Qajar Period

Qajar Era Garments: A Dance Between Tradition and Modernity

In the Qajar era, the winds of change blew from the West, and the fabrics once woven for centuries in the fabled workshops of Isfahan and Kashan gradually gave way to imported textiles from Europe. The Industrial Revolution set the great wheels of Western factories in motion, flooding Iranian markets with machine made fabrics adorned with unfamiliar motifs.

Yet, in the alleys of Tehran and beneath the vaulted bazaars of Isfahan, the long robes of men, embroidered with golden braids, and the colorful veils of women still whispered tales of a heritage resisting the tide of modernity. Courtly attire became a fusion of Eastern splendor and European luxury velvet robes now bore Western style collars, while voluminous trousers retained echoes of the old world.