Never actually having been to Russia, only to Ukraine and Moldova (and Latvia) its been my experience that guys who dress like typical American guys are labeled "from the village". Its a derogatory term used to describe people who don't know any better.
My lady told me that she would refuse to go anywhere with me if I wore white athletic shoes and jeans.
One paticular incident - we bought a buttom up, collared type shirt for me, and on taking it out of the package and putting it on, she noticed some creases that came "from the factory". It was simply because of the way it was folded for packaging. She insisted that we couldn't go out that way and the shirt had to be ironed. I insisted that the wrinkles would fall out with wear but she would have none of it.
She went downstairs to the desk of the hotel and requested an iron. Not only did they have that, but there was a special room on the third floor set up with two ironing boards, JUST for guests to do their ironing! (These people take ironing VERY SERIOUSLY.)
Well, as luck would have it, it was a "silk" shirt and she didn't read that on the label before ironing it. So she burned several huge holes in it. Good thing we went through that trouble rather than having me wear it wrinkled.
(And good thing she doesn't know about this forum or i would be in big trouble for TELLING this story.)
Love them ladies from Mariupol. Wow and it's still the same here now in the states. She hasn't gotten used to wash and wear clothes, everything still gets ironed. When she first came here, it was out with those holey jeans and work shirts, well we negotiated about these clothes. Really funny how meticulous they are about dress. She has clothes that are 5 years old and they all look brand new. Amazing the care they take with their things. Kind of what my parents tried to drive in my head as a youth. I can relate, my parents were depression era kids, and the former Soviet Union pretty much instilled that type economy for years, so their items were precious to them because they didn't have much.
It amazes her when I work on our vehicles or motorcycles that I can get in my truck and go to the autoparts store and not change into something else before I go into public. She says she doesn't care, but she won't go with me when I look like that, it's an absolute hoot!!!
I tend to dress up when I'm in Russia... Blue sport jacket with coordinating polyester t-shirt and dress pants works for most semi casual events. I always take a full suit (dark), white shirt and solid red or blue tie for the dressy events. The women always remark how well dressed I look or they say… I look like a businessman. Stay away from the jeans... they look out of place as most men there dress nicer.