Olga Nikolaevna Yakhno,
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Institute of History and Archaeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Yekaterinburg Resident’s Costume at the Turn of 19th−20th Century: Style Features and Innovations
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2025-5-5
The article considers the peculiarities of the evolution of city dwellers’ clothing at the turn of the 20th century, using Yekaterinburg as a case study. Based on an analysis of various sources, including press materials, museum and private collections, police reports, advertisements and clothing manufacturers’ and sellers’ catalogues, it is concluded that this process was part of significant changes in the economic, social and cultural spheres. The entire way of everyday life was changing, as reflected in the clothing of the townspeople. A universal urban costume became widespread. Its appearance clearly indicated the weakening of class barriers within the urban community. Some sources of change in urban clothing are also considered. Technical progress, for example, significantly reduced the cost of clothing production, making the costume affordable for most residents. The growing popularity of active recreation, sports, and trips to country houses and resorts led to increased demand for suitable clothing and other related goods. Even the most avant-garde innovations in clothing style, structure and design were eventually simplified and incorporated into the universal urban costume. Of course, some inhabitants remained committed to traditional styles of dress. This reflected differences in income, social status and value orientations of different urban strata rather than individual preferences. Another important feature was the incorporation of various cultural elements into the clothing of townspeople. Therefore, judging by the clothing, the urban community’s transition to a bourgeois way of life was certainly not yet complete.
Publishing: 28/10/2025
The article has been received by the editor on 20/07/2025
How to cite: Yakhno O.N. Yekaterinburg Resident’s Costume at the Turn of 19th−20th Century: Style Features and Innovations // Historical Courier, 2025, No. 5 (43), pp. 46–59. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2025/ISTKURIER-2025-5-05.pdf]
Links: Issue 5 2025
Keywords: urban lifestyle; costume; fashion; historical source