[caaron]

I know there are certain inappropriate things to wear in country but does anybody know about capris or open toe sandals (not flip flops)?
Any fashion faux pas would be appreciated. Mens fashion as well.

[Amysue1112]

I would suggest to stick with pants. We were in Russia April, May and June and I don't think I saw any capris in Moscow or in our region. As far as shoes, I wore slip on close-toed shoes (like clogs) ..they were great for travelling and in airport security and didn't stand out (they were black). THe nice thing is they could be casual or look dressy enough for court (mine were Merrill brand that are good for arch problems) I would try to find something like that, very versatile and something that won't weigh down your bag. Some cheapo flip flops are a good idea though..our in region hotels had pretty icky bathroom floors.

You will see everthing there though...we saw soo many spiked green or red boots..,WOW they looked funny in the Atlanta!

Congrats on such an exciting time!

[papedge]

Caaron my region is Samara and I did not see any Capri's I was there in the winter. I am interested in the answers you get because it will be HOT when I get back over there...

[Katie63011]

My region was Saratov, but I was there two different summers and wore dressy capris and sandals to go out to dinner and wander around town(meaning not flip flops or more casual sandals). I wore a lot of summer skirts to the orphanage but keep in mind that you will be probably on the floor playing with you kiddos! Also, you may be required to take your shoes off at the orphanage so bring some socks to weare or those plastic booties to put over your shoes.

Depending on what the weather may be, during our 10 day wait, we even wore jeans to the orphanage and it was fine. I would definitely be dressier for your first trip though. You will be visiting the MOE as well as the orphanage, so first impressions are important.

My husband wore khakis and a golf shirt and then during our 10 day wait, jeans and a casual shirt to the orphanage.

Katie

[TweetyMom04]

Originally Posted by caaron

I know there are certain inappropriate things to wear in country but does anybody know about capris or open toe sandals (not flip flops)?
Any fashion faux pas would be appreciated. Mens fashion as well.

I know someone that traveled in the warm months. To 'blend in' she wore long pants, dark in color. 'Polo' type shirts, short sleeve, no loud colors, neutral tones. As for shoes, 'dock-side' type, dark socks. There is no A.C. in Russia and can get very hot.

[doozer22boys]

We were in Russia at this time last year and it was really hot! I didn't bring any capris but wore shorts quite a bit (during the 10 day waiting period). I wore slip on sandals every day with an open toe. Your post brings back so many good memories for me...I really miss our region. Have a wonderful time!

[votemom]

i wore clogs too. easy on and off in the airports, on the planes, and in russian buildings where you have to remove your shoes.

[beckyww]

It's smart to make sure everything you bring goes together. Leave the one-off pieces of clothing at home.

I wore pants, dresses skirts in May and felt fine in all of them.

Becky
The Woodworth Family in Beautiful San Antonio TX

[Katie63011]

I never saw any women in shorts, I wouldn't wear them except for in the hotel for hanging out. Just my personal opinion!

[thmc1215]

Our 1st trip was in late May and I only took capri pants and birkenstocks. I probably did stand out, but I was comfortable. You will most likely be in the floor playing a lot - so be comfortable. I did take a light blazer-jacket to wear in the morning and evenings when it was chilly - and pack a pair of socks just in case!

[dlhall]

In 2002, we traveled to Orenburg in June and July. I wore capris, skirts, sleeveless shirts (not tank tops) and sandles. I never saw any adults wearing shorts (unless they were American!). It was HOT where we were at and there was no AC. We did have AC in Moscow though.

Liz

[angelkisses0102]

We were in Tomsk and Moscow in July 2002...no shorts or sandals for us...mainly just jeans and short sleeve shirts. Jeans were worn by everyone in Tomsk...

[cathvash]

Caaron - If you are in an urban area, you can wear pretty much anything. I did NOT see shorts, but did see capri pants. I saw lots of jeans everywhere, though very few khaki-colored slacks. I left my tennies at home, and boy did I regret it, because I did see a few women wearing them, though they are not at all popular. Open toed shoes were everywhere, so no worries (I would not wear them to court). Sandals are fine as long as they are "feminine"- No clunky shoes or "earthy" sandals for these elegant ladies!

[ddahl]

I was traveling with the only man on the continent wearing shorts for trip one.... and I quote DH " I want to be comfortable".... He did wear dress pants and shirt to the baby home on the first meeting....flash forward to trip two and he was in a nice dress shirt and and slacks with biz casual loafers every day. Even he realized it was a huge miss!

The women are some of the most beautiful you will see and its amazing to see them navigate the streets in high heels! Kudos to these gals.
Moral of the story, Americans stand out in the crowd because we are far to casual in everything. I stuck with lots of black and all interchangeable. We were exhausted on trip one so we did not run around too much. Comfy shoes and get a PEDI if you are having your toes show :-).

Good luck!

[his,mine&ours]

Cindy - I didn't read all the replies, so sorry if it is a repeat. We just returned Friday from 8 days in Moscow/Smolensk. Wear whatever you want. Unless you are trying to fit in with the 20-something chic, or your region is vastly different, you won't stand out. We packed as advised - dark pants, heels, etc. I ended up wearing my jeans and tennis shoes every day. Yes, there were some fashionistas that stand out, but if you really look around, most people are in jeans, sandals, tennis shoes.

I was mistaken for Russian several times. They gave my husband an English menu and me a Russian one more than once. So, even in jeans and tennis shoes I didn't stand out too much.

I know my advice might be opposite of others, but for our court trip I am taking my suit, my husband is taking his and the rest will be jeans, shorts, capris. They will, of course, be nice and neat - but I'm going to be comfortable!!

I haven't had time to download all of our pics yet, but here are a couple of crowd shots and one of how we dressed most days.