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Arkhipova M.N., Kuptsova A.N. The formation of a new image of Russian women in the 1990s on the pages of popular magazines: clothing as a mirror of change. Journal of Clothing Science. 2025; 10(4). Available at: https://kostumologiya.ru/PDF/12IVKL425.pdf (in Russian).

The formation of a new image of Russian women in the 1990s on the pages of popular magazines: clothing as a mirror of change

Arkhipova Maryana Nikolaevna
Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Moscow, Russia
The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow, Russia
E-mail: marta_ko@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3332-1292
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=641783

Kuptsova Alina Nikolaevna
Moscow, Russia
E-mail: kuptsova.allina@yandex.ru

Abstract. This article analyzes changes in the visual image of Russian women in the 1990s. The primary sources were the women’s magazines popular in the post-Perestroika era, such as Cosmopolitan, Liza, and Rabotnitsa. In-depth anthropological interviews were also conducted with women who came of age in the 1990s and served as the target audience for these magazines. The study, for the first time, analyzed the visual images and clothing presented in the magazines. Furthermore, the authors compared this material with the respondents’ responses to identify correlations or discrepancies between the positioning of women’s wardrobe and what actually occurred in practice. The study revealed a clear contradiction between the magazine image of women’s wardrobe and how it was perceived and implemented by women in the 1990s. Magazines shaped particular notions of beauty and body image, maintaining a dependence on expert opinion, which was often guided by Western standards. However, economic instability and cultural traditions hindered full adherence to these standards. Respondents valued neatness and cleanliness above all else, reflecting Soviet notions of beauty. The study revealed that women adapted new behavior patterns to their experiences and culture, not fully embracing magazine images and advice. The results of this scientific study are important for sociocultural projects in Russia, emphasizing the need to consider the balance between internal values and external images.

Keywords: fashion; post-Soviet Russia; women’s magazines; women’s clothing; everyday practices; beauty; visual image

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