Vibrant, colourful and elegant. That about completes a word picture of women’s costumes in Iran. The stereotype portrayal of women in swathes of black chador takes a beating when you see the emerging fashion. Iranian girls now create ripples of admiration with modern wear that is both eye-catching and also compatible with Islamic modesty. The sartorial taste of Iranian women was recently on display at the Salar Jung Museum here.
The three-day exhibition titled ‘Women in Iranian and Islamic model’ gave a glimpse into the changing dress trends. No, the traditional costumes, a product of glorious Persian heritage, is not passé yet. One can still find women donning conventional jackets adorned with heavy brocades and embroidery, wearing roo-sari (head scarf) and roo-poosh (full length chador). But the modern woman is trying to push the boundaries of modesty. Shenow makes a fashion statement through colourful head scarves and bodyhugging roo-poosh. What one sees is a greater variety in women’s weartoday - matching different colours and styles. “Designers now come upwith beautiful styles of manteau for each season”, said Sonia Poryamin, a member of the Anjuman-e-Zanana, Iran. Manteau, the lightweight coat worn over regular clothes, has now evolved. It’s more trendy and comfortable for working women.
“Along with colourful hijab women are creating an identity of their own”, remarked Mona Talashan, another member of Anjuman. Mannequins at the SJM showcased dresses from provinces such as Kurdistan, Gilan, Abiyana - giving a peep into the traditional wear. The flowing libas-e-Uroosi (bridal outfit) is simply stunning. So is’Qasemabadi’ , the ornamental costume from Gilan. “We want to present culture of Iran and how women here are progressing in different fields adhering to the Islamic dress code”, says Rahim Pour, an Iranian delegate. The 50 photo exhibits gave ample proof of Iranian women making inroads into different walks of life while retaining their Islamic dress. There were pictures of women playing sports -boating, mountaineering, horse riding and also proving their mettle in other fields. The bottomline: Hijab is no hindrance for a woman’s progress.