Pushing the limits of Iran's strict dress code, women in the country's capital of Tehran are making sartorial choices in the name of personal expression and gender equality. Under Islamic law, Iranian women must wear loose-fitting clothing with dark colors, and a hijab must be worn to cover at least part of a woman's hair. She also cannot adorn or accessorize with nail polish, sandals, or leggings — common wardrobe staples here that we might often take for granted.
But, recently, women in the country have been adjusting these parameters to develop their own take on street style. In fact, hijabs in loud colors and featuring bright patterns have begun appearing on the streets of Tehran — and on Araz Fazaeli's street style blog, The Tehran Times. What has long been seen as a restriction on expression through clothing has now become a vehicle for personal style.
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Of course, Iran's recently elected President Hassan Rouhani is also making efforts to relax this dress code so strictly implemented by the baseejis, the country's morality — and, essentially, fashion — police. Rouhani has said that a woman's clothing does not necessarily reflect her morality and virtue, and she should not be punished for her sartorial choices.
Even so, Iranian women have been making these bold and bright strides on the streets of Tehran long before their newest president took office in August. In fact, designer Fazaeli has been archiving his photographs of the women who abide by the laws of fashion but still toe the line of the country's limits on clothing for the past year. Fazaeli says his intent is to dispel what he believes are misunderstandings about his homeland's culture, and the blog showcases a depth and diversity of style we often don't see from the western world. To read about his blog and to view more of Fazaeli's photography, click through to The Huffington Post. (The Huffington Post)
Photo: Via The Tehran Times.