The official unveiling decree associated with the reign of Reza Shah stands among the most controversial and transformative policies of early twentieth-century state reform. Announced formally in December 1935 and implemented publicly in January of the following year, the measure sought to abolish the traditional covering of women in public spaces and replace it with Western-style dress codes. The policy was not simply a matter of clothing; it symbolized a broader project of social engineering, centralization of authority, and cultural reorientation.
The initiative was first submitted to the royal court for approval by Mohammad Ali Foroughi, the prime minister of the time, on December 17, 1935. In the first days of January, the decree ordering official enforcement was communicated to provincial authorities throughout the country. This rapid transmission of instructions demonstrated the highly centralized nature of governance and the determination of the ruling establishment to impose the reform uniformly.
