Females planning a trip to Iran should consider four questions: What should I wear? How should I behave? Will I be safe? What should I take? This information aims to give practical advice, dispel preconceptions and reassure. Since the revolution of all women in Iran, including foreigners, have been required by law to wear loose-fitting clothes to disguise their figures. They must also cover their hair.
In reality the dress code is more relaxed and open to interpretation. Colour schemes are uniformly dull. Iranian women who flout hijab can find themselves in serious trouble. Their infringements have included wearing sunglasses above the headscarf, failing to wear a coat that fully covered their bottom, wearing bright colours, wearing nail polish, wearing sandals that show the feet or ankles, and not fully covering their hair.
Fortunately, foreign women are not usually judged as harshly as Iranian women when it comes to hijab, and few Iranians will bat an eyelid if you have your fringe or a bit of neck or hair showing. Your best bet is textured cotton, which tends to adhere to hair more effectively and slips less.
Make sure that your scarf is wide enough to cover all of your hair, and long enough to be able to throw over your shoulders as an anchoring device. Practice before you leave home. Bring the band with you. At the time of writing, local fashionistas in Tehran were wearing their scarves as high and as far back on their heads as possible. The majority of manteaus are made from polyester ghastly in summer or cheap cotton. The trench-coat style is the most popular version for fashion-conscious Iranian women, but it can be hot and uncomfortable โ remember that your manteau will need to stay on in restaurants, cinemas, shops and other interior public spaces.
Loose-fitting cardigans going down to the mid-thigh are a comfortable, alternative form of outerwear. The only times when foreign women must wear a chador are when visiting important shrines.
