Pre-revolutionary researchers of ancient Russian miniatures and frescoes usually drew direct analogues between princely garments and Byzantine fashion of 10-11th cent. They named the loose clothes of ancient Russian noble women xitonami (chitons), the belted dresses - dalmatikami (dalmaticas), raspashnyye (chasubles) - mantiyami (mantles). Of course, the acceptance of the orthodox form of Christianity by the Rus could have substantially influenced the widened cultural contacts of Rus and Byzantium and, consequently, contributed to imitation of several elements of costume. But ancient Russian costume, including that of the ruling class, was not borrowed. (Pushkareva89)

The portrayal of the mother of Yaropolk Izyaslavich in the Trirskoj Psalter corresponded to portrayals of high-ranking clothes of Byzantine courts, but fresco painting, princely miniatures, and ornaments followed well-known canons. Archeological materials, allow one to judge not about elements of costume, but about the costume as a whole, but have preserved extremely little. But what has lasted until us, shows that the costume of ancient Russian women in 10-11th cent showed not so much a coming together of Rus with Byzantium, but changes of several traditional forms, already existing among eastern slavs: over(?)garment (sorocheki and t.p.), raspashnyx/shirt? (xalatov/oriental robe, kurtok/jacket, and t.p.) and drapiruyushchix/drapes (cloaks). In frescos, the "cannonized" garments of princesses have only turned down collars (influence of Byzantine tradition). But among material remains of women's clothing of 12th cent. frequently are found a different type of ancient Russian collar - standing. In addition, examples of embroidery have survived that allow us to pay attention to traditions of certain designs. The motifs are noticeably different from the usual Byzantine ornament. 

Folklore indicates that the Russian ideal of beauty was tall, stately, serene, fluid in movement "as though sailing" or "like a swan" - a woman was supposed to hold her head up proudly but cast her eyes down modestly - unless she was a noblewoman. 

Thinness and pallor were signs of illness, mean behavior, bad habits or depravity. The similarity between blednost (pallor) and bliadstvo (harlotry) was noted in ecclesiastical texts. So, in contrast, Russian women wished to have bright red cheeks "like the color of poppies", white skin "like white snow", clear lustrous eyes "like a falcon", and black eyebrows "like a sable's tail". 

The costume of ancient Russian peasants in 10-15th cent. was based on the ankle-length rubakha (sorochka) and "nabedrennoe" clothing (poneva). An obligatory part of women's peasant garment was the belt.  The richer a village inhabitant was, the more prominent were all kinds of ornament, the higher the quality of their manufacture, and the more expensive the utilized materials, especially for holidays. 

The most conspicuous part of costume of peasant women of the pre-Mongol period was the headdress (venets for maidens and kika for married women), and also its ornaments - temple rings, whose form could be used to identify the origin of its owner. 

Peasants wore earrings, beads, priveski, copper bracelets and perstni (ring with stone) and lapti on their feet. 

The composition of the costume of ancient Russian city dwellers was more complicated and included greater number of items. Over a long sorochka/rubakha they wore one or several gowns of straight or widening cut and a "short sleeved" (raspashnoe) garment. The number of garments depended on the season and material circumstances of the family. 

The outer dress was made shorter than the lower garment and had wider sleeves. The lap and cuffs of the lower garment always were visible, forming a stepped silhouette. As in the costume of peasants, a belt was added. 

The headdress of city dwellers of all classes (koruny for maidens and kiki with povoyami for married women) in form had much in common with peasants, which were determined by its origin from rural, however decorating was complex, intricate. Kolty on ryasnakh ("duckweed" chains) served long as ornaments of headdresses of city dwellers, while the necks of city dwellers were surrounded by metal grivny and necklaces of beads. Boyarinas and princesses wore over sleeves at wrist and forearm massive folding bracelets; city dwellers a bit more poor were content with different-colored glass. 

In distinction from peasants - city dwellers and the representatives of the ruling class were "all in boots". The leather shoes of the 10-13th cent. - porshni, soft shoes, "half boots" and boots without heel and stiff base - were cut simply and crudely, but then brightly colored. (Pushkareva89) In the garb of noble city dwellers, princesses and boyarinas were used expensive, most often imported, fabrics. Of velvety aksamite were sewn "short sleeved" (raspashnye) clothes of a type of dress with a clasp on the right shoulder - part of the holiday clothes of princesses. 

Aristocratic ceremonial clothing also demonstrated wealth with multicolored cloth, silver and gold embroidery and expensive furs. One princess owned a red coat lined with fox fur when a single fox pelt worth was more than a silver ruble - a year's pay for a peasant.