Iran bans curvy store mannequins

Iranian police have told shopkeepers not to display female mannequins without hijabs or in positions that expose feminine body curves.

In the latest crackdown on "immoral dressing," Iranian "moral" police have banned the use of curvaceous female mannequins in store windows. The display of lingerie in shop windows is also prohibited across the country. The new rule also bars male sales assistants from selling women's underwear. Official news agency IRNA quotes the police as saying: "There have been reports of the use of inappropriate and shocking mannequins in shop windows in a bid to draw in customers, which has been the source of public dissatisfaction. Displaying and supplying Western brands or items with cheap designs is forbidden in stores. Both showing necktie and bow-tie behind the windows and (the) selling (of) women's underwear by men are prohibited." Iran had enforced a strict dress code for women after the Islamic revolution in 1979. However, the dress code had become more liberal in the late 1990s. Since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005, authorities strengthened their control over dress codes. In recent years, women wearing tight trousers and men with Western hairstyles were warned by the police. The new law doesn't mention any punishment for those who don't comply with the new dress code.