Generally, western travelers are advised to dress conservatively when traveling through the Middle East, however, dress code is a tricky thing when it comes to Iran. That is because of people’s perception from Iran, who have usually only seen the black “Chador” on International News channels.
This couldn’t be further from truth, Iranian women are very modest in choosing their Hijab or Veil, and you can’t see its equivalent anywhere in the Middle East. A lot of our clients are shocked by the way women dress in Iran once they arrive, they see local women who are typically stylish and take great care of how they look.
Although there is nothing wrong with the “Chador” and/or a covered veil, when most of our female customers land in Iranian airports they are the most covered people around. Iranian law states that women should cover their hair and Iranians observe this law by using colourful and beautiful head scarves, which are a bonus especially during the winter months.
If you go to cities such as Tehran, Shiraz and, to a lesser extent, Isfahan you’ll notice that there are many women making small albeit noticeable fashion statements, and dressing in quite a modern and fashionable way by the standards of the region (designer clothes, dyed hair, visible make-up, heels, etc.).
So, in big cities covering your hair (not completely if you don’t want to) and a knee-long coat or top over your jeans or trousers will be fine. Many of our female clients walk around in their jeans and encounter no problems at all.
Cities such as Yazd, Kerman, Kermanshah and kashan are more conservative, so lower the tone accordingly.
Finally, places like shrines, mosques, etc. require full covering, but the good news is chadors are available for visitors on site, or you can buy yourself one at a very affordable price.
Below is a more detailed guide for your information:
Colour: You can wear whatever colour of clothes you wish in Iran, male and female. It is an absolute myth that women should only wear dark clothes. We even recommend our passengers to wear light colours during summer months.
Hair and body coverage: A scarf is all you need to cover your hair – or parts of it- modestly. It doesn’t mean you need to have a tight scarf around your head, in contrast it is rather acceptable for women to allow whips of their hair to frame their face. Body should be covered with loose clothing such as baggy shirts, coats and/or man-teus. You can also wear your jeans here in Iran.
Footwear: Sandals and open-shoes are very common in Iran. Nothing to worry about on this side.
Our recommendation: When flying to Iran just carry a long baggy shirt and a thin head scarf (you can even use a normal winter scarf and turn into an Iranian approved headscarf, we leave that to your own creativity), i.e. if you don’t want to use the scarves provided at Tehran’s international airport.
We look forward to seeing you in Iran and you can also visit our female-only tours.