Ethnic Clothes in Iran

 

Ethnic Clothes in Iran

Iran has a long history of civilization, a big population, and a vast territory which results in different ethnic groups having their own special outfit. These clothes differ based on the region and culture of every group. Political and religious beliefs also determine what people should wear and vice versa. In this article, we pay more attention to what different ethnic groups wear; in other words their traditional costume.

Qashqai

This tribe has Azeri origin which is one of the Iranian nomadic tribes. Qashqai women are known for their frilly, colorful and long skirts and also long headscarves that are tied beneath the chin along with some hair that covers the upper part of the forehead. Men also wear a round hat made of sheep wool which is typical of this tribe.

 

Bakhtiari

Bakhtiari costume is diverse in its way and is adaptable to the weather that nomads may encounter during the migration. Men wear long clothes and loose pants which are tied to the feet and wool hats. Colorful frilly skirts along with suitable vests form women’s clothing.

Kurd

Kurds have different styles of clothing that depend on where they live. Men and women rather wear a loose dress that is fastened to the hips or waist by a broad belt-shaped fabric. Men wear coats in accordance with their pants and women decorate their scarves with coins and jewelry.

Lur

Although Lur men love to use natural colors in their outfits, women like to wear light-colored feminine dresses that have stripes on their pant legs. After twirling the special scarf around the hair and neck women hang the rest behind their back.

Gilak

The distinguishing feature of the Gilaki dress is the long skirt with horizontal stripes that goes along with long shirts and proper vests. This style of costume is used by the people living in the northern part of Iran in Gilan province. Men are also recognized by a broad cotton belt on their waist.

Mazandarani/Mazani

Women wear traditional skirts and a pair of pants under them. These people also live in the northern part of Iran, Mazandaran province. Cotton shirts and fishing pants along with boots up to the knees are the common clothing for men.

Abyaneh

Abyaneh is a village near Isfahan city. In this village, the elderly still wear their traditional dress which consists of a long skirt down to the knees and a long flowery headscarf. Men in this region wear loose black pants, colorful vests, and wool hats.

Southern People

Women in the southern coastal region of Iran, Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, are well-known for their chador and colorful masks that cover the area around the eyes. They use these masks to protect their eyes from sunlight and sand.

Baloch

They live in the southeastern region of Iran which has borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan. So people are expected to wear similar dresses. Women wear colorful clothes down to their knees and decorate themselves with brooches, necklaces, and long scarves. Long shirts, black vests, and white turbans are common men’s clothing.

Turkmen

Men wear wool hats which protect them from cold weather, and that is their typical, well-known part of clothing. Long headscarves with strings on the sides and long tight skirts are what women wear in this region. Persian miniature painting