The orthodox dress code, which was at the center
of heated debate in the mass media and public opinion a few months ago,
was presented at a fashion show in Moscow a few days ago.
According to correspondents from the press agencies present, the clothing and accessories shown were «a combination of elegance and modesty».
Most
of the clothing presented for public evaluation was contemporary in
style, but the entire collection was in what Western fashion designers
would term as “à la Russe” (in Russian style).
About a thousand
spectators saw the parade of dresses, capes, ponchos and flared jackets
decorated with lace, traditional patterns and fur, with colors ranging
from lilac, green and pink, to blue and burgundy.
The show was accompanied by Russian folk melodies, operatic arias, and other popular tunes.
Behind the initiative was archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Synod for Church and Society Affairs, who proposed the idea of a Russian “dress code”.
In
January the prelate had won praise from the press by saying that
Russian women dressed like striptease dancers, and wore makeup like
clowns.
«There is a problem....with people who confuse the street with striptease» wrote Vsevolod Chaplin in an open letter published by the Interfax Agency.
«A
woman who is skimpily dressed or painted like a clown....will certainly
not find a man to share her life, a man who has a modicum of
intelligence and self-respect».
He proposed creating an all-Russian dress code, following the example already set in some schools and offices.
This is not the first time that Chaplin has spoken out about the way Russian women dress.
In
December, he declared that women wearing miniskirts and who were drunk
have only themselves to blame if they are raped.
He called for women to
dress more modestly and decently.
Chaplin believes that there is
an interrelationship between a person’s appearance and their inner
being, and so they should take care of their heart and their appearance,
and try to make sure they are a positive match.
A very popular anchorman in Russia, Dmitry
Dibrov moderated the discussion that followed the fashion show, which
was mainly based on the work of a very well-known Russian designer, Vyacheslav Zaytsev.
Dibrov
pointed out that this type of clothing is more national in nature than
religiously orthodox and should also be acceptable to Jews, Muslims and
Buddhists.
The designer, however, thinks that it is too soon to launch
this type of program on a large scale.
«The
public is not ready yet. People have just become free after a long
period of personal violence during the Soviet regime and they want to
express their individuality through the way they dress».
Chaplin,
on the other hand, hopes that “orthodox” dress will start making its
appearance at fashion shows and he is receptive to the idea of opening
orthodox boutiques to publicize the concept.