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Decrees about clothes
Under Peter I decree in 1700 wearing an old Russian dress was forbidden to noblemen and townspeople. The following models were established: men should wear a short tight caftan and a camisole, kyulots, long stockings and boots with a buckle, a white wig or the powdered hair, face should be shaved clean. Women should wear wide framed skirts, close-fitting low–necked bodices (corsages), a wig and high-heeled shoes, bright make up (blush and whiting).
Thus, the basic forms of the European dress "clothes of Saxon, German or French" absolutely replaced an old Russian dress, and introduced fresh ideas about the beauty and new aesthetic ideals.
Peter's I reformation period coincided with the domination of French fashion in Europe. However for Peter I epoch the influence of the Dutch and German dresses was more characteristic. First of all, it became apparent in the greater simplicity of fabrics and trimmings, due to tastes of the burghers.
The state decisions and decrees about clothes of the noblemen played a big role in the XVIII century. They regulated precisely not only the form of a dress, but also the character of its trimmings, colour and fabrics.
From 1700 till 1725 under Peter's I decree the townspeople had no right to wear Russian dress. But the attraction to basic forms was always strong, especially in middle and low classes of the social strata. After Peter's death when many merchants and townspeople returned to a national dress, the western influence did not disappear at all.
In 1782 Ekaterina II issued three decrees. First of them was "About headwear of the court ladies". It recommended to follow "more simplicity and moderation in the style of clothes ". It was forbidden to trim the dress with gold and silver sewing or lace wider than two vershoks (9 sm) and to wear headdresses higher than two vershoks. In the second decree it was recommended to aristocracy (men and women) to come to the capital and to the court yard in dresses of those colors which corresponded to the colour of their provinces. For example, the noblemen uniform of the Petersburg province is represented by a light-blue caftan with black velvet flaps, cuffs and a collar. The dress of the Moscow province was a red caftan with dark grey trimmings, etc. Their wives and daughters should wear the same colours. The third decree - "About the dress to wear on holidays for court people of both sexes". It was allowed to wear clothes made from gold and silver brocade in especially solemn occasions, and if the occasion was less solemn dresses should be made from silk and linen. All fabrics should be of Russian manufacture.
One of Ekaterina's decrees defined the form of a court female dress on holidays - a national sarafan made from expensive fabric, which was put on a corsage and a frame skirt.
The loans from fashion of revolutionary France were reflected in many Russian state decrees.
Ekaterina II made fun of such a fashion having ordered for all Petersburg policemen on point duty to wear such dresses
Paul I in 1796 forbade long trousers of the Sankyulots, dress coats, round hats and a short hairstyle. Of course, it was impossible for such decrees to stop the development of fashion, nevertheless during Paul's I life the nobility of Russia had to wear old-fashioned dresses like on a masquerade. After his death new models of a dress were restored with lightning speed.
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