Ok, all I knew about Russia can be summed up in three things: nesting dolls, Faberge eggs, and the animated movie Anastasia. Limited knowledge, I know. So my goal with this post was to educate myself (and you) on the traditional costumes of Russia, and how they have impacted fashion all over the world today.


           

            Traditional Russian clothing was largely influenced by the Byzantine Empire in the early beginnings of the country. This included rich color, pattern, and cloth such as Byzantine silk. Trimming or a border around the edges of the garment was common as an interesting detail. The himation (like a toga) over a chiton, or tunic, was common. This style carried over into the historic Russian dress style. One aspect of women’s folk costume is the sarafan, a long trapeze shaped jumper dress. Most are simple and made from one piece, but elaborate brocade ones are for formal wear. A head scarf tied under the chin would complete the look, and the kokoshnik is the traditional headdress. It is usually tall crest shaped, and ties in the back with ribbons. It can be highly decorative with pearls or gold embroidery. This headdress was worn by peasant women on special occasions until the Russian Revolution. Shoes worn by the poor included the lapti made of bast fiber; they were not durable. Valenki are traditional Russian felt boots for winter wear. They are often worn with galoshes because the soles can wear out quickly.


           

            Men wore a caftan with a belt, kosovorotka, which is a long sleeved, calf length skewed collar shirt, and a ushanka which is a fur trapper hat. The ushanka is stereotypically associated with Soviet Russia. Fabrics for all included wool, linen, and fur. These are perfect for the cool weather climate. Typical colors used were crimson, dark red, purple, and azure (Kies, 2007).


 

Imperial style in Russia began with Peter the Great in 1721. The court was extremely lavish from jewelry to furniture. Their rich jewels and opulent dress inspired many styles in and out of court. The Ballet Russes which ran from 1909 to 1929 under Sergei Diaghilev also inspired fashion trends. Costumes from the company were recently held in an exhibit at the National Gallery of Australia. Designers included Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. The Ballet was also the subject of a 2010-2011 exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum.


 

Looking at today’s fashion, I can tell that Russia has left her mark. In 1976 Yves St. Laurent brought the Russian spirit to life in his collection. Chanel pre fall 2009 showed gorgeous outfits trimmed in fur and gold stitching. Other designers with Russian inspiration include: Vera Wang 2007, John Galliano 2009, and Alexander McQueen with the beautiful Faberge egg handbags in 2008. I can see the culture inspiration even for this fall with brocade and heavy ornamentation being popular trends.  You too can look like Russian royalty in the winter with a fur cap on!