Imperial Women's, Men's and Children's Clothing & Accessories #1

[Georgiy]

Yes, and that is the sort of clothing that inspired nasty comments by high-born ladies about the GDs. Still, nowadays no one would complain if Prince William for example was seen in a T shirt and jeans. Looking at earlier comments about how Royalty dressed well while the poor were kind of in rags, I wonder in countries like the US where you don't have a Royal Family, don't the President and his family also dress smartly, at least when in public, as they have a certain image to conform to. I think it is the same as for Royalty or even for pop stars or whatever. Part of what they are is their public image, rightly or wrongly.

[Shvibzik]

Yes, and that is the sort of clothing that inspired nasty comments by high-born ladies about the GDs. Still, nowadays no one would complain if Prince William for example was seen in a T shirt and jeans. Looking at earlier comments about how Royalty dressed well while the poor were kind of in rags, I wonder in countries like the US where you don't have a Royal Family, don't the President and his family also dress smartly, at least when in public, as they have a certain image to conform to. I think it is the same as for Royalty or even for pop stars or whatever. Part of what they are is their public image, rightly or wrongly.

I suppose it is sort of a "duty" that someone of high rank or wealth dress nicer than the average person--it is like that pretty much all over the world. :-/

[Georgiy]

Yep. Lucky them!

[Lanie]

According to The Romanovs: Love, Power and Tragedy, even the peasant women the girls met (and with whose children they played with) said their clothing was unsuitable!  Although it looks plain I am sure it was made with the finest fabrics, etc; I'm surprised that, say, Tatiana would wear such things as she seemed the most fashion-minded of the four.  Perhaps during the war they all felt like they shouldn't dress ostentatiously, instilled in them by Alix no doubt.

I did read a little blurb somewhere, I think from Muriel Buchanan, saying that Olga and Tatiana wore beautiful red velvet gowns at the opening of the British Red Cross Hospital in Grand Duke Dmitri's palace in St. Petersburg in 1915... but of course, that was a formal event, so they would have had to been dressed to the nines.

[Georgiy]

Really, it sounds like they just couldn't do anything right in the eyes of the public. Quite petty really.

[Sarushka]

Here's a silly observation: OTMA seemed to have particularly long feet! (I'll try to post some photos later) Anyone want to hazard a guess at their shoe size?

Sarah

[Lanie]

Really, it sounds like they just couldn't do anything right in the eyes of the public. Quite petty really.

Agreed . I think the comment was something like, "That is something not even a peasant girl here would wear!" I quite like the blouses and the skirts, I could take or leave the jackets, but really, did they think the girls went around gallivanting in those two satin gowns they wore from the 1913 and 1914 photo shoots?  Bah.  I think perhaps it was good intentions gone bad; although when they were young people said Alix dressed her daughters very nicely.

[Shvibzik]

I think, considering they were royalty, they could have been dressed nicer.  But from what Russia was going through at the time, I can see why Alix had them dress so plainly.  I'm sure she didn't want everyone to think they were living in their palace all happy and in luxury without the slightest concern for the Russian people.

I don't want to be too much of a critic (considering how critizing the people were)by saying they could have been dressed in better clothes (not Court dresses, of course), but I think they could have somewhat.  But I can understand them wearing simpler clothes after the abdication, though.  They're not princesses (or a prince, in Alexei's case) anymore, now mere commoners-- ex-royals.

[clockworkgirl21]

lol. I agree. It seems like Maria had the biggest feet of her sisters, though. She could have maybe worn a 9? Just a blind guess.

[clockworkgirl21]

http://www.livadia.org/ana/1907-1912/10.jpg

http://www.livadia.org/mashka/images/otma1914_1.jpg
Even though she has shoes on, Anastasia's shoes look pretty big! (Anastasia's closest to the camera)

http://www.livadia.org/mashka/images/oma1905_1.jpg
Even though they aren't yet finished growing, their feet are large here too...

[grandduchess_sofia]

I thought as they got older they had more choice in their wardrobes? So Alix wouldn't have chosen everything.  
Also children always were prettier clothes then adults, especial girls, i mena you just have to dress them in pretty little dresses with bows and things!
They were also quite practical people, they didn't sit in their palaces all day. Plus Olga and Tatiana were nursing so didn't need to by more clothes so often.

I agree that they probably couldn't do anything right with other royals given the political climate at the time eg The Rasputin thing.


I do love their big blouses though.

[grandduchess_sofia]

Yes ! i totally agree! i posted that somewhere, but i think someone thought i was talking about them having weird feet.
However they were all, part from Anastasia, quite tall, for that generation.

[Tasha_R]

Hm... having a size 8 1/2 to 9 foot myself since I was about 14, they look perfectly normal to me.  

Tasha

[grandduchess_sofia]

tasha are you offended?
Sops

[Tasha_R]

LOL... not in the least.  I know for certain that my feet are rather, um..., shall we say  irregular?

Thank you for your concern, however.  When I was younger, my mother and grandmother used to tell me that it was better to have feet that would hold you up.  It often left me wondering how people who had smaller feet never toppled over!

Sincere regards,
Tasha