Could this have been some perverse joke of the Soviet educational system on its unassuming young women? One cannot help but notice the unmistakable resemblance of the Soviet schoolgirl uniform, developed in the 1920s, to the iconic French maid costume. Observe: a brown wool dress, accessorized with a lacy white pinafore over the chest, white tights and a cartoonishly large chiffon bow. And we thought Catholic schoolgirls had it rough.