The unveiling decree did not emerge in isolation. It was the culmination of years of debate among reformist intellectuals, officials, and military modernizers who believed that outward appearance reflected inner progress. To them, traditional clothing signified backwardness, stagnation, and submission to clerical authority. Western attire, by contrast, was associated with science, rationalism, discipline, and national strength.
Throughout the early decades of the century, reformers published essays, books, and newspaper columns criticizing what they perceived as the confinement of women and the dominance of custom over reason. They argued that social development required women’s education, public participation, and visibility. While some advocated gradual change, others pressed for decisive state action. Reza Shah, influenced by models of authoritarian modernization elsewhere, ultimately embraced the latter approach.
