in from faux coins to hand-sewn designs. Separate shirts are worn at the top with matching vests or shawls. Bakhtiari clothes are versatile and protect the people from weather and extreme conditions. Another form of the Bakhtiari dress is shown here on the left on this 1974, two rial stamp. The stamp collection was issued to commemorate traditional Iranian clothes.

Following in similar suit, the Baluchi dress (right) also uses bright and colorful materials. The emphasis in this style is more on the overall garment which is similar to a loose fitting dress. Underneath the dress, which falls only below the knee, women tend to wear trousers. The trousers are generally straight and long and made from cotton or easy-fitting materials. As this is traditional Baluchi outfit is worn in the villages where manul labor is common, it is important that the dress is highly mobile and comfortable. A small headcovering may be worn with gold or silver ornaments landing gently on the forehead. The head dress is also accompanied by a larger shawl.

The Baluchi men also wear long tunics with matching color pants. Sometimes hats are worn to protect against bad weather. A sample Baluchi outfit with the traditional Baluchi hat is shown on the left. The two Baluchi musicians are wearing traditional white Baluchi outfits.

Another form of traditional dress stems from the Ghashghahi or Ghashghai region. Women from this region wear, located in the south of Iran, wear long skirts which are slightly more layered and offer much brighter colors. This can be seen on the right. The shirts are usually lighter in color and are sometimes entirely covered by the scarves worn on the head. The Ghashghai head cover tends to be tightly closed at the bottom of the chin with some sort of pin, for example a safety pin. A second headband-like cloth may be wrapped around the head of the individual. This cloth may be longer and hang from the person's head back over the shoulder. Smaller ornaments such as coins may be hung from the forehead, depending on the occasion. For men, the Ghashghahi hat is a common item. The Ghashghahi hat is famous and has a very recognizable round shape, usually made from sheep's hair. They tend to be be light brown and very soft to the touch. Another version of the Ghashgahi dress is depicted in this 1974 stamp on the left.

Another form of dress, known as the Ghoochani comes from the region of Ghoochan. This region is also spelled Quochan and lies about 150 kilometers from the city of Mashhad. In the year 1791 AD, Nader Shah was killed in " Tapeh Nader" (Nader's hill) close to the main city. With hot summers and cold winters, the clothing in this area has to be multi-functional and versatile. The traditional Ghoochani dress looks as depicted in the photo on the left. Women's skirts tend to be shorter and the shoes tend to be made for long walks, and climbs. Vests and head covers are also common and lots of bright colors and lines are used in the patterns of the garments throughout.

In contrast to the shorter skirts of the Ghoochani's, the traditional Gilani dresses tend to be floor-length. The Gilan province, with a population of nearly 2 million extends from the Caucasus in the northwest of Iran to the western edge of Mazandaran. It is bordered on the west by Ardebil province and the Zanjan province in the south. The capital of Gilan capital is the city of Rasht. This region tends to experience more humid and hot temperature given the mountains surrounding the area. A very distinct trend in the Gilani skirts are the traditional black and white stripes across the bottom of the skirt. Lighter solid shirt and vest are also worn and the head scarves tend to be airy and accompanied by fringes. Men's traditional outfits consist of loose trousers and shirts tied at the waist with a wide cotton belt. Cylindar-like hats may be worn with the outfit as shown in this 1977 photo from a stamp collection depicting the traditional Gilani outfits.

The next traditional dress comes from the city of Kashan. Kashan is located at southeast of the holy city of Qom. It borders on the dry land of Dasht-e Kavir and usually has hot, dry weather. For agricultural needs and most of other water consumption, Kashan uses the age-old Qanat system. There are 60 underground water canals, also known as Kariz, still in operation. Clothes from Kashan tend to be light and airy. The Kashani dress for women features a long solid skirt, accompanied by a long shirt, with ornaments and hand-sewn designs. In addition, long-sleeved vests with large openings are common. The scarves tend to be shorter as shown in the picture on the right. Overall, the dress is simpler and more solid in nature than other regions of the country.

The dress of the people of Khorasan (Kohrassan) is traditionally more protective. The region is situated in the East of Iran, and historically included the regions of Transoxiana and Afghanistan. It was in the 19th century, during the Qajar Dynasty, that the new frontiers were established. Both the men and women of Khorasan tend to wear trousers that are extra baggy and large. The traditional fashion calls for more solid colors. A large solid shirt with a round collar is a typical look for the male. For women, dresses are worn on top of the trousers that reach below the knee. A head dress is worn. This would be a scarf for a woman and usually a turban for the man. In addition, large shawls are draped over the head or body depending on climate and weather as shown in the image on the left.

 

By far the most elaborate and diverse form of traditional dress comes from the many Kurds who inhabit several regions of Iran. Since the Kurds live in different regions, their clothes also tend to vary. There are the Kurds from Sanandaj, depicted in the picture on the far right. There are also the kurds from Kermanshah. A sample outfit is shown on the near right photo. Kuridsh outfits tend to have headcoverings which are larger and more elaborate than other costumes. Both men and women commonly have belts which are very wide and tightly wrapped around the waist over the clothes to give the outfit some shape. Shirts, skirts, and trousers for both men and women tend to be very baggy and over-sized. Kurdish women tend to wear many coins and jewels which dangle on their forehead and are attached to a scarf or shawl.

The dress of the people from Lorestan is very distinct and ornamental. The Lori dress tends to have hand-sewn designs such as paisley and flowers on the sleeve ends and rims of jackets and trousers. The head gear for the Lori people is a rounded look and is achieved by wrapping a large scarf not just on the head but all around the shoulders and neck as well. There is then also an additional cloth that hangs down from the top of the head. In this sample outfit we see the distinct decorations on the edges of the clothes, including the traditional long vest, worn over the dress and trousers. The vest has shorter sleeves, allowing for the dress sleeves to come through. The trousers also have the trade mark stripe designs at the hem. Women's outfits usually use brighter, more feminine colors such as light green, blue, pink and red with flower or rainbow-like patterns. The men's clothes tend to use solid browns, and grays using very little pattern. The overcoats and vests are long and baggy. Hats may be worn as shown in the picture below which is taken from a 1981 stamp commemorating the traditional Iranian fashions.

One of the most interesting traditional dresses is the Mazandarani dress. The Mazandaran region lies to the north of Iran, in the area of the Caspian Sea, north of Tehran. The region is filled with farmlands and engages in agriculture. The costume of Mazandaran consists of trousers and dress, like most regional dress. The distinguishing feature in the Mazandarani dress, for women, is the skirt. It is usually much shorter and much fuller than the usual traditional outfits. Depending on the occasion and the time of year, the skirts can get quite short, and be likened to puffy mini-skirts. For men, generally a cotton shirt that is simpe can be worn with trousers that are similar to hunting trousers. Shoes, socks or boots are often worn high below the knee. Nomadic hats, made from sheep's hair or the like is also very common among the Mazandarani village fashions. Different sample styles, including the 1978 honorary stamps are shown here to depict sample Mazandarani dress.

The Torkaman tribe in Iran, mainly coming from Turkey and having settled in Iran, also have a distinct and special dress. The Torkaman dress in Iran for the women consists of a long dress with a long open robe. Probably the most conceiling of fashions, the Torkaman dress generally sports a face-cover. This can be in the form of a cloth that the woman ties behind the ears and hangs just under the nose. Clothes tend to favor rusty, and earthy colors, such as deep reds and dark browns. The men's outfits also consist of solid-colored tunics and trousers. The distinguishing features are the hats as depicted in this Torkaman concert photo on the right. Helmets like there were worn in battle and warm hats were worn to protect against the cold, harsh winters. Another Iranian stamp from 1974 below shows a traditional torkaman outfit.

Iran is a vast country containing many different ethnicities and languages. As a result, the traditional dress tends to vary by region, territory and sometimes even individual village. By in large, the majority of the ethnicities pertaining to the regions of Iran, dictate the traditional costumes. These include dress styles for Bakhtiaris, Baluchis, Loris, Gilanis, Kurds, Ghoochanis, Ghashghahis, and others. Some dresses come also from the different historical times, such as the Qajar dynasty. We have reviewed a few of the traditional Iranian dresses here.The traditional Bakhtiari dress for women (right) consists of a long colorful skirt with many layers, and an additional apron-like material, which is thinner and brighter. Bakhtiari women wear long scarves and wraps which can contain ornaments and decorations sewn in from faux coins to hand-sewn designs. Separate shirts are worn at the top with matching vests or shawls. Bakhtiari clothes are versatile and protect the people from weather and extreme conditions. Another form of the Bakhtiari dress is shown here on the left on this 1974, two rial stamp. The stamp collection was issued to commemorate traditional Iranian clothes.