“Clothing as one of the most visible forms of consumption, performs a major role in the social construction of identity.” The First and Second Five Year Plan of Stalin, to create out of Russia as soon as possible a fully industrialized economy, brought drastic changes in social life. Women were especially affected by these plans. They could find themselves in a dilemma between how to balance the fact to be a worker and keep in the same way their femininity. These plans offered women rights they never had before, as entering in the workforce. But in the same way it was difficult to keep femininity, especially regarded to fashion. In Soviet Russia Western luxus was seen as the “evil” - women would rather dress as men than wear the latest fashions and risk being considered traitors. In the first line a Soviet woman was an industrial worker and a housewife. Her clothes had to comply with this function - fashion had to be practicable neither than feminine. An important issue about clothes in Soviet times was the fact that they were used by authorities and society to produce and strengthen the collective ideology. One result was social repression of people who did not fit into the collective scheme. The following essay gives an overview of the women fashion in Soviet Russia; how Soviet fashion looked like and what symbols are behind these clothes. But at first I will point out two analysis about body theories; Kathy Davis’ “Embody-ing Theory” and Sandra Lee Bartky: “Foucault, Femininity, and the Modernization of Patriarchal Power”. These theoretical aspects are important to understand the impact of clothing on the society, in our case the impact on women and their femininity in Soviet Russia.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Theory
2.1 Kathy Davis: Embody-ing Theory
2.1.1 Body as a message of Individuality
2.1.2 Feminism and the Body
2.2 Sandra Lee Bartky: Foucault, Femininity, and the Modernization of Patriarchal Power
2.2.1 What makes a body feminine?
2.2.2 Disciplinary Institutions
3 Fashion and Femininity in Soviet Russia
3.1 The Soviet Look
3.1.1 Symbolic clothes
3.1.2 Disciplinary Institutions
3.2 The 1980s and 1990s
4 Summary
Objectives and Core Themes
This essay explores the intersection of fashion, gender, and ideology in Soviet Russia, examining how clothing served as a mechanism for social control and the construction of identity. It investigates the paradox of the Soviet woman, who was expected to balance the roles of an industrial worker and a housewife while maintaining a state-sanctioned version of femininity.
- The role of fashion as a tool for ideological conformity in the Soviet Union.
- Theoretical perspectives on body politics by Kathy Davis and Sandra Lee Bartky.
- Analysis of specific symbolic garments like the 'khalat' and the 'black skirt'.
- Social repression faced by women who did not conform to the 'Soviet look'.
- The transition of fashion styles from the Soviet era into the post-perestroika period.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.1 Symbolic clothes
The Soviet Union had 3 pieces of clothes which show the ideology, especially the gender ideology very good: the black skirt, the khalat and the hoodlike cap.
The black skirt was the perfect dress for a woman. It did not dressed her up and it was the opposite of the materialist consumer chic of Western Europe. The black skirt, so the Soviet regime, damp all the sexual adorer. It correspondent totally with the “we don’t have sex and we are all equal”.
Another symbol of femininity was the khalat. The Soviet woman was besides her work in the production a housewife. For the work at home she had the khalat, a dress for the house. Despite the function as a housedress the khalat was worn during a journey in the train or car to protect the good clothes and if the woman went to the shop next to her door she put a jacket over the khalat and went shopping. The khalat was the universal dress for a woman, if they woke up, during the housework, during journey, to go shopping, in the evenings on the sofa. For Vainstein and other feminists the khalat had a sexual aspect. It showed the weakness and the function as a housewife. Often women were naked under the khalat it only held everything in with a few buttons. Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat citied in Vainstain: “unprotected by the iron gates of the harem, is susceptible to rape, which compels her to exercise caution [...], kept her aloof from all activities other than motherhood.” As in Davis’ theory the woman’s body in a khalat showed everything weak: her emotionality, irrationality, sensuality as well as sexual suppression.
Another garment which showed the weakness of women was the hoodlike cap. It was warm and protected women against environmental influences as cold or rain. The cap was worn by women of every age and social class.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the societal context of Soviet Russia, highlighting the conflict women faced between their dual roles as productive workers and housewives within the state's ideological framework.
2 Theory: This section provides a theoretical foundation by applying Kathy Davis' and Sandra Lee Bartky's analyses of body politics and disciplinary power to the subject of femininity.
3 Fashion and Femininity in Soviet Russia: This main part examines the specific 'Soviet look', the symbolic meaning of state-approved clothing, and how disciplinary institutions enforced these norms upon the population.
4 Summary: The concluding chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming that Soviet fashion was a reflection of the state's collective ideology, where women were often coerced into contradictory gender roles.
Keywords
Soviet Russia, Fashion, Femininity, Gender Identity, Ideology, Body Politics, Kathy Davis, Sandra Lee Bartky, Disciplinary Institutions, Khalat, Consumerism, Social Repression, Perestroika, Equality, Work-Life Balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how fashion was used in Soviet Russia to reinforce collective ideology and control the bodies and gender identities of women, forcing them into specific roles as workers and housewives.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The central themes include body politics, the institutionalization of gender norms, the symbolic meaning of Soviet-era clothing, and the conflict between official state ideals and the realities of daily life for women.
What is the main objective or research question?
The study aims to understand the impact of clothing on Soviet society, specifically how state authorities used fashion to manage femininity and social equality while simultaneously imposing repressive standards on women.
Which scientific methods or theoretical frameworks are employed?
The essay utilizes a qualitative theoretical analysis, primarily drawing upon Kathy Davis' "Embody-ing Theory" and Sandra Lee Bartky's work on Foucault, femininity, and patriarchal power to interpret the Soviet context.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical foundations of body discipline, the specific historical "Soviet look," the symbolic role of garments like the 'khalat' and black skirt, and the evolution of styles during the 1980s and 1990s.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The paper is characterized by terms such as Soviet ideology, femininity, gender, disciplinary institutions, body politics, and collective identity.
How did the state manage the 'plump' female body?
The state and media created a climate of social repression for women who did not fit the ideal of the 'young, dynamic worker.' Plump and elderly women were often excluded from cultural life, as appropriate clothing was unavailable, reinforcing a sense of shame and social non-conformity.
How does the author view the transition during the 1980s and 1990s?
The author identifies this period as marked by a "style of excess," where Western luxury goods and gold jewelry became symbols of wealth and social status, effectively turning both men and women into "showcases" within a new, consumption-driven society.
- Citation du texte
- Sarah Stolle (Auteur), 2006, Fashion and Femininity in Soviet Russia, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/60556
