Dress code

The Education Ministry has introduced sweeping changes to school dress codes, addressing long-standing complaints from parents about the frequent changes in school uniforms and the requirement to purchase clothing from specific retailers.

Mohammad Javad enters a fashionable shop in well-to-do north Tehran with his mother. For the first time ever he wants a necktie, long banned in Iran as a symbol of Western decadence.

The 27-year-old dentist said he opted for this clothing accessory in hopes of looking his best during the first meeting with his future in-laws.

Women in Saudi Arabia need not wear headcover or the black abaya - the loose-fitting, full-length robes symbolic of Islamic piety - as long as their attire is "decent and respectful", the kingdom's reform-minded crown prince said.

A coffee shop has a bikini dress code that the female boss claims is “empowering” but a city councilman has argued exploits women.

The uniform sees the women don bikinis or underwear, with some choosing to simply have colorful stickers over their nipples, as they serve coffee from a stand in Washington.

Montenegro's Defence Ministry is planning to tighten up the dress code for serving soldiers, worried by the lax appearance of the military.

Under the new military code, which BIRN has seen, soldiers will no longer be allowed to smoke in public places, use umbrellas and "carry bags or other items" while in uniform.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis style as he rolled up in a padded leather jacket to meet British Chancellor George Osborne drew a great deal of commotion. The shaved head and casual look earned him the name of the rock' n' roll finance minister. People wondered what message he was trying to get across with this dress code. His wife, however, has a simple answer:

It was 1750 B.C. when the function of the dress code in Babylon was to expose prostitutes.