| Every time I plan another trip to Russia I face a | | | | follows their personal criteria often giving equal |
| dilemma of sorts - I need to go through my | | | | consideration to comfort ahead of style. A |
| closet to pick the best outfits. Perhaps that is | | | | woman in a business suit can walk downtown |
| standard operating procedure to nearly all of us, | | | | wearing tennis shoes...need I say more? |
| but what does that mean for me and you? Do | | | | This is just one of the important differences |
| people in the US and in Russia really dress | | | | between Americans and Russians. For years we |
| differently? | | | | have been hiding our personalities in collective |
| To answer, I must establish a simple premise: It's | | | | society, now we choose to emulate "everybody |
| more difficult to discuss an "average American" | | | | else". Having seen Tobolsk, Tyumen (both in |
| than an "average Russian". American society is a | | | | Siberia), Moscow and Saint Petersburg within the |
| melting pot comprised of people from all over the | | | | past month, I have noticed one trend for women |
| world with different ethnic and cultural | | | | in all of these cities: this year it is skinny jeans |
| backgrounds. One common theme in the USA is | | | | tucked into high boots with heels. Anywhere you |
| tolerance to others and this tolerance starts with | | | | look, you will see young girls and women following |
| the way people look. | | | | this common trend. Having traveled and lived in all |
| Here it's more difficult to surprise society with | | | | different parts of the US, I will only note |
| unusual appearances as the definition of "usual" | | | | dominating shorts, jeans, T-shirts, tennis shoes |
| appearance has seen marked change in the past | | | | and flip flops. After seeing this kind of clothing, I |
| 40 years here (my husband says it was not | | | | always find it weird to get back to busy Moscow |
| always so). With individual liberty comes individual | | | | subway with its high heels and expensive outfits |
| expression. This is not to say that there is no | | | | often purchased with their very last dollar (ruble |
| cohesive theme to dress. No. What I mean to | | | | as it were). Russian women tend to spend much |
| say is that people choose to look the way they | | | | time, energy and money (some might say too |
| like and sometimes that choice is quite | | | | much) on looking good exaggerating the |
| dramatically different. There are certainly some | | | | importance of our appearance. Said another way, |
| standards within particular social groups and | | | | looking fashionable for Russians carries with it a |
| regions, e.g. business attire for work, jeans | | | | steep price and commitment. |
| accepted as casual dress; however, there is no | | | | Just remember, regardless of how good someone |
| universal fashion and, what is more important, | | | | looks on the outside, it is what is on the inside |
| there is no "enforcement" of such. Each person | | | | that matters. |