Central Iran is a large, dry desert region that is sparsely populated, but along its fringes there are the main Iranian cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd and Kerman. Until the 1930s many of the major cities had their own characteristic regional dress. However, most people living there now wear pan-Iranian dress and their local origins cannot be seen on the basis of their clothing. There are two main exceptions, namely the outfits worn in the village of Abyaneh and its surroundings, and those worn by Zoroastrian women in the city of Yazd.

Abyaneh dress

Abyaneh is situated at the foot of Mount Karkas, about 200 km south of Tehran. Because of its mountain location, the village is relatively cool during the summer months, while in the winter it is extremely cold. Until comparatively recently, the region around Abyaneh was virtually cut-off from the rest of Iran. The building of new roads in the region at the end of the twentieth century meant that the village became more accessible and modernised. Abyaneh has been recognised by UNESCO as a place of special cultural interest and is officially protected.

Traditional men and boys' clothing in the region is based upon late nineteenth century style garments, namely a shirt (pirun), a gown (qaba), a sash (shal), baggy trousers (tumun), cloth shoes (give), and some form of headgear, such as a cap (kolah) or a turban (mandil). By the beginning of the twenty-first century, the remaining traditional feature are the loose fitting trousers made out of a black, shiny material. The cuffs of the trousers are often decorated with lines of hand or machine embroidery.

The dress of both girls and women is based on three items: a tunic (pirun), knee-length ‘skirt’ (tumun) and a large head shawl (churgat). The ‘skirts’ are not actually skirts, but extremely wide trousers. These garments are made out of at least eight metres of pleated black cloth. The Abyaneh headscarf is made out of a large square of cloth, which has a light coloured background with small colourful motifs. It is folded diagonally and then fastened under the chin.

Zoroastrian dress

The Zoroastrians are followers of the main religion across the Iranian Plateau prior to the introduction of Islam in the seventh century AD. Zoroastrians are followers of the prophet Zoroaster, who lived, so we assume, at some point in the early first millennium BC. He introduced a monotheistic religion that is based around an omnipotent god called Ahura-Mazda. By the end of the twentieth century the Zoroastrians are a minority group concentrated around the city of Yazd; their co-religionists are the so-called Parsis from India, especially from Mumbai and surroundings.

For centuries Zoroastrian men have been barely distinguishable from their Muslim neighbours and as a result there is no special clothing for them. In contrast, however, Zoroastrian women have developed and preserved their own distinctive form of dress. Up to the latter half of the twentieth century the basic dress of a Zoroastrian woman in Yazd consisted of a pair of baggy trousers (shalvar), a panelled dress (qamis), and various forms of headgear. By the end of the century, many women were choosing to wear pan-Iranian garments, and within a short while this form of clothing will no longer be regarded as everyday wear, although it may survive for festival occasions.

The traditional trousers worn by Zoroastrian women are large, baggy trousers, but women now tend to wear narrow, knee-high trousers that can just be seen below the hem of the dress. The dress includes a long skirt made out of green/brown or green/purple panels. The bodice section is usually plain and in a contrasting colour to the skirt section. The traditional headdress can be quite complex and consists of various elements that can be worn together or by themselves, including a small, triangle cap (lachak) with a chin band; a large headcover (makni) made up of three metres of cloth placed under the chin and then folded over the head, and finally, in the winter time, a large, diagonally folded shawl (charqat), which is often draped over the top.

Afshar dress

Nowadays there are various nomadic and semi-nomadic groups living in the Kerman Province of southeastern Iran, including the Afshar. Traditionally, it is believed that the Afshar are descended from Afshar, a chief of the Turkmen Ghuzz tribe. It would seem that they migrated towards their present habitat during the fourteenth to fifteenth centuries. Nowadays, the main activity of the Afshar is animal husbandry, especially that of sheep. The Afshar are also known for their handicrafts, which are used as trade items.

Nowadays, men’s clothing is based on pan-Iranian forms, including Western style trousers, shirt, waistcoat and jacket. The main feature of their outfit is the Homburg style hat that was introduced in the 1930's following the dress reforms of the king, Reza Shah. A similar hat is worn by Shahsavan men in northwestern Iran.

The clothing worn by Afshar women is based on the combination of a pair of trousers worn under a skirt or dress. The headgear is usually made up a large white scarf, which is used to cover both the head and shoulders of the wearer. This is kept in place with a long black headscarf that is wrapped around the head like a turban.