The Russian Dress Code

Every folk has its own traditional costumes and wearing habits. Russian folk dresses are recognizable and well-known all over the world. Russian headdress called "kokoshnik", fine linen "rubashka" shirts, dress "sarafan" - all these clothes were worn ages ago by Russian women. Big fur hats and felt boots “valenki” are also considered to be Russian classic accessories.

But you should know that this style of wear is not common nowadays. The clothing habits have changed. The Russians wear modern things such as jeans, tops, stylish sweaters etc. It might be right to say that Russian people prefer casual things in their everyday life.

But there are some places and events where we have special dress code to follow. Sometimes it's quite  important to observe these simple rules, because your dress style can both show your respect  for the Russian culture and gain the Russians.

Before going to the theater be ready to dress up. Theaters in Russia are said to be “temples of culture”. Russian women are used to wear skirts and neat blouses sometimes even evening dresses and high heels. Suits and ties are appropriate for men. A man wearing washed-out jeans and a t-shirt would look strange at the theater.

If you are invited to Russian wedding you will meet a lot of well-dressed people there. The bride usually wears a white beautiful dress, often puffy and many frills. The groom has a nice suit on him. We'd like to recommend you to put some stylish light-coloured clothes.

Churches are among the most popular places to visit in Russia. The atmosphere and gorgeous decoration require suitable clothes. To show your respect women should put on a long skirt and cover her head with headscarf. A man shouldn't have any hats on his head.

During the Soviet times all school students wore uniform: brown dresses and white pinafores for girls and dark-blue jackets and trousers for boys. Now uniform is not obligatory but some schools still have it. If you want to visit any Russian school, try to look formally and avoid wearing provocative clothes like short skirts, for example.

The advices mentioned above are not strict rules but they are useful if you want to fit into different situations and places you will visit in Russia. Good luck!

by Sofya Apollonova