Perception of modesty in Iran, or Compliments in the street

It`s obvious that Iranians` attitude to things quite differs from the one foreigners have. It`s absolutely normal and understandable, but sometimes it really makes one uncomfortable. What happened to me today made me take a closer look on perception of modesty in Iran.

Walking in the street somewhere in the southern part of Tehran (not some slums though, but quite a busy business place) I received a couple of comments on my look. I believe they were triggered by just my coat unbuttoned (due to nice warm autumn weather) revealing a modest sweater underneath instead of a manteau which is common in Iran. Normally, having heard it in my country I would get excited and certainly perceive them as compliments. But the thing that bothers me is that here in Iran the way these men were looking at me (without even trying to hide their interest) made me feel like a whore and try to cover myself more!

So, the problem I am facing now is that what I should feel? Should I really feel ashamed wearing what people of my country would call a modest set of clothing? That`s where two different perceptions actually clash.

A shop window in the area known among Tehranis as Champs-Elysees
due to the huge amount of clothing shops

The bright side is that such a thing doesn`t happen everywhere in Tehran. As soon as you are in the center of Tehran or anywhere in the northern part of the city, it will be absolutely OK to walk like this in the street. Moreover, you won`t be the one to look like this! Although, if you plan to go south, be prepared to see less educated people who  won`t hesitate to tell you what they think of you! So be prepared to experience these:

•           Whistling
•           Singing (my favorite!)
•           Saying “Hello!”
•           Saying things like “Sweetheart! Darling!” in Farsi, of course
•           Some just stop, wait for you to pass by and then STARE their eyes off :))))

I believe it can even be a nice experience that will make another funny story to tell friends if you take it easy!

PS Your opinion is much appreciated! Share your stories and your feelings if you`ve been in a situation like that yourself!

Men`s Hijab: Basics of Men`s Dress-code in Iran

When it comes to the dress code, the first thing that comes to mind is scarfs, chadors, etc. Not many foreigners know that there are certain dress-code rules for men as well.

Of course, these rules are not so elaborate as for women, but still it's not a bad idea to know them before going to Iran.

The basic rule is that men like women are not supposed to show legs (except for feet) and arms (from elbow and higher). Although, nowadays T-shirts with shorter sleeves are also acceptable. The ideal clothing for men can be illustrated by this ideological poster in a bus: a long-sleeve shirt, pants (preferably not jeans) and – which doesn't have anything to do with clothing, but still! – bristle!

An ideological poster in BRT bus in Tehran

You can see men wearing long-sleeve shirts here even during hot summer season. Of course, there is practical thing in it, too – after a day in the sun an Iranian will simply get black. Some young guys wearing a T-shirt even put on special separate sleeves (mostly used by women under manteau) to protect their skin from sunburn.

So, dear male travellers, leave your shorts and T-shirts without sleeves at home before coming to Iran and enjoy your trip! 

PS Those who are interested what this particular poster is about, let me tell you. It`s called "Western influence" and says that Iranians pick up Western habits (like having a pet at home) easily and without paying attention to their own traditions and culture (dogs in Islam are considered impure, and you won`t see many of them in Iran, either at homes or in the street - what can`t be said about cats. But it`s another story ;).