The Stylish Fox: About Russia The Homeland

Could you imagine buying high quality hosiery from the corner store? Apparently, Alisa, of The Stylish Fox, can. Read the remainder of the blog entry to find out a bit about her background. I found it truly fascinating. I did not expect it to be very different from ours. Be sure to check out the other interview questions, by clicking interviews, which can also be found in the right column, under Popular Topics.

Tell us a bit about Russia. What was life like?

This is a question I wasn’t expecting! I’m still learning about differences myself, but here are some of them: Apartments in Russia are very small, and very few people can afford to own a house. In fact, owning even a small apartment is a great accomplishment.

There is public transport everywhere, so people don’t have to own a car or have a driver’s license – you can get anywhere on a bus or train. In fact, I still don’t know how to drive, but I hope I will learn this year.

There is always a chance you will find a grocery store within a walking distance – you don’t have to drive to buy food. This is why you don’t have to have a huge fridge.  And even if you wanted to, you wouldn’t be able to fit one in your tiny kitchen.

Women wear high heels all the time, even in dirt or on ice.  And yes, you need a lot of hosiery to wear with those heels. You can buy high-quality hosiery even in a little grocery store. There is usually a separate stand for it where you can grab a pair or two to wear next week. It is like buying milk.

Your site contains Italian hosiery. Does Russia make hosiery? If so, then why do you not sell them in your web site? If not, then why does Russia not do it?

This is a good question, and I considered importing from Russia. There are a couple of good hosiery brands in Russia, but they manufacture in Italy. Shipping and customs charges are too high and I don't think it would be cost-effective to import from there. Plus, there is a language barrier - they would have to prepare customs documents in English, and they don't have an experience exporting to the US. In fact, I never heard back from one of these companies when I wrote them asking about their export terms and conditions, so I concluded that they aren't interested in doing business with us.