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

[clockworkgirl21]

They could have worn average clothing. I'm not saying they had to wear rags like the homeless did, but there was no reason for AOTMAA to wear such fancy clothing when others weren't even sure when their next meal would be.

[nerdycool]

But that's the way it's always been, in every part of the world, and how it will probably always be. There are always millions of people who are starving...who are homeless and have rags for clothing, and billions more who dress nice, have good food to eat, and have a roof over their heads. Nicholas and Alexandra weren't the first to dress their children nicely while their people suffered. Even when Communism took over Russia and everyone was was supposed to be on the same level, there were still people who did without while others had more. The reason why Nicholas' people were starving wasn't because of his family's wardrobes... it was because of his lack of leadership and mismanagement of the government among other things, and the culmination of bad decisions made by rulers prior to, and including Nicholas. Clothing had nothing to do with it.

[clockworkgirl21]

I'm not saying the clothing they wore was so blame. I'm just saying it's a shame some people will dress their children so nice while others are starving. Especially royalty.

[RealAnastasia]

Nicholas II is not to blame. His children wore the clothes they have until they were old, and didn't fit any more.They only have their ceremony's clothes (Court dresses and such), and people liked they wear them.

I'm sure people who blames Nicholas II to dress his children nicely is the same who thinks it's fine that Rock and movie  stars have great houses, and clothes, and drink champagne in all meals, and have millions upon millions of dollars. Of course, they are stars! Poor NAOTMAA were only "royals". Rich people, nowadays is 20 times more rich than Romanov...and there are all days more starved people . Nicholas and his family was a simple, natural gentleman if we compare him to Michael Jackson...

RealAnastasia.

[grandduchessella]

I guess the feeling that arouses ire is the fact that royalty was supported by the work of the populace through taxes and so on that they had no vote over. See the French Revolution, American Revolution, etc...With movie stars, athletes and so on we willingly fork over our money so they can live in ostentatious style. I may live in a house the size of Tom Cruise's garage but if we didn't want to see his movies he wouldn't have made the money.

[Shvibzik]

Well, why wouldn't NAOTMAA dress nicely?  They did because they could. :-/  After all, they were the Tsar's family, they were royal and royals have always dressed nicer than the average person.  Just like now a days, usually the nicer you dress, the richer people assume you are.  If you are a princess any time in history, it would look a bit odd if wore average clothing.

[Ortino]

Well, why wouldn't NAOTMAA dress nicely?  They did because they could. :-/  After all, they were the Tsar's family, they were royal and royals have always dressed nicer than the average person.  Just like now a days, usually the nicer you dress, the richer people assume you are.  If you are a princess any time in history, it would look a bit odd if wore average clothing.

 I happen to agree with Shvibzik. As royalty, they had an image to uphold and it was considered dignified given their station. Considering others before them, the family dressed very plainly-including the children. Other than official court outfits, they seemed to have worn simple, yet stylish, clothes.

[Shvibzik]

...Considering others before them, the family dressed very plainly-including the children. Other than official court outfits, they seemed to have worn simple, yet stylish, clothes.

Although they were somewhat frilly, they were quite plain: you seem to see the same colors and there are not very many elaborate designs.  I think the older they got, the less fancy their everyday dresses were.  Yet, compared to the average Russian then, more noble looking than your everyday commoner.  

[Georgiy]

I remember reading somewhere that some sections of high society complained about the Grand Duchesses clothing, that they wore as teenagers - not because it was fancy or anything, but because it was too plain and like what normal people wore!

[Maria_Pavlovna]

[Shvibzik]

I remember reading somewhere that some sections of high society complained about the Grand Duchesses clothing, that they wore as teenagers - not because it was fancy or anything, but because it was too plain and like what normal people wore!

How come when they were younger that they had  nicer everyday dresses than when they were older?  Perhaps because the war had made their tax income decrease (with everyone off at war)? :-/

[Lanie]

I don't think Alix allowed her daughters to get new dresses during the war just as another sacrifice.

[Ortino]

And it is also important to realize that styles were dramatically changing closer to 1920. People began to drop the tight corsets and heavy clothing in exchange for light, more free pieces. Length also became shorter. So the girls couldn't have worn what they wore when they were younger.

[grandduchess_sofia]

I think that if you have the money you may aswell dress nicely!

I don't think their clothes differed that much during the war i mean quality wise.

[Shvibzik]

...I don't think their clothes differed that much during the war i mean quality wise.

and this one in 1916: