Habit of a Russian Lady at Archangel in 1768

by Thomas Jefferys

The picture shows a "Russian Lady at Archangel" who wears elaborate clothing. The importance of this city as a major seaport explains the splendor of the outfit worn.

The Russian lady is dressed in a sarafan which is a wide jumper-style dress with gold embroidered decorations and a series of decorative buttons running down its length. Her dress is complemented by a kokoshnik which, as mentioned above, was a traditional headwear among Russian women. In this particular area, kokoshniks were decorated with gold threads and pearls gathered from rivers. To complete the outfit, she is wearing an elaborately decorated cloak made from fur.