Iran before the Islamic Revolution of 1979 was quite a different country from the one we see today. It was secular, Western-oriented and allowed a fair amount of cultural freedom. After the revolution, Iran turned into an Islamic state abiding the Sharia law. This not only changed the country’s foreign relations, political climate, and economy but also the lives of common people, not to mention how it changed the women’s role in the new society.
It might seem unbelievable today, but Iranian women of the time before the Islamic Revolution also took a modern approach when it came to 70s fashion. They would dress up just like their Western counterparts and would even show some skin. These vintage magazine scans give us a rough idea of what a woman could wear at that time.
Today the dress code in Iran is way more conservative compared to the 70s women’s fashion; now, they need to cover their hair, necks, and arms. Nevertheless, Iranian women are generally stylish and tend to choose colorful outfits.
Scroll down below to check the vintage photos of Iranian ladies sporting the 70s style in the pre-revolution times.
(h/t: designyoutrust)
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Share on FacebookIran was on a good way in the 1950's but an Anglo-American coup deposed the democratically elected Prime Minister, Mosaddegh, and put their puppet Shah in his place. That was the beginning of the 1979 revolution which turned the country to more hardline Islam. As in so many countries, western oil and gas interests destroyed democracy and set up the country as we know it today. Any westerners who complain about Iran today would do well to go back and read some history; the hypocrisy and lack of education on display is sickening. The Shah who was in charge as these pics were taken was a puppet to the west, and steered the country with an iron hand; all political opposition to his affiliation with the west was destroyed, tortured or killed by his secret police. No wonder Ayatollah Khomeini was welcomed back with open arms after his exile by the Shah!
Khomeini was welcomed and proved to be 100 times worse than the Sha
Load More Replies...Many of the photos posted here are not even of Iranian women. I see Sophia Lauren and Bridget Bardot and also photos of some foreign models who were on location in Iran when those photos were taken. What they are not telling us is MOST Iranian women NEVER dressed like that. It's like someone presenting you a pictorial in Town&Country Magazine 30 years from now and telling you this is how MOST American women used to live 2015. We can agree that would be a lie.
Well, do people in US dress like pictures in playboy magazines? No they dont. Its just showing how society was open. Plus many of them are iranian celebrities whom used to appear in the films just like what you see in pictures.and yeah there s no sophia lauren and bridget bardot in these pictures.
Load More Replies...So happy to see this article. Most people actually think Iran has always been ruled the way it is today (although, thanks to internet and other sources of information and group formations, it is not as bad as 80s and 90s). Love these outfits, would love to have them myself!
Nice.I would like to believe that this can happen again. Today I was reading Declaration of new "Muslim Reform Movement" I hope that Muslims all around the world will SUPPORT it: https://www.facebook.com/Muslim-Reform-Movement-462078103964443/ Here is also Video from their press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlAnr8bIIr8 (I am not a Muslim)
Come on. This is not how 'women' dressed in iran in the 1970s.. These are models (western and iranian) in a magazine. They reflect how women dressed in Iran as much as Victoria Secrets or Vogue reflect how women dress today. Granted some women wore pants and short sleeved shirts, but like most fashion magazines they do not depict reality but rather an aspiration. Iran is and was a deeply conservative society and there were no doubt some westernized Iranians, but the Ayatollah had a great deal of support and quite a bit of that was a backlashed against western society and ideas.
Thanks for your comment! You are right, these women are models and their outfits have more glam than a casual street look. Nevertheless, like you say yourself, back in the days the clothing styles in the streets of Iran were more relaxed than now, in fact very similar to that of Paris or London, so we believe that these photos give an idea of what was acceptable back then :) Correct us if we are wrong, it is very important to us!
Load More Replies...well such a free time, even best hollywood production wanted to make films in Iran and everybody was traveling there, not just queen of England or US president but also Elizabeth Tylor and mostly artists of the time! Tehran was a cultural and artistic hub
Load More Replies...How Times Have Changed: Iran In The 60’s And 70’s http://cavemancircus.com/2012/10/04/how-times-have-changed-iran-in-the-60s-and-70s/ http://www.vintag.es/2015/01/20-color-photographs-showing-beautiful.html
MISS Iran's Cadidates in 1970s: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/459296861970811480/
Load More Replies...god...i wished i was born 1oo years ago life is almost sucks for a teenage in iran believe me im there
Don't be silly. Hundred years ago, things were much worse.
Load More Replies...And the irony is, that only a few of the women in these photos are actually Iranian. Most of the pictures are blonde women. And one of the pictures is a photo of the actress Sophia Loren !
Which one is of Loren? I went back and could not find her there at all? I did see one of Natalie Wood, though.
Load More Replies...since when were bardot or sophia loren iranian. sure i saw natalie wood too!
Shah was a decent man, and an experienced politician too, for Iran of the time was good! but he made two mistakes, he was too lenient with radicals communists and muslim terrorists, like Fadayeeon Eslam. All over organisation who take arms and terror acts get arrested! I wonder how he let them free or just send them to exile! these guys brutally revenged. Maybe he was too nice! educated in Switzerland! .
He was also quite corrupt. He was worse than his predecessor.
Load More Replies...The Islamic extremists were created by the US during the Cold War due to their paranoia. Now it's all coming back to them. Sad truth!
Shah was quite a nice man! May his soul rest in peace! He only did one mistake! He let terrorists like khomeini and radicals out of prison and was lenient towards communist! all over the world terrorists who do act of terror get arrested.
Why no names to the faces (or more broadly, why is it so hard to find much about the lives of Iranian celebrities in '70's The only one who seems to well covered is Googoosh!)?
Why is gender-equality/relaxed gender roles always associated with Western society? Westerners are the most sexist people I have ever met, they are like Saudi Arabians. Having a relaxed gender role society is not a Western idea, how about Soviet Russia? How about the Ottoman Empire before the 1700s? And what about the pagans? Not the satanistic f*****s of today, but true pagans.
I say bring back the old Iran where women weren't thrown back into the Dark Ages like Islam today
Depends how old. Hundred plus years ago, things weren't that good either.
Load More Replies...I'm iranian and I know for sure half of the girls in this photos are not iranian and it was a photo shot for a magazine ( vogue I guess)
Believe meI am an Iranian and even remember the era! and don't make effort hard all family albums then were women with mini skirts, ...oh good old happy days
Load More Replies...Yes they were getting modernized then they put that whizend up Khomeini in charge and all of a sudden they are back living in the cave men day's, why don't they pull their finger out and grow up and enjoy life instead of hiding women away enjoy them and let them enjoy themselves.
You do realise, that fashion photos are not representative of street wear, do you? SOME people dressed in a Western way, but mostly in the big cities. And then there were some who dressed not unlike what you see today. And then, what's wrong with observing Islamic modesty, if that is what you want? Must everyone wear Western fashion ideals to look progressive and modern? The only problem with that is that today, it is more or less enforced. If you think that everyone in the Iran of today looks like a black ghost, wearing chador, then think again. http://thetehrantimes.tumblr.com/tagged/streetstyle
does anyone know the novel "The Handmaid's Tale" by margaret atwood? i suddenly understand where she possibly took hints about the dystopian catholic takeover of the US in her book.
It's quite obvious that these are models and artists, not the Iranian people...however, sure it was different.
sure maybe they were models in these photographs, but as an English woman who lived in Iran 1978 onwards I can assure you Iranian women were very fashion conscious and loved looking good far better than many European or American women. Such a pity they ended up still enjoying wearing top fashion labels underneath their Chador! Hope things change!
Load More Replies...Cultural freedom? You call that culturalal freedom where Muslim women were not allowed to wear Islamic dress hijab, men were fined for not wearing western dresses. What kind of freedom is that? It was only freedom for nudity
they were free to wear Islamic dress too! my grandma used to wear Hijab but children were all without headscarf and had a rock and roll life
Load More Replies...persian women as a group are pretty f*****g hot until they turn 30 then there's a sharp decline where they gain about 40 lbs and get hair on their chests
what b******t western propaganda is this? Pretty sure Iran was always in the middle east and there are no white woman, ironically enough, there's pictures taken in a mosque looking building in this magazine. Stop painting an entire religion and its people as something that took away the freedom of women just because they're showing their cleavage and s**t. Nearly all middle eastern countries were like this before the real terrorists invaded but yea, block me or report me or do whatever, y'all just don't wanna face the truth. Sorry for that.
This is what happens when the West butts in- people go from one extreme to another! I am not happy with extremist Islamic views and discrimination of women, but I do not appreciate Iran being too Western either, trying to copy the "standard" Hollywood looks!
This is before Muslim takeover.
Load More Replies...Iran was on a good way in the 1950's but an Anglo-American coup deposed the democratically elected Prime Minister, Mosaddegh, and put their puppet Shah in his place. That was the beginning of the 1979 revolution which turned the country to more hardline Islam. As in so many countries, western oil and gas interests destroyed democracy and set up the country as we know it today. Any westerners who complain about Iran today would do well to go back and read some history; the hypocrisy and lack of education on display is sickening. The Shah who was in charge as these pics were taken was a puppet to the west, and steered the country with an iron hand; all political opposition to his affiliation with the west was destroyed, tortured or killed by his secret police. No wonder Ayatollah Khomeini was welcomed back with open arms after his exile by the Shah!
Khomeini was welcomed and proved to be 100 times worse than the Sha
Load More Replies...Many of the photos posted here are not even of Iranian women. I see Sophia Lauren and Bridget Bardot and also photos of some foreign models who were on location in Iran when those photos were taken. What they are not telling us is MOST Iranian women NEVER dressed like that. It's like someone presenting you a pictorial in Town&Country Magazine 30 years from now and telling you this is how MOST American women used to live 2015. We can agree that would be a lie.
Well, do people in US dress like pictures in playboy magazines? No they dont. Its just showing how society was open. Plus many of them are iranian celebrities whom used to appear in the films just like what you see in pictures.and yeah there s no sophia lauren and bridget bardot in these pictures.
Load More Replies...So happy to see this article. Most people actually think Iran has always been ruled the way it is today (although, thanks to internet and other sources of information and group formations, it is not as bad as 80s and 90s). Love these outfits, would love to have them myself!
Nice.I would like to believe that this can happen again. Today I was reading Declaration of new "Muslim Reform Movement" I hope that Muslims all around the world will SUPPORT it: https://www.facebook.com/Muslim-Reform-Movement-462078103964443/ Here is also Video from their press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlAnr8bIIr8 (I am not a Muslim)
Come on. This is not how 'women' dressed in iran in the 1970s.. These are models (western and iranian) in a magazine. They reflect how women dressed in Iran as much as Victoria Secrets or Vogue reflect how women dress today. Granted some women wore pants and short sleeved shirts, but like most fashion magazines they do not depict reality but rather an aspiration. Iran is and was a deeply conservative society and there were no doubt some westernized Iranians, but the Ayatollah had a great deal of support and quite a bit of that was a backlashed against western society and ideas.
Thanks for your comment! You are right, these women are models and their outfits have more glam than a casual street look. Nevertheless, like you say yourself, back in the days the clothing styles in the streets of Iran were more relaxed than now, in fact very similar to that of Paris or London, so we believe that these photos give an idea of what was acceptable back then :) Correct us if we are wrong, it is very important to us!
Load More Replies...well such a free time, even best hollywood production wanted to make films in Iran and everybody was traveling there, not just queen of England or US president but also Elizabeth Tylor and mostly artists of the time! Tehran was a cultural and artistic hub
Load More Replies...How Times Have Changed: Iran In The 60’s And 70’s http://cavemancircus.com/2012/10/04/how-times-have-changed-iran-in-the-60s-and-70s/ http://www.vintag.es/2015/01/20-color-photographs-showing-beautiful.html
MISS Iran's Cadidates in 1970s: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/459296861970811480/
Load More Replies...god...i wished i was born 1oo years ago life is almost sucks for a teenage in iran believe me im there
Don't be silly. Hundred years ago, things were much worse.
Load More Replies...And the irony is, that only a few of the women in these photos are actually Iranian. Most of the pictures are blonde women. And one of the pictures is a photo of the actress Sophia Loren !
Which one is of Loren? I went back and could not find her there at all? I did see one of Natalie Wood, though.
Load More Replies...since when were bardot or sophia loren iranian. sure i saw natalie wood too!
Shah was a decent man, and an experienced politician too, for Iran of the time was good! but he made two mistakes, he was too lenient with radicals communists and muslim terrorists, like Fadayeeon Eslam. All over organisation who take arms and terror acts get arrested! I wonder how he let them free or just send them to exile! these guys brutally revenged. Maybe he was too nice! educated in Switzerland! .
He was also quite corrupt. He was worse than his predecessor.
Load More Replies...The Islamic extremists were created by the US during the Cold War due to their paranoia. Now it's all coming back to them. Sad truth!
Shah was quite a nice man! May his soul rest in peace! He only did one mistake! He let terrorists like khomeini and radicals out of prison and was lenient towards communist! all over the world terrorists who do act of terror get arrested.
Why no names to the faces (or more broadly, why is it so hard to find much about the lives of Iranian celebrities in '70's The only one who seems to well covered is Googoosh!)?
Why is gender-equality/relaxed gender roles always associated with Western society? Westerners are the most sexist people I have ever met, they are like Saudi Arabians. Having a relaxed gender role society is not a Western idea, how about Soviet Russia? How about the Ottoman Empire before the 1700s? And what about the pagans? Not the satanistic f*****s of today, but true pagans.
I say bring back the old Iran where women weren't thrown back into the Dark Ages like Islam today
Depends how old. Hundred plus years ago, things weren't that good either.
Load More Replies...I'm iranian and I know for sure half of the girls in this photos are not iranian and it was a photo shot for a magazine ( vogue I guess)
Believe meI am an Iranian and even remember the era! and don't make effort hard all family albums then were women with mini skirts, ...oh good old happy days
Load More Replies...Yes they were getting modernized then they put that whizend up Khomeini in charge and all of a sudden they are back living in the cave men day's, why don't they pull their finger out and grow up and enjoy life instead of hiding women away enjoy them and let them enjoy themselves.
You do realise, that fashion photos are not representative of street wear, do you? SOME people dressed in a Western way, but mostly in the big cities. And then there were some who dressed not unlike what you see today. And then, what's wrong with observing Islamic modesty, if that is what you want? Must everyone wear Western fashion ideals to look progressive and modern? The only problem with that is that today, it is more or less enforced. If you think that everyone in the Iran of today looks like a black ghost, wearing chador, then think again. http://thetehrantimes.tumblr.com/tagged/streetstyle
does anyone know the novel "The Handmaid's Tale" by margaret atwood? i suddenly understand where she possibly took hints about the dystopian catholic takeover of the US in her book.
It's quite obvious that these are models and artists, not the Iranian people...however, sure it was different.
sure maybe they were models in these photographs, but as an English woman who lived in Iran 1978 onwards I can assure you Iranian women were very fashion conscious and loved looking good far better than many European or American women. Such a pity they ended up still enjoying wearing top fashion labels underneath their Chador! Hope things change!
Load More Replies...Cultural freedom? You call that culturalal freedom where Muslim women were not allowed to wear Islamic dress hijab, men were fined for not wearing western dresses. What kind of freedom is that? It was only freedom for nudity
they were free to wear Islamic dress too! my grandma used to wear Hijab but children were all without headscarf and had a rock and roll life
Load More Replies...persian women as a group are pretty f*****g hot until they turn 30 then there's a sharp decline where they gain about 40 lbs and get hair on their chests
what b******t western propaganda is this? Pretty sure Iran was always in the middle east and there are no white woman, ironically enough, there's pictures taken in a mosque looking building in this magazine. Stop painting an entire religion and its people as something that took away the freedom of women just because they're showing their cleavage and s**t. Nearly all middle eastern countries were like this before the real terrorists invaded but yea, block me or report me or do whatever, y'all just don't wanna face the truth. Sorry for that.
This is what happens when the West butts in- people go from one extreme to another! I am not happy with extremist Islamic views and discrimination of women, but I do not appreciate Iran being too Western either, trying to copy the "standard" Hollywood looks!
This is before Muslim takeover.
Load More Replies...
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