Image Credits: All images are from Iranian magazine clippings (found mainly on the Persian blogs) or government promotional images which are now in the public domain after over 35 years (Iran copyright law, Article 16). Most of the images have been enhanced by adjusting the saturation, color balance, brightness and contrast. Dust specks and scratches were removed from some of the pictures. In addition, the covers have been resized so that the page loads faster. The magazines regularly featured celebrities or beauty contestants on their covers. European models were used for risque ads. Fashion models and shows were of a rarity. Women either wore the chador or modern apparel. Scarves were nearly non-existent in the urban areas.

It was very trendy to completely mimic the Western look and manners without having the mindset. Tehran's department stores and boutiques carried the latest European fashion lines and makeup. Iranian magazines often featured young women in slutty outfits and suggestive poses. Also, women were depicted as seductive and frivolous sex objects in film. The State TV even aired sexually explicit European series such as Tales from the village 'Dastanhaye Dehkadeh'. This issue may have contributed tho the collapse of the regime in the late 70s. The excesses of the Pahlavi dynasty were mainly responsible for the imposition of hijab on Iranian women after the revolution. Urban women are now expected to look like nuns or face harassment by the morality police. Those who couldn't bear this situation have migrated abroad. The lack of personal freedom in Iran is a significant cause of brain drain. Today, an estimated five million Iranians live in the diaspora.

Video
Iran (1971): A Documentary by Claude Lelouch
Pahlavi Era Women (Government promotional video)
Short clip of a 1970s Persian film

Related Links
Miss Iran
Iranian Traditional Costume
Women's Sports in Pahlavi Era
Historical and period costumes of Iran