How often did the Imperial Family buy new clothes?

[rosieposie]

A bit out there,  just wondering how often the Imperial Family bought new every day clothing until their arrest?   I know the girls would have hand me down night wear but I am just thinking every day clothes in general?

[clockworkgirl21]

I don't know exactly, but I remember it being discussed in "The Romanov Sisters" that a small fortune (to the tune of several thousand dollars) was spent on Maria Nicholaievna alone for things like clothes and other apparel in one year. I'm sure they did have hand-me-downs, but they also bought a lot of new clothes as well.

[Превед]

A bit out there,  just wondering how often the Imperial Family bought new every day clothing until their arrest? 

Remember, in those days one didn't "buy" new clothes", one had them made, by a tailor or seamstress who took measurements. Perhaps a reason why clothes looked better on people in those days than our modern, often ill-fitting, a-few-sizes-fit-all stuff does?

[rosieposie]

Yes that is what I meant.    The clothing to be tailored.   Anyone of our senior members know?

[TimM]

Must have been nice to have your clothes tailor made for you.

[DNAgenie]

Don't forget that it was only the  very rich who had clothes made for them.  They could afford to employ a full-time seamstress and tailor, but everyone else made their own clothes.

This was the case until quite recent times. I know when I was little my mother made all my clothes, though by then the sewing was made easier by the invention of the sewing machine, so there was less hand-stitching to be done than in earlier times. And by then there were commercial patterns available so you didn't have to start from scratch and design the garment yourself. But until well into the 20th century, nearly everyone would have made their own clothes, which is why every female child was taught needlework. It was an essential skill for daily living. Even royal daughters learned needlework as a matter of course, as in spite of not making their own clothes, they were expected to do decorative embroidery, to show that they were educated.

[Sanochka]

I would think that delivery of finished tailored clothes to the Grand Duchesses' rooms was a fairly frequent occurrence.  If Maria's clothing expenses are representative of all of the girls, the amount of clothing and accessories being delivered must have been enormous. 

[Kalafrana]

Actually, even people from quite modest backgrounds had some of their clothes made for them.

For example, if you read The Road to Nab End by William Woodruff, you will see that his first suit, when he was 14, was made for him by the Co-op, who were considered better value than other tailors because they offered two fittings, not one. Woodruff's parents worked in a cotton mill in Lancashire, and their fortunes fluctuated with the economy. when Woodruff was 14, their fortunes were definitely on the way down, but the money was found to get him a decent suit. Novels of the period are also full of references to men in badly-fitting ready-made suits, showing that this was something to be remarked on. according to my mother, her three elder brothers, born between 1923 and 1927, all had their school shorts made for them. Their father worked for the Inland Revenue.

One of the points about having your suits made for you is that they would last a long time. My father has one made about 1980 which he is still wearing. A few months ago, having discovered that the same tailor was about to retire, he rushed out and got a tweed jacket made!

However, a lot of other clothes would be made at home. There are frequent references in novels to young men and boys wearing pyjamas made by their mothers. My mother certainly made dresses for me, and for herself, in the 1960s. My maternal grandmother, was, however, not at all domesticated, and couldn't cook, let alone sew! She did play the piano to concert standard, however.

Ann

[Forum Admin]

Ready made clothing was easily available for the masses in the first half of the 19th century.  However, the Imperial Family did have their clothes custom made. Nicholas' uniforms were never "mended" rather a torn or worn item would be made new.  The Empress and girls had two major dress makers, one in Petersburg and another in Moscow  (I think one was called "Madame Olga"?).  They did wear dresses more than once as the Emperor was concerned with expenses, but they did not lack for clothing.  They never "went shopping" rather things were brought to them to select in the Palace.

The store rooms at GARF are still filled with hundreds of their clothes, from socks and underwear to Nicholas' dress uniforms and Alexandra's formal gowns. 

[rosieposie]

Thank you FA.

I posted the topic because I saw an article on Daily Mail about Duchess Catherine's wardrobe how she wears the same articles of clothing over the last ten years. o.O

[DNAgenie]

I posted the topic because I saw an article on Daily Mail about Duchess Catherine's wardrobe how she wears the same articles of clothing over the last ten years. o.O
 

That is hardly news for the British royals.

Princess Ann is famous for wearing clothes over and over again and very rarely wearing a new outfit. She has a large wardrobe so the gossip mags have a lot of fun working out the last time she wore something and when it might have been bought new.  Perhaps the same thing will happen to Catherine.

[Kalafrana]

Indeed. Both the Queen and Princess Anne are famous for getting plenty of use out of their clothes. There was an interesting newspaper report some time ago showing how the Queen has dresses remodelled. As for the Duke of Edinburgh, he had a new uniform made for his wedding in 1947 and is still wearing it! Along with suits from the 1950s.

A good thing too.

Ann