Persian clothing

Not to be confused with Fashion in Iran, for clothing after the 1930s.

Traditional Persian clothing is the historical costume of the Persian people, and of ancient Persia (now Iran) before the 1930s Pahlavi dynasty. Historically, the fabric and color of clothing was very important.^[1] During the Achaemenian period (550–330 BC), Persian clothing started to reflect social status and eminence, the climate of the region, and the season. The design philosophy for ancient clothing was a marriage of both function and aesthetics.^[1]

Examples of Persian clothing from book, Le costume historique (1888)

Examples of Persian clothing from book, Le costume historique (1888)

Images of Persian clothing examples can be seen in ancient art and Persian miniature paintings.^[2] Persian miniatures can employ both vivid and muted colors for clothing, although the colors of paint pigment often do not match the colors of dyes. Traditional Persian clothing is seldom worn in urban areas in modern times but has been well preserved in texts and paintings throughout history.^{[citation needed]}

History

Clothing in Persia is divided into several historical periods, however little is known about the earliest history.^[3][4] The exact date of the emergence of weaving in Iran is not yet known, but it is likely to coincide with the emergence of civilization.^[5]

There are historical discoveries in northern Iran from about 6,000 BC that refer to wool weaving at the time. Other discoveries in central Iran dating back to 4200 BC have shown that the animals' skin has not been the only clothing worn on the Iranian plateau since those years. The clothing of ancient Iran took an advanced form, with the fabric and color of clothing becoming very important at that time. During the Achaemenian period, clothing varied depending on social status, eminence, the climate of the region, and the season.

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  Darius III of Persia
•  
  The 3th–4th century during the Sassanian-era
•  
  Safavid-era Persian Zoroastrian clothing
•  
  Nader Shah (r. 1736–47) and his sons

Pants

A wide belt was often worn called Kamarband, from which English gets the word "cummerbund".^[6]

Chaqchur

 

Tonoka leather pants, at a zoorkhaneh athletic ritual (c. 1840 – c. 1933)

Chaqchur (footed trousers, or čāqčūr), were long pants often in thin black fabric, primarily worn by women, but in later history, they were worn by men.^[7] Chaqchur came in two distinct styles, the first style was loose wide-legged trousers with a waistband, ending in stockings (a balloon leg), which covers the body from waist to toes; the second style was similar to a stirrup legging.^[7] By the late Qajar dynasty (early 20th century), chaqchur were no longer in style.^[7]

Shalvar

See also: Sirwal

The shalvar pant (sirwal, šalvâr, or "harem pant") had a full leg and was fit at the ankle and was worn by both men and women, coming in various fabrics styles and colors.^[7]

Tonoka

Tonoka (tonbān) was a leather pant worn for traditional wrestling and athletics, the style is tight at the waist and just below the knees, and sometimes it had decorative details. The tonoka could have details such as small mirrors sewn over the kneecaps (to display the pant wearer's confidence in their win), or embroidered loops of rough cotton cord to chafe the opponent.^[7]

Dresses and robes

Aba

See also: Abaya

The ʿabāʾ (also ʿabāʾa, and abaya) in Persia was an outerwear garment made of coarse wool with an open in front, and typically is sleeveless but with large armholes (a box-shaped garment with holes for the head, arms and legs).^[7] In Iran, the ʿabāʾ is primarily worn by Muslim male religious scholars, a practice that started in the Zand period (late 18th century).^[8]

Kaftan

See also: Kaftan

Ḵaftān a variant of the robe or tunic, and it was used in ancient Persia as a battle dress.^[7] The battle variety featured a double layer of heavy fabric, quilted and lined with silk.^[7] The ḵaftān was worn under a zereh (chain mail coat).^[7]

Coats and cloaks

 

Detail of a relief showing two men (left and right) wearing kandys; from Apadana of Persepolis, 550-330 BC.

Kandys

See also: Kandys

Kandys (or Median robe) was a three-quarter-length Persian coat, although in its earliest known form in 4th–5th century BC it was shaped more like a cloak which could have decorative sleeves, only used formal settings.^[9] The Persian kandys were often purple color, or made from leather and skins.^[10] Encyclopædia Iranica has stated many scholars believe kandys, along with a long-sleeved coat called a sárapis and long trousers called anaxyrides, formed the riding dress of the Medes people; which was portrayed in the Persepolis reliefs.^[10] It's possible it was an article of clothing associated with nobility.^[10]

Chador, hijab, and jilbab

See also: Chador, Hijab, and Jilbāb

A few experts^{[by whom?]} say that it was Cyrus the Great who, twelve centuries before Islam, established the custom of covering women to protect their chastity. According to their theory, the veil passed from the Achaemenids to the Hellenistic Seleucids. They, in turn, handed it to the Byzantines, from whom the Arab conquerors turned it into the hijab, transmitting it over the vast reaches of the Muslim world.^[11]

The Safavid dynasty centralized Iran and declared Shia Islam as the official religion, which led to the widespread adoption of hijab by women in the country. Shia Islam served as a tool for the Safavids to consolidate the diverse ethnic groups under their authority and to differentiate themselves from their Sunni Muslim adversaries.^[12] Covering the hair has thus long been customary for women in Iran. Iranians generally refer to jilbab by the Persian appellation chador.

Footwear

 

Galesh zanooneh

Galesh

Main article: Galesh

Galesh (Persian: گالش) are an ancient style of handwoven shoes, that were once found in Northern Iran.^[13]

Persian heeled boots

Ancient Persians used to wear shagreen horse leather high-heeled boots.^[14] These heeled boots were created for a strong grip in the stirrup while horse riding, and they were not used for walking.^[14] The Achaemenid Empire cavalry had used these boots in the 10th century.^[14][15]

•  
  18th century silk coat
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  A possible imitation of Persian clothing. (Two-piece)
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  14th-century tunic (qaba) with broad belt (kamarband)

See also

• Korymbos (headgear)
• Gorjiduz, leather shoe craftsman
• Zardozi
• Central Asian clothing
• Clothing in ancient Greece
• Sasanian dress
• Tocharian clothing

References

1. پوشاک در ایران باستان، فریدون پوربهمن/ت: هاجر ضیاء سیکارودی، امیرکبیر. 2007. pp. 24, 25, 57.
2. Price, Massoume; Waibel, Zohreh (December 2010). Iran: 5000 Years of Clothing, Jewellery and Cosmetics. Anahita Productions Limited. ISBN 978-0-9809714-4-6.
3. Houston, Mary G. (2012-03-08). Ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian & Persian Costume. Courier Corporation. pp. 162–166. ISBN 978-0-486-14265-4.
4. Z̤iyāʼpūr, Jalīl (1964). پوشاک باستانی ایرانیان: از کهن ترین زمان تا پایان شاهنامۀ ساسانیان [Ancient Clothing of Iranians: from the Earliest Times to the End of the Sasanian Shahnameh] (in Persian). Idārah-ʹi Kull-i Mūzihʹhā va Farhang-i ʻĀmmah.
5. An Encyclopaedia of Textiles from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the 19th Century. Ernest Flemming (introduction). New York City, NY; Berlin, DE: E. Weyhe and Ernest Wasmuth. 1927. pp. XV–XVI.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
6. . Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020.
7. Ḡolām-Ḥosayn, Yūsofī (December 15, 1992). "Clothing, XXVII. Historical Lexicon of Persian Clothing". Encyclopædia Iranica, Vol. V. pp. 856–865. ISSN 2330-4804.
8. Algar, H. (December 15, 1982). "ʿAbāʾ". Encyclopædia Iranica, Vol. 1. pp. 50–51.
9. Miller, Margaret C. (2004). Athens and Persia in the fifth century B.C.: a study in cultural receptivity (1st pbk. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 165–168. ISBN 0521607582.
10. Schmitt, Rüdiger (December 15, 1990). "Candys". Encyclopædia Iranica, Vol. IV. Encyclopaedia Iranica.
11. Mackey, Sandra & Harrop, Scott (1996). The Iranians: Persia, Islam and the Soul of a Nation. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-452-27563-8. OCLC 38995082.
12. "Safavid dynasty". Britannica. 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
13. Snodgrass, Mary Ellen (2015-03-17). World Clothing and Fashion: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Social Influence. Routledge. p. 326. ISBN 978-1-317-45167-9.
14. Ingevaldsson, Jesper (2020-03-29). "History: Heels". Shoegazing.com. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
15. "The fascinating evolution of heels: From men in Persia to a feminine fashion icon". The Economic Times. 2023-10-06. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2024-02-21.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Clothing of ancient Iran.

• Historical lexicon of Persian clothing
• Ancient Persian Cloths in the Celebration of 2500 Years Persian Empire Anniversary, Persepolis, 1971 (Video)
• Silk Textiles from Safavid Iran, 1501–1722 from the Met Museum