WM Dress standards & expectations in FSU

[Ronnie]

My wife insisted that I buy a few pairs of shorts for the summer. She is the one that suggests that I wear shorts when I bike to work or when it is very hot outside and we go for a walk. Hopefully she doesn't have doubts about my sexual orientation LOL

Apparently you've convinced her you really are a shorts-wearing kind of guy...did she suggest blue ones?    Gotcha!

[Ronnie]

Mendeleyev,

Thank you for the additional advice.  I am a Dockers and Oxford shirt kind of guy when I am out on dates or in fashion public, so I probably should just plan to bring 60% of those type of clothes.  I wonder, though, why dark slacks, rather than tan, almond, beige, sage or even cream, are the choiciest colors for the RW? 

I suggested the dark slacks.  Okay for evening but for the hot days, go for the lighter colors...

[Misha]

Apparently you've convinced her you really are a shorts-wearing kind of guy...did she suggest blue ones?    Gotcha!

Nah, likes black.  :evil:

[Ronnie]

Nah, likes black.  :evil:

Okay, I can dig it.  But what about the shorts?   

[Misha]

Okay, I can dig it.  But what about the shorts?   

Well, my wife likes them off, but I guess some wives prefer their husbands dressed with as much clothes as possible  Yes, bad humor. I am trying LOL.

[Ronnie]

Someone once said,
"It's the ability to take a joke, not make one that proves you have a sense of humor."

[Misha]

Someone once said,
"It's the ability to take a joke, not make one that proves you have a sense of humor."

That is a nice quote. I will have to remember it.

[Zhena]

Oh,I ll tell you how I dressed for the first date
While my future husband really tried to impress me with the perfect suit and the leather shoes,I dressd in the blue jeans and the sneakers...cos I heard of the way the americans dress and didnt want him to feel uncomfortable in his casual and me on the heels...

[KenC]

Oh,I ll tell you how I dressed for the first date
While my future husband really tried to impress me with the perfect suit and the leather shoes,I dressd in the blue jeans and the sneakers...cos I heard of the way the americans dress and didnt want him to feel uncomfortable in his casual and me on the heels...

I hope the two of you communicate a little better than that now!  Very funny.
KenC

[mendeleyev]

FD, I don't know the answer about "why" the dark colours (with one possible guess) are not popular there so perhaps one of the Rus ladies can clue us in. 

A possible guess:  Many cities in Russia and Ukraine are "dirty" and I mean that only in the sense of dusty/filmy.  This may also explain why nobody wears white tennis shoes.  Mass transportation is just that...used by millions each day.  A cream colour pants at day's end would be typically filthy in the larger cities especially just from walking around/sitting in public places.  A small village would be much cleaner in the industrial sense, but then things like grass stains, etc, from walking and sitting in public areas could be a factor.

Given that a more than small percentage of the population still don't have a washer in the home, the care and cleaning of a light coloured wardrobe could be intensive.  Seasons also contribute (short summer/longer winter) and spring rains bring a lot of mud.

There is also the habit of wearing the same clothes for several days in a row.  Upon first moving to Russia this was hard to accept.  I got used to it.  Darker clothing hides dirt.  Combine limited laundry facilities for some, a limited wardrobe where every piece of clothing must have versatility, the grime/dirt, and the weather and maybe these colours really are impractical if nothing else.


(For my Rus friends, please don't misunderstand and think I'm saying Russia is a filthy country.  It's not.  Some cities are spotless.  But on the whole the industrial and environmental conditions are still far behind many other countries in terms of grime and dirt and dust.  That is all I'm saying and has nothing to do the character and quality of Russia people and culture.)

[55North]

I recall that when I started out about 4 years ago, visiting Kyiv, in winter, my lady of the time was averse to blue jeans as they would mark me as western in public, she seemed to have other issues regarding my native identity when in public (talking on Metro).  I wore black, as advised on some web site.  I looked like a local bizniz minder or driver (though quite good, I thought.)
 
When my attention switched to the Caucasus, in summer, I found that blue jeans were everywhere, even on my host.  And how good she looked in them!  I married her.

[Pike]

  I wonder, though, why dark slacks, rather than tan, almond, beige, sage or even cream, are the choicest colors for the RW? 

Simplest answer: We chose clothes to reflect our mood or our desired mood.  For eons, FSU people were in a depressed state of mind; hence the dark colors.  Over time, it became the accepted norm, even for those who did not feel exceptionally depressed.  It is changing over time.

On my last trip I spent some time with a gal that I have known off and on for about 6 years.  Years ago, she asked me not to wear my blue jeans when we were out and about.  A couple of years ago I brought her some very stylish Calvin Klein blue jeans.  They are now about her favorite dress when we are out and about, except for ballet, formal dinner, etc.  I kid her about it.  She just laughs and can't believe how much she has changed. 

This time I brought her some bright red jeans, red T shirt and red baseball cap.  She wore them and commented how she was the most colorful person we encountered all day.  I know she felt a little self conscious, but I told her she would probably start a trend.

[Kuna]

Simplest answer: We chose clothes to reflect our mood or our desired mood.  For eons, FSU people were in a depressed state of mind; hence the dark colors.  Over time, it became the accepted norm, even for those who did not feel exceptionally depressed.  It is changing over time.

What a load of BS!     The question was:

I wonder, though, why dark slacks, rather than tan, almond, beige, sage or even cream, are the choicest colors for the RW?

A more probable answer is that it might have something to do with the dirty environment they encounter outside of their homes.  RW care VERY much about their appearance and dark colours would be much easier to keep looking clean.

Think about walking down the street.  Sitting on buses and trams.  Slush and mud in winter. Those things are more likely to change their mood than the colour of clothes they choose.


Oh, and as for:

This time I brought her some bright red jeans, red T shirt and red baseball cap.  She wore them and commented how she was the most colorful person we encountered all day.  I know she felt a little self conscious, but I told her she would probably start a trend.

I guess you're not planning to marry this woman??? 

My wife would poison my food before she would wear red jeans, red shirt and red baseball cap in public.

 

From my very limited experience in FSU (as opposed to your vast experience), standing out, being the most colourful or acting out loudly are not desirable attributes for FSU people.

[Jumper]

Kuna said

Don't obsess over your attire... but pay attention

- Clean shoes, clean and PRESSED clothes (No stains, etc), clean nails, ears and teeth, no visible nose hair or long wild eyebrows... take pride in your appearance because all of these things will be noticed.

- Relax, have fun, be confident, attentive and chivalrous

I'd second that!
as well as KenC's advice on if there is an error  to be made in dress code,
 it is always better to err on the side of dressing well.

mendeleyev had some particularly good advice which would mirror many RW thoughts?

(although you will of course find exceptions)


on the shorts. I'd ditch those.
I think mendeleyev is spot on with saying her family and your Rw will dress to impress wether its the park or at home,,in the initial stages of meeting a new person.
its done out of politeness and a sense of respect to a "honoured" guest.

as that *guest*  many moons ago, i felt i should dress appropriately in sync to theirs.
it was out of respect to them and their culture. I was not trying to "fit" some
european fashion  mold, (which i actually knew well from living in eastern Europe long term before)
it was simply trying to show the same level of respect that was given?

at *home* i'm much more casual, its an american way.

my wife still likes when i dress well..its important to her and i respect that.
Occasionally she even  tries to get me to dress down a bit..
my how times changes.. (more like local styles and customs)

and yes she has bought me casual shorts.. more pirates of the Caribbean style ..
(i can do a decent depp swagger when encouraged to lol)
but those are certainly for casual,,and if we traveled to Dnepropetrovsk,
 i doubt she'd want me walking down karl marx in them..LOL
in fact shed be rather certain to be miffed dabout it..lol
so that  - "no you aren't going to actually wear "THAT" look ..
would still come  after years of marriage, and a big change in acceptable fashion in FSU culture..

conversely, while i'd argue indefinitely that *capri style pants *are ONLY for *blue men*,
she would find them quite fashionable..go figure.


so take that for what its worth..

(about 2 kopecks,,which are gaining daily on the dollar)
 

[Ooooops]

To tell you the truth - the less you think about your clothes the better they fit.   Well, in most cases.      So I'd say - wear something that make you comfortable, otherwise you'd be checking  the creases on your pants instead of paying attention to your date.