Tehran: Where Fashion meets Religion

[Fany]

Religiously oppressive yet rebelliously modernist, the street fashion style of Tehran's young cosmopolitan women is one of the most unique you would ever see in the world.

What do you think of it ?

I personally think it's amazing how they can still manage to look beautiful with such restrictive religious laws that require them to cover up most of themselves. Women will always be women and still want to look beautiful under the toughest of circumstances.

ps: Yes, there are ski resorts in Tehran

[karissa]

LOL,They have made Women polices who controls what they are wearing. I have seen videos with women dress like that and they have got beaten by the police for wearing clothes who they call "western style". It's really terrible!

[Fany]

LOL,They have made Women polices who controls what they are wearing. I have seen videos with women dress like that and they have got beaten by the police for wearing clothes who they call "western style". It's really terrible!

I just read an article about that. It seems to be a constant battle between Iranian women and their retarded regime. They usually get a warning before getting arrested. And some women do get beaten up if they resist the arrest

They have so strict laws that I'm surprised how these women dare to leave their homes. They are brave. But I think there are so many of them that they feel strong and protective of each other. The police cannot control all of them.

[Pedro]

I hope that in the next 10~20 years or so, this battle of principles is won by the middle-eastern women over religion.
Some of them look gorgeous BTW!
It would be the ultimate global message to show everyone that times have changed.

[HippieChipie]

I'm wondering if the Iran of the Shah was a better place...My father speaks about it like it was the paradise. But books tell a different story.

Anyway, the day I'll sell some vintage french clothes to a Iranian girl via ebay is not close.

[BEAUTY EXTREMIST]

thanks for the post fany, i love ALL ur posts from the middle east and arab culture

[Fany]

I think the last battle we as women have to fight is for the women in the Middle East,
we as women from all over the world should support them (not only women, but all the young people that deserve
to live the life they want to) to finally free themselves from their evil & misguided goverment & authority.
I hope one day that the veil in the ME will be a fashion accessory only, not the law.

I applaud these young girls for their bravery, they look fabolous even in the strictest enviroment!

I really hope so too and I feel for them, they live under a very scary terrorizing regime. I dream of the day to see ALL the women of the world have the freedom to wear as they please and join beauty pageants too!

The frustrating thing about Iran is that it used to be secular, only to regress back.

I would find it tough as an Iranian girl of today, to look back at these pics from my mother's photo albums.





Miss Iran 1968.





The Royal Family

[Fany]

thanks for the post fany, i love ALL ur posts from the middle east and arab culture

Thank you sweetie

[THE_KING]

The Iranians were really stupid to dump their monarchy, even if they were a corrupt monarchy (which I don't think they were) they could have adopted a proper democracy after the revolution with no ridiculous "supreme leader" as head of state (Its pretty much like a having a religious royal anyway ) well now they suffer, it's a pity they would have come a long way had the extremists not come to power, it won't change now but it's good to see they still have a fashion sense.

[Thomas876]

GOOD-LOOKING GUY

[Fany]

I really hope so too and I feel for them, they live under a very scary terrorizing regime. I dream of the day to see ALL the women of the world have the freedom to wear as they please and join beauty pageants too!

The frustrating thing about Iran is that it used to be secular, only to regress back.
I would find it tough as an Iranian girl of today, to look back at these pics from my mother's photo albums.

Miss Iran 1968.

The Royal Family

I have seen these kind of photos of Iran, sis, what went wrong?
Miss Iran 1968 is absolutely beautiful! Such a pitty they can't compete in pageantry, so much potential!

Anyways, I remember seeing & reading a few articles on secular Iran, so much potential for the future,
what set them back so much? Btw, the Shah's first wife was Fawzia Shirin, the Egyptian princess who's
family was of Albanian & French blood, the second wife was gorgeous aswell!

What went wrong? The Islamists took over I don't know how and why, but no matter how faulty the Shah's regime was, it can't be compared to the night mare regime of today.

His first 2 wives were stunning, especially Soraya Esfandiary who is Persian from her dad and German from her mom, a Miss Universe of her time. But she was sterile and couldn't bare the Shah children for the throne, so they divorced

[Fany]

What went wrong? The Islamists took over I don't know how and why, but no matter how faulty the Shah's regime was, it can't be compared to the night mare regime of today.

His first 2 wives were stunning, especially Soraya Esfandiary who is Persian from her dad and German from her mom, a Miss Universe of her time. But she was sterile and couldn't bare the Shah children for the throne, so they divorced

They have made such a big mistake, a country relying on it's religious force is bound to fall apart,
I will also post a thread soon, regarding Greece's situation.

Indeed, they were both stunning! Have you seen the style they had? Not even monarch's in Europe could compare!
Fawzia herself also landed on the cover of Life Magazine, described as the ''Venus of the 20th century'':


Although not being Persian, we can only imagine the number of Persian beauties that would grace the magazine stands nowadays.

I agree!!

I just read Fawziya's bio for the first time, and her mother's as well. She is part Albanian in origin and it really shows she is stunning!!

The Persian princesses at the time competed with the European princesses and wanted to have everything they had and more.

Nonetheless expat Persian women still mark their presence in the pageant world such as Nazanin Afshin Jam and Shermine Shahrivar (Miss Europe 2005)..

[Fany]

Wow Aphroditte you really know your stuff, you're amazing

I just found this tidbit, Miss Italy 1995 (Anna Valle), had played the role of Soraya in a 2003 Italian-German movie about Soraya's life, titled Soraya (The Sad Princess)

Here is a clip from it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa_zZFB9Ofs