( CNN ) -- Lacy underwear has effectively been `` banned '' by new regulations in Russia , Belarus and Kazakhstan , opponents say . But the issue is not one of modesty . A customs union made up of the three post-Soviet countries introduced a regulation , which requires clothing in contact with skin to contain at least 6 % of cotton , for safety reasons . From July , underwear that does not meet this requirement will not be available in stores in the economic area . Production and import of these will also stop . The regulations say this is designed to protect consumers against synthetic garments which do n't absorb enough moisture . That could cause skin problems . However , most luxury lingerie is made of materials with less than 4 % cotton -- and will not be allowed . Despite its supposed health benefit , the regulation has been badly received in Kazakhstan . Several Kazakh women were reportedly detained by the police in Almaty after protesting against the ban . Scores of women have posted pictures of themselves in lacy underwear on social networks and compared the photos to images of Soviet-era style brown , shapeless underwear . `` Producers have known about the regulations for about 10 years , '' the customs union 's regulation minister Valery Koreshkov said in a publicly released statement , adding the news should not be a surprise . The union 's regulation Ð¢R Ð¡U 017/2011 was passed by the lawmakers in 2011 , but will only come into effect this July . Other undergarments and linens are also affected . But the reaction is putting union officials under pressure from textile producers and shoppers . In the same statement , Koreshkov said the union had already received several amendment proposals . Technical regulations are `` not a dogma '' and can change , the statement said . `` These proposals should be considered by all the experts . '' The customs union of the three counties was formed in 2010 , and is moving towards a full European Union -style trade union . The Eurasian Customs Union is set to be formalized in 2015 and expected to expand to other countries in the region .
Post-Soviet customs union `` bans '' undergarments that contain less then 6 % cotton . Comment: Several Kazakh women were detained by the police after protesting against the ban .