Iran's fashion police target Western styles

It's an Iranian rite of summer: Islamic morality squads pressure women to keep their headscarves snug and coverings in place, and after a few extra tugs for modesty's sake the crackdown inevitably fades.

This year, Iran's fashion offensive appears bigger and more ominous, and has expanded the watchlist to men's hairstyles and jewellery considered too Western.

No official explanation has appeared for the sterner approach. But it fits with the steady push by Iran's ruling theocracy to reel back the liberal fashion trends that began in the 1990s - such as body-hugging coverings for women and earrings and tattoos for men - and to sweep away non-Islamic influences in universities and cultural institutions.

The conservative forces around Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have already struck back hard at President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's attempts to expand his power base, and are expected to set a hardline tone for parliamentary elections early next year.

Nearly two-thirds of Iran's Parliament have signed a statement supporting the latest fight against "Western cultural invasion". It's blamed for such challenges to Islamic dress codes as women's headscarves pushed back and pants cropped short to show as much leg as possible.

About 70,000 police officers have been deployed in Tehran this month to enforce the dress codes, the state news agency IRNA said.

The fashion targets this year also include men's hairstyles and "un-Islamic" items such as necklaces.

Last year, a fashion watchdog group gave the Culture Ministry a guide to acceptable men's haircuts. On the blacklist: ponytails, a spiked style known locally as the "rooster", and the retro "mullet" do, with its cropped front and cascading back.

- AP