A lot of our travellers are already aware of the dress code in Iran, however many are misinformed and will only be aware of the stereotypical myth that all Iranian women are forced to cover head to toe with a black piece of fabric called “Chador”.
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.
It is true that women should cover their hair in Iran and although the rules are very lenient towards female tourists but here is a quick guide:
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.