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| Persian Clothing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (with some references to other Middle Eastern styles) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please bear with me, as this is still under research and refinement! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| From what I have been told by my family, the current climate in Iran is often hot and dry most of the year. I am told it rains for a month, and that it is miserable, but the rest of the time is pretty tolerable. They do have lakes and mountains (with snow) and a costal region, so it is not all desert as many people believe. However, most clothing is designed to protect the skin (Persians are considered Caucasian, not Arabic). Hence the layered look has been very popular far many centuries. In fact, several items of dress have not changed very much from then to now. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resources: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| There are many depictions of both upper and lower classes period clothing to be found in the Persian miniatures. When basing your research on these, there are several artistic conventions to take into account. Islamic religious dictates forbid "images" of living beings. Therefore artistic style is a flat and nonrepresentational, often using standard symbols and conventions. Perspective indicated by placement on the page. (Rounded figures in perspective, are probably Victorian or later.) However, modern artists are reviving this earlier style of art and you are safest checking the date. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And additional concern when basinc your research on early Islamic artistic works, is that, like many ancient art forms, period it usually portrays heroes, myths, and legends, so debate still exists as to whether the clothing pictured is realistic for real people during the date of the painting. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A rule of thumb for patterns: Persians favored florals (often elaborate, on both men and women), while Turkish and Arab people favored stripes. Everyone used solids, and simple open checked patterns occurred throughout the Middle East on various garments. Remember that the Middle Eastern people had access to sophisticated fabrics, looms, dyestuffs and techniques long before the Western peoples. Both jewel tones and earth tones occured in clothing, and metallic elements in a design would be entirely reasonable. Keep in mind that, while cotton, linen, ramie, and wool take dye well, silk takes dye brilliantly and beautifully. Later Persian color schemes were often far from subtle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Underclothes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Most folk wore an undershirt and actual underpants Libas (unlike European cultures!). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Undershirt/Chemise: Comis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nearly everyone wore a lightweight white cotton undershirt. Red, yellow and blue are also mentioned in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| written descriptions. The body of the shirt was usually lightly gathered. Sleeves might be loose or very tight. Since the pants are visible when the gown is shown open in a picture, the undershirt was probably | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| about thigh length, and worn tucked in. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pants: Sherwal (Sirwal-Arabic) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Through out the Middle East, everyone wore loose draw-string pants or trousers. The richer you were, the wider and fuller you wore your Sherwal. The excess was pleated in at the waist and a good sherwal of fine wool worsted may outlast its original owner. Unlike some of their Arabic neighbors, Persian men wore these as full-length pants. That the sherwal was known during the Roman period is indicated by the reliefs at Palmyra which show this garment in vogue then. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ladies wore theirs ankle length. In Persia, the lower legs became tapered, and many ladies in the later part of period times displayed horizontally divided patterns that featured flowers. CAUTION: There is a current SCA rumor that ladies wearing red harem pants would be prostitutes. Everything I have read does not support this, but the SCA rumor mill has it this way, so take note! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Turkis variation is called Chalwar and is basically a pair of very loose fitting in the waist and billowing at the ankles, gathered at the waist and ankle with some sort of tie or ribbon. The Arabic version, Sirwal, varied by being narrow at the ankles and trimmed with woven jaquard or embroidery. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Undergown: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This might be a straight, long-sleeved T-tunic. Sleeve length ranged between the wrist and knee (rucked up to the wrist, and of course the extremely long sleeve was fitted. The length of the neck slit may have varied through out period. Most depictions show it extending the whole length of the torso, and fastened by several ties, or by dozens of buttons. Occasionally, there is a single fastener (a large button or brooch?) at the neckline, and the garment is open to about waist level. There may also be two or three fasteners. It is cut fairly straight and snug so that the female body causes a characteristic curved opening that reveals the chemise. The male body generally causes less curvature, but layers are often fastened in a manner that displays the many layers and colors. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outer Layers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gown/Robe: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The gown was quite similar to the undergown, and probably existed as a form of conspicuous consumption. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If this layer was worn, it either contrasted with the top layer (red/blue) or was a tint of the top layer�s color (Peacock/teal or Mint/seagreen). Fastening patterns were similar to the undergown. Often, the gowns were fastened in complimentary styles. For instance, the gown might have only two buttons. The gaps in this gown would display the gold buttons in the undergown. The gown might be plain, patterned or figured. Jewel tones or earth tones might be used. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cote/Persian Coat/Top Layer: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The top layer showed the greatest diversity throughout the Middle East. Some form of | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| short-sleeved, full-length T-tunic was widespread throughout Medieval times. Persians might wear ankle-length tight sleeves with a slit near the elbow so the arm would not be trapped in a body-length tube of fabric. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In Persia, a short-sleeved Persian Coat often had a triangular notch cut in the top of the sleeve's end. This | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| detail eliminated the rippled effect of a straight-cut sleeve and enhanced the hang of the garment. This style is optional, rather than a redesign. It is not uncommon to see both styles being worn side by side in the same painting. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accessories | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Everyone often wore a sash, Kooshak, wide or narrow, usually quite long, wrapped about the torso. The most common position for this sash is at the hips. Small knives, purses, and hankies can be tucked into the sash. However, its primary appearance should be a bulky wrap or a narrow wrap, often with long ends dangling down the front of the wearer to the knees or lower. Men wore these at the waist, and women at the hip. The fabric generally contrasts with the whole costume. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Footwear: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoes and halfboots with real heels were worn commonly. Horsemen might wear quite fancy knee-high | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| boots. The colors of footwear in Persian miniatures tends toward black shoes and slippers, but some of the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| outdoor scenes on horseback feature boots in canary yellow, primary red, powder blue, and even salmon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| pink. Military encounters tend to feature the more mundane black, and perhaps dark brown, for boots. Shoes are often shown proportionately small and plain in outline, with no painted detail. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| That may reflect an artistic convention, rather than a world of tiny, plain shoes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Socks and stockings: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The following is pure conjecture: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| �..Stockings might be "sprang" (a widespread, ancient form of netting), knit, or needle-knit. All of these techniques were available to Middle Eastern people� Late- to Out-of-Period Persian women did not wear socks, but wore "buskins" (laced [?] boots) to a height of four fingers above the ankles, according to a 1670s report by the French merchant who traveled extensively in Persia and other parts of the Middle East. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I have also read that they wore stockings of thin leather while in the house. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Islamic socks were beautifully knitted on four needles, with a fifth working needle, from the top down. The | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| socks were often cream and blue, with alternating bands of plain cream and elaborately patterned blue. The | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| deity's name was knit in a blocky script in bands that encircled the instep, ankle, and perhaps the calf. Socks from mid- to late Period are housed in museums such as the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, USA. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Headgear | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| There is such a diversity of headgear, that I will not be going into it today. Here is some basic information cut and pasted from all over: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gentlemen: Turbans, with or without visible caps, were most commonly portrayed. (The fez, a cylindrical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| cap often with a tassel attached to the top in black, red, or--maybe--leopard spot seems to be period.) A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| man was shown bareheaded only in a situation of extreme humiliation or extreme emotion . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turbans were generally white. Color-coded turbans were occasionally required for men of the tolerated | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| religions, such as Christian and Jew, but this seems to have been sporadically enforced. Colors were blue for Christian and (oops need to go back to my documentation ) for Jewish. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ladies: Scarves, caps, hairnets, and veils were worn in a dizzying variety of styles and coverage of course all of our resource documents portray women nearly always indoors! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| There seems to have been a recurring fad for small ladies' turbans, but this was invariably frowned on by the men and invariably short lived. Hair might be dressed up in a net, braided in several (3, 5, or 7) strands, or braided/coiled/wrapped intricately. A small lock of hair might be left loose in front of each ear (curled or braided). A scarf could be used as a rolled headband to hold a lady's coiffure in place. On a white ribbon [?] worn horizontally, a strand of pearls might be attached at either end above the ear to hang in a graceful curve just under the chin. This strand framed the face nicely. (If attached to the rolled scarf, it weighs down the silk scarf, which greatly improves the holding power of the headband.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Late-period Persian women entered seclusion at about the age of 6 or7. Women are supposed to have worn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| two veils indoors: a decorative kerchief down the back of the head, and a sheer veil worn from ear to ear, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| and curving under the chin. Two more veils were added for outdoors: a huge white sheet draped over the chin and clutched in the hands in front (enveloping the body, except for the face from the eyes down) and a | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| handkerchief pinned to the large veil at either temple (covering all but the eyes.) An unmarried girl in the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| presence of nonrelatives might expose the eyes and the nose, so that her beauty might be better judged for | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| matrimonial purposes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||