Russian costuming

[bethlakshmi]

Mostly for my own thought process:


http://www.barynya.com/kalinka/

cute, folksy, perhaps not so compatible with doing something with a sword...

http://www2.wheatonma.edu/Academic/AcademicDept/Russian/RUSSIAN/ekaterin2.html
A little less cute, and looks to have a regular length waist (glamazons and high waistlines do no mix... high waistlines make glamazons look like Godzilla).

http://www.geocities.com/nkunstek/nosnje/ennosnje.htm
Quite the collection of Croatian costumes... obviously the former USSR being HUGE, there's a ton of nationalities, that my unenlightened eyes would call "slavic" or "Russian", and since we are ruthlessly raping cultures for this gig, I'm not gonna worry to much about whether Croatians would agree with being called Russians. I particularly like the Cres region, the Cakovec region, and the dorky dorky DORKY hats of the Pag region. But Scratch is TOTALLY not gonna let me wear one of those. (don't even get me going on the Forbidden Fruit Hat issue, I'm still fuckin' traumatized)

Looking at these folk costumes - clearly the red/white/black combo is way Russian.

http://www.folkwear.com/oldeurope.html
Has some patterns that come close... although I could probably zen some of these...

No big surprise, there's not really a lot of sexy Russian wear out there. I'm trying to think of something like James Bond seductress sexy, but "From Russia with Love" isn't getting me any good pics of Russian clothes. I suppose that this is because haute coture in Russia is frequently just like haute couture in Europe, except sometimes several years behind the times.

Interesting to note Oxana Fedorova is the first Miss Universe from Russia ever to be crowned, she was crowned in 2002. She gave up her crown 4 months later. She (grr...) has a certain Russian "look" but her gowns and stuff are not what I'd call outstandingly Russian looking.

Comments

[dreda.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I think going for spot-on folkwear is going to sail over people's heads. I'd think Boris and Natasha. ;)

Fur, fur, and more fur. Particularly if you have a furry hat and tall Cossack-y boots. I think the furry pasties would be a hoot, but I may not be representative of your regular audience. (Hey - could you be a Cossack? I am perfectly prepared to believe that you have the leg muscles to pull off that kind of dancing.)

[lakshmi-amman.livejournal.com]

Have been pondering it... could work on my puramundi (the position in Indian dance where you pretty much sit on your heels, with knees pointing in opposite directions). I'm a little out of shape, but may be able to pull it together.

Scratch is also encouraging the Cossak-y goodness, possibly with stripper pants and a peasanty shirt to book. My dance sword is sufficiently saber like...

I'm only nervous about fur pasties from the somewhat scary image of tribbles attacking my breats...