Persian clothing

Other discoveries in central Iran dating back to 4200 BC have shown that the animals' skin has not been the only clothing worn on the Iranian plateau since those years.

[7] Tonoka (tonbān) was a leather pant worn for traditional wrestling and athletics, the style is tight at the waist and just below the knees, and sometimes it had decorative details.

The tonoka could have details such as small mirrors sewn over the kneecaps (to display the pant wearer's confidence in their win), or embroidered loops of rough cotton cord to chafe the opponent.

[7] In Iran, the ʿabāʾ is primarily worn by Muslim male religious scholars, a practice that started in the Zand period (late 18th century).

[7] Kandys (or Median robe) was a three-quarter-length Persian coat, although in its earliest known form in 4th–5th century BC it was shaped more like a cloak which could have decorative sleeves, only used formal settings.

The theory holds that the veil then passed from the Achaemenids to the Seleucids and was in turn adopted by the Byzantines, and finally transformed into the hijab by the Arabs, who spread it all over the Muslim world.

The Safavid dynasty centralized Iran and declared Shia Islam as the official religion, which led to the widespread adoption of hijab by women in the country.

Shia Islam served as a tool for the Safavids to consolidate the diverse ethnic groups under their authority and to differentiate themselves from their Sunni Muslim adversaries.