See How Iranian Beauty Has Changed Over the Past 100 Years

click to play video

Cut Video has released the third installment in the 100 Years of Beauty series, this time with a focus on Iranian beauty. However, this condensed timeline is more a note of the country's political history than a statement of beauty trends. From the early 1900s to current times, it documents how Muslim women have (or have not) participated in hijab tradition. The religious veil or head scarf was worn primarily by religious women up until 1936, when the Iranian government banned the donning of the modest covering in order to fit in more with Western ideals.

That's when you begin to see familiar beauty trends take shape — the beehive of the '60s and the smoky eye of the '70s (even though the veil ban was lifted in 1941). In 1979, the Islamic Revolution spurred yet another change in women's appearance. A new law demanded the hijab be worn by all female citizens. During that time Iranian women railed against the demands of the theocracy, and an equal-rights battle began. In recent years, the hijab continued to be symbol of modesty as well as political defiance for some (note the nod to the Green Revolution in the 2000s). Today, women wear the head covering with gorgeous makeup on display.