Ex-leader mocks new Ukrainian dress code

Ukraine's glamorous former prime minister dismissed the government's new dress code as "laughable" yesterday.

Yulia Tymoshenko, known for wearing lacy dresses and stilettos, said the dress code would prevent the Queen of England from entering cabinet premises. "The Queen of England and (Libya's leader Muammar) Gaddafi, for instance, for sure would not have been allowed in the Cabinet," Tymoshenko, who is now a top opposition leader, quipped at a news conference.

The code adopted this week calls on men working at the cabinet of ministers to wear mostly grey and dark blue suits and not wear the same suit at work two days in a row. Women are asked to stick to business suits and low-heeled shoes, and refrain from excessive make-up and jewellery.

Ms Tymoshenko's stylish outfits and traditional Ukrainian braid have earned her a reputation as a glamour and fashion icon, but also angered some Ukrainians as too luxurious at a time when the country is battered by a severe economic crisis.

Some observers noted that a dress code was overdue for government offices in Ukraine, where women often wear tight, low-cut dresses to work while men are often seen in the same outfit for days in a row.

But Anna German, an aide to President Viktor Yanukovych disagreed. "A dress code looks archaic," Ms German told Interfax news agency. "I look at it with irony."