In the west of the country rises a huge mountain range, called the Zagros, which runs from north to southeast, and separates the Iranian Plateau to the east from the lowlands of modern Iraq, ancient Mesopotamia, to the west. Throughout the Zagros there are mountain valleys with rich pastures, which are used by various urban, village and nomadic groups, including the Kurds.

Dress of Kurdish men

By the end of the twentieth century there were three distinctive dress forms that were worn by both urban and nomadic Kurdish men in western Iran. These were based on traditional costumes with some modern adaptations. These forms are the shal-sipik, the peshmerga, and the rank-o-choukhah.

The shal-sipik is one of the oldest forms of Kurdish male dress in Iran. It consists of trousers (rank) and a V-necked jacket, called a choukhah. The best quality examples are made out of striped mohair. This traditional men's dress is rather expensive and tends to be worn by wealthy, elderly Kurds. However, since the 1970's the influence of Kurdish refugees from Iraq has led to the preference for the so-called peshmerga dress. The suit is made up of a matching jacket (kava) and trousers (shalvar) in black or brown, which is worn with a coloured sash (pishtvin). The turban (pak) of a fringed dark print is normally folded diagonally to leave a triangle at the back of the head.

The third type of male dress is the rank-o-choukhah, which is often worn by elderly Kurds. It is less expensive than the shal-sipik. It consists of a shirt (kiras) with a round neck and either straight sleeves or, less frequently now, pendant or funnel sleeves (sorani). Over this is worn a plain, long sleeved jacket buttoned down the front, in a range of solid colours such as brown, cream, beige, black, or grey. An unbuttoned version of this garment has an open neckline. The jacket is worn with matching trousers, which are baggy and gathered at the waist while tapering to the ankles. A long cotton sash (pishtvin) is normally wrapped tightly around the torso.

Throughout the region the main headgear is based on a variation of a skullcap (kulaw) with a large cloth used as a turban. The colours and material used for these turbans can vary, including green for sayyids, white or black for sheiks and mullahs, while burgundy, grey, black and white are used by other men. Turban cloth used by 'ordinary' Kurds usually has a small printed design on it, which is often based on flowers.

Dress of Kurdish women

There are five basic types of costume worn by Kurdish women in Western Iran, namely those from around the cities of (from north to south) Maku, Urumia, Mahabad, Sanandaj, and Kermanshah. Additionally, a specific type of female dress (the s-called sorani dress) has developed which is worn all over the Kurdish region.

Maku:

The basic traditional outfit of the women living in and around Maku consists of trousers (darpi), a long, very full dress (kiras), an apron (mizar), a long-sleeved coat (der), sleeve puffs, and a headdress which is usually made up of a single headscarf (dastmal) for an unmarried woman and two or more scarves for a married woman.

Urumia:

The basic Urumia outfit consists of baggy trousers, a plain, shaped under dress or petticoat that reaches to just above the knee, and a dress that is often made out of sheer material. The dress usually has a gathered waist and long sleeves, sometimes in a pendant shape. Over this is worn a long-sleeved coat, with a wide scoop front. The sleeves of the dress are usually tied behind the back so that the woman can more easily work.

Mahabad:

The Mahabad outfit consists of a shift, balloon-shaped trousers (darpi), which can be up to six metres wide and fitted at the ankles, and finally a long, pleated dress (kiras), which has a hem width of four to five metres. The dress normally has a round neckline and long sleeves that may terminate in pendants (sorani). These extended sleeves are normally either wrapped around the wrists or tied behind the neck. Over the dress is worn a short waistcoat. Finally, a cotton sash (pishtvin) is normally wound loosely around the hips. This sash is made from three to six metres of patterned cloth. The traditional headdress is a low, cylindrical cardboard cap (tays-kulaw) covered with velvet or brocade. The version worn by girls has a chin chain decorated with coins or, more commonly, plastic discs. The cap is normally wrapped in a long triangular shawl (dastmal), which is worn with the points of the triangle crossed over on the chest, and the main point dangling down the back.

Sanandaj:

Sanandaj women's dress is made up of baggy trousers, a long dress and a waistcoat. It is very similar to the dress worn by Kurdish women further south, in and around the city of Kermanshah, but not as full or decorative. The main form of head covering from this region is called a kalaqi, and consists of a domed cap decorated with sequins or beads and wrapped with one or two scarves. Sometimes the cap is held under the chin with a beaded chain. Until comparatively recently, all married women used to wear a turban over the cap, made from numerous scarves and tasselled lengths of fabric.

Kermanshah:

Women from the Kermanshah region tend to wear various layers of clothing, including long trousers (shalvar jafi), under a long, full dress. Over the dress is a waist-length bodice or waistcoat, which is often in velvet and covered in sequins. The basic headdress consists of a sequined cap (kutir) wrapped with one or several scarves. The cap worn by younger women and girls is usually decorated with either sequins or embroidery, while those of older women are normally of plain velvet or decorated with small, black beads.

Pan-Kurdish dress:

During the latter half of the twentieth century, a pan-Kurdish style of female dress developed called the sorani. The outfit is made up of trousers, a petticoat (optional), a full-length dress with long sleeves (the sorani, either straight or pendant shaped), a short waistcoat, which may be separate or attached to the garment, and either a coat or jacket. The headgear worn with the sorani outfit can vary considerably depending on the wearer’s age; younger women tend to wear headscarves while older women have elaborately constructed turbans. At the end of the twentieth century, however, more and more women are wearing urban style headscarves. In addition, while travelling from village to village or when visiting towns, many women will wear the Iranian chador, but these are not worn at home or in their local villages