Post by FWS on Nov 28, 2008 9:27:02 GMT -6
And with any luck Russian consumers will respond by buying a new fur garment. 
Winter warmers
27/11/2008 | Moscow News
It might be a bit late, but the Moscow winter has begun to bite at last. Stepping out of the metro into a sub-zero street last week came as a bit of a shock, and left me thinking about upgrading my wardrobe in time for the icy onslaught ahead. Even a ‘warming' shot of vodka isn't going to be enough - it's time for a new coat.
In Russia, that tends to mean fur. It's not that animal rights don't matter here, it's just that the taboos applied in the west have largely passed this country by. "In the winter here it's too cold to wear anything else, manmade fabrics aren't warm enough," friends from Komi to the Caucauses have told me. At the top end of the market, a luxurious real fur coat from a designer boutique on Ulitsa Kuznetsky Most or Stoleshnikov Pereulok will come with an eye-watering price tag. In the hallowed portals of TsUM, a ladies fur jacket from Lanvin will set you back 447,000r, while a Gucci man's leather coat costs 161,500r.
On the one hand, with few investments looking safe at the moment, this could be the moment to spend the kids' inheritance before it's rendered worthless by the credit crunch. But if you favor a more cautious approach, there are alternatives. Mid-range fur stores, like Snezhnaya Koroleva ("Snow Queen," several branches) or Kerimoff (near Kievsky Vokzal) are more competitively priced, with suitable gear starting around 40,000r.
Then there are the markets - rynki - found in nearly half the metro stations around town. Cherkhizovsky is perhaps the most famous, while Sportivnaya's open-air assortment of all kinds of clothing has a high-intensity charm, even if it usually starts closing down at lunch time. Another rich hunting ground can be found just of Leningradskoye Shosse, between Dynamo and Aeroport metro stations where several large trading centers have a wide range of clothes on sale. Prices here are more negotiable - good Russian and a good haggling technique are both invaluable.
What to buy - меха (mekha) = fur, usually in the form of a шуба (shuba, fur coat). Different types include норка (norka, mink), овчина (ovchina, sheepskin) лиса (lisa, fox), соболь (sobol, sable) and рысь (rys, lynx). These skins appear in coats, hats, stoles, throws and similar accessories.
The ever-durable дублёнка (dublyonka), or sheepskin coat, usually comes with a luxurious fur-lined collar. A popular, cheaper choice than fur. These are made for men and women.
Leather, кожа (kozha), is also popular, especially for men's winter coats.
Warm and waterproof footwear is also a must. From fashionable fur-trimmed boots to sturdy steel-toed workwear, the key features are a warm lining and water-resistance. Good grip on the soles is useful too. The key vocab: cапоги (sapogi, no laces, high boots); ботинки (botinki, any laced boot); валенки (valenki, felt boots, rarely seen in cities) and унты (unti, probably the warmest available, with felt soles and dog fur, sold in army specialty stores)
Russia is renowned for its headgear, and while the ear-flapped army hats might mark you out as a tourist there are plenty of other options. The quintessential fur crown is known as a шапка (shapka), which can refer to any type of hat. Other versions include the peaked кепка (kepi) and the ушанка (ushanka), with earflaps. The шляпа (shlyapa) is usually a hat with a brim.
Last but not least, thermal underwear (термобельe - termobelyo) is also handy - if not exactly flattering.
Winter warmers
27/11/2008 | Moscow News
It might be a bit late, but the Moscow winter has begun to bite at last. Stepping out of the metro into a sub-zero street last week came as a bit of a shock, and left me thinking about upgrading my wardrobe in time for the icy onslaught ahead. Even a ‘warming' shot of vodka isn't going to be enough - it's time for a new coat.
In Russia, that tends to mean fur. It's not that animal rights don't matter here, it's just that the taboos applied in the west have largely passed this country by. "In the winter here it's too cold to wear anything else, manmade fabrics aren't warm enough," friends from Komi to the Caucauses have told me. At the top end of the market, a luxurious real fur coat from a designer boutique on Ulitsa Kuznetsky Most or Stoleshnikov Pereulok will come with an eye-watering price tag. In the hallowed portals of TsUM, a ladies fur jacket from Lanvin will set you back 447,000r, while a Gucci man's leather coat costs 161,500r.
On the one hand, with few investments looking safe at the moment, this could be the moment to spend the kids' inheritance before it's rendered worthless by the credit crunch. But if you favor a more cautious approach, there are alternatives. Mid-range fur stores, like Snezhnaya Koroleva ("Snow Queen," several branches) or Kerimoff (near Kievsky Vokzal) are more competitively priced, with suitable gear starting around 40,000r.
Then there are the markets - rynki - found in nearly half the metro stations around town. Cherkhizovsky is perhaps the most famous, while Sportivnaya's open-air assortment of all kinds of clothing has a high-intensity charm, even if it usually starts closing down at lunch time. Another rich hunting ground can be found just of Leningradskoye Shosse, between Dynamo and Aeroport metro stations where several large trading centers have a wide range of clothes on sale. Prices here are more negotiable - good Russian and a good haggling technique are both invaluable.
What to buy - меха (mekha) = fur, usually in the form of a шуба (shuba, fur coat). Different types include норка (norka, mink), овчина (ovchina, sheepskin) лиса (lisa, fox), соболь (sobol, sable) and рысь (rys, lynx). These skins appear in coats, hats, stoles, throws and similar accessories.
The ever-durable дублёнка (dublyonka), or sheepskin coat, usually comes with a luxurious fur-lined collar. A popular, cheaper choice than fur. These are made for men and women.
Leather, кожа (kozha), is also popular, especially for men's winter coats.
Warm and waterproof footwear is also a must. From fashionable fur-trimmed boots to sturdy steel-toed workwear, the key features are a warm lining and water-resistance. Good grip on the soles is useful too. The key vocab: cапоги (sapogi, no laces, high boots); ботинки (botinki, any laced boot); валенки (valenki, felt boots, rarely seen in cities) and унты (unti, probably the warmest available, with felt soles and dog fur, sold in army specialty stores)
Russia is renowned for its headgear, and while the ear-flapped army hats might mark you out as a tourist there are plenty of other options. The quintessential fur crown is known as a шапка (shapka), which can refer to any type of hat. Other versions include the peaked кепка (kepi) and the ушанка (ushanka), with earflaps. The шляпа (shlyapa) is usually a hat with a brim.
Last but not least, thermal underwear (термобельe - termobelyo) is also handy - if not exactly flattering.
