Everything about a person should be beautiful - both appearance and appearance. Beautiful clothes, a tastefully chosen outfit, a complete image - at all times remained the passion of almost all women and many men.
The historical period of the USSR was no exception: despite the harsh post-revolutionary regime and shortages, fashion lived on in the Soviet Union.
It is known that the period of existence of the Soviet Union was quite long, and, consequently, the formation of fashion in the Soviet period was quite diverse. Let's get acquainted with the main criteria and differences of Soviet fashion step by step.
After the revolution of 17, beautiful clothes were considered “the ghost of the bourgeois regime,” and if a woman allowed herself to look stylish, she was immediately labeled a parasite. At that time, there was one fashion designer for the entire Union - Nadezhda Lamanova, who worked exclusively for the Communist Party elite.
War times changed the priorities of the Soviet people, and in the 40s fashion temporarily “dies.”
The 50s were remembered for the appearance of dudes who drew ideas for creating their image from abroad and shocked the public with their originality. At this time, an increasing number of designers appeared, and the first fashion shows were organized.
The most famous Soviet designers in the 60s were Valentin Zaitsev and Alexander Igmand. In the 70s, imported items appeared for the first time, which provided more opportunities. Such coveted and unattainable jeans came into Soviet fashion in the 70s.
The 80-90s completely opened the door to the world of fashion for Soviet people; now being stylish was considered important. Leather jackets, short tops, denim jackets, acid colors, short disco-style skirts, voluminous chunky knit sweaters, “boiled” jeans, banana pants will forever remain in our hearts and memories.
 |
 |
|
 |
Quite a lot has been written about women's fashion of the 50s (including women's fashion of the 50s in the USSR). But not so much and not so often is written about men's fashion. Perhaps because in the 50s, men's fashion did not change as dramatically as women's. And yet, men's fashion of the 50s is worthy of attention, like any fashion that has its own history.
In this post I will not consider how dudes dressed - this is a separate subculture. I will simply describe how ordinary men dressed in the 50s in the USSR.
Military uniform.Although five years have passed since the end of the Great Patriotic War, many people dressed in military uniforms were encountered on the streets of cities. Overcoats, tunics with ragged shoulder straps, hats, caps, riding breeches, and boots were found in the street crowd quite often until the mid-50s. Due to the shortage of fabrics and clothing, men had to wear army uniforms in peacetime.
Cloth.
Men wore double-breasted and single-breasted suits of a semi-fitting classic shape, wide trousers (width 30-35 cm) with pleats at the waist and cuffs at the bottom, made of plain or striped fabric. The suit was complemented by ties, usually striped.
Shirts were worn mostly white, but also checkered or striped.
Caps were very common; they were worn with suits, raincoats, and winter coats. A little later, hats with brims began to come into use; over time, they became a necessary addition to the wardrobe of every elegant Soviet man. And then the fashion of walking without a headdress arose. In winter, many wore fur hats made of astrakhan fur and tsigeika.
Coats were worn as outerwear. They were made of thick drape, cloth with large roomy pockets, a large collar and were insulated with cotton wool, so the coats were very heavy.
Men's underwear of the 1950s included white long johns, T-shirts, and family briefs.
T-shirts were ubiquitous and for all ages. Mostly the T-shirts were bluish-faded or white. 
And the panties were black. A little less often - from blue satin.A little later, such underpants will be called “family” underpants. In the official invoices they were called “simplified smooth panties.” There was a Soviet standard for family panties: length from the waist 48-50 cm, width of the leg at the bottom - 65 cm.
Melt they were, but not everyone had them, so men also wore family shorts to the beach.
Sock braces were an essential item in a man's wardrobe in the 50s. This was the only means of supporting sock on foot and preventing him from sliding down(the correct name is men's lift). IN At that time, in the USSR, socks were still produced without elastic bands. P problem with sliding and sock ami decided sock braces. They were a wide elastic band that was fastened under the knee. Cover this elastic band e danced another rubber band with clamp , to which the sock was attached.
Only in the late 1950s did the male silhouette gradually lose its heavy and massive shape, the shoulder line of jackets became more sloping, many wore short, slightly fitted jackets with wide trousers, and the waistline of the trousers of the 1950s was emphatically high. Fashion includes short coats, raincoats with belts, tracksuits consisting of leggings trimmed with wide elastic bands at the waist and ankles and sweaters, fitted sports jackets with a yoke on the back and a strap. Under the jacket, in the style of the 1940s, many wore knitted sleeveless vests, plain or with an ornamental pattern. In the mid 1950s The first nylon shirts appeared in the country and became super popular.
Fashionistas tried to buy boots with grooved rubber soles. A very common item in the youth men's wardrobe were jackets with a contrasting yoke and several pockets, which since the 1940s were popularly called “hooligans”; in addition, in Leningrad they were called “Muscovites”, and in Moscow “Leningradkas”. They were also called “beans”. Such shortened jackets with a zipper on the chest were produced by Soviet sewing workers in several versions, and those who did not get the finished product wore improvisations, sewn at home from old things. Particularly chic were short, sports-cut jackets with a zipper and patch pockets on the chest.
The clothes were worn for a long time. The trousers were mended as long as possible.Clothes made from expensive (relatively) fabrics - suits, coats - were re-faced(i.e. the inside of the thing became the front side), etc How did we get an almost new thing?. Shirts were often passed on to the younger members of the family. ye.
Shoes. Summer men wore sandals on bare feet or dudes. They also (rarely) wore canvas boots, light, summer ones. Such boots could be worn by someone who walked with a briefcase - a boss or an official (which, in fact, is the same thing).They also wore regular boots.
Here are the dudes.
Still worn canvas shoes. Shoes were rubbing s chalk, which is why they became white, “rich.”
And chrome boots. It was chic.In the most “chic” versionMove the deer's boots walked away down like an accordion. The “accordion” was often made with pliers, simply squeezing the skin along the lines of the diamonds, and then going through it with a mallet. These boots put on “on the way out” only. For work - tarpaulin or yawl, and chrome - for celebration and envy.
Chrome boots. 
Boots: vamp made of yuft leather, boot made of tarpaulin.
In winter, many men wore leggings. There are mittens, and there are also leggings - clothing for the legs. The shape is like felt boots, only more lungs. Each leg consists of two quilted (stitched) halves of the same shape and size of the leg. These blanks are like a double sandwich: thick fabric - cotton wool - lining fabric, inner. The halves are sewn together, turned inside out like a stocking - that’s it, put it on. There are no left or right ankles; there is no division into “male” and “female” either. The leggings were also called “b” at hands." And they always wore them with galoshes. They also wore felt boots.
By the way, about galoshes. Galoshes were worn on their own, like shoes, with leggings, with felt boots, and also put on shoes or boots so as not to stain them with dirt. When entering a room, they took off their galoshes and wore clean shoes.
Another type of footwear that was worn over shoes or boots in wet, dirty weather was boots.
1. men's boots with a buckle with a fabric upper and rubber lining
2. men's boots without fastenerwith fabric upper and rubber binding
The rest are for children and women.
The main difference between bots and galoshes was that bots were taller. The boots were made with a fabric upper and a rubber lining or were all rubber, black or colored.
And this version of winter shoes, which was made from white felt and leather, was also called burkas. They cost much more than felt boots. Such burqas could be afforded by the top party leadership, senior-level officials and generals.
Fashion turned out to be perhaps the only area where Soviet citizens were allowed to at least sometimes have a voice and express their opinions, which at times were even taken into account by the authorities. The Soviet style is a kind of dialogue between the authorities and civil society, similar to throwing a ball: first one side, then the other serves; the ball can be caught and sent back with a pass (it happened that the pass turned out to be a brutal blow) or missed, left unanswered. The history of fashion in the USSR fits into seven such rounds. In this war game, first one participant, then another, won, but the last word remained with civil society.
Down with shame!
Revolutions, as usual, are made by those who are stern in spirit, and Oktyabrskaya is no exception in this sense. Its creators forgot about the material side of life - this was also reflected in their style of dressing: the rebels did not invent any “revolutionary” fashion, but took from everyday life what it gave them. In Russia at the dawn of the twentieth century, this was a military uniform that came into use with the beginning of the First World War. The French jacket, tunic, overcoat, leather jackets and boots were functional and discreet, just matching the unpretentious tastes of the builders of a bright future. Any embellishment of clothing that was far from expedient was condemned as bourgeois excess. Thus, suits, bright ties, hats and lace were distributed. Of course, it was possible not to comply with the proletarian dress code, but this threatened to be classified as a bourgeois. There were also radicals who generally proposed to eradicate traditional clothing as a relic of the past. They organized the “Down with Shame!” society. and walked naked along the city streets, covered only with small red bands with the slogans: “Down with shame!”, “Down with bourgeois prejudices!”
No less radical, but more talented young Soviet artists proposed not to abandon clothing, but to make it fundamentally different. In the country of the victorious proletariat, it is necessary to create a new fashion, the models of which will be as modest and functional as the Bolshevik military, but at the same time embody the optimism of those who hope for the approach of a bright future. Thus, new fashion designers tried to offer a stylistic alternative to the dull tunics and gray jackets of the old Leninists.
The authorities had nothing against it, and a special art workshop was created at the First Calico Printing Factory. Later other artels appeared. The task of fashion designers was to create a new worker-peasant style. According to the plan, clothes should not be too tight, because the worker needs freedom of movement while working. And everything would have been fine if fashion designers had not become carried away by constructivism. At first, their geometrically tailored clothes, decorated with linear, geometric patterns, attracted the attention and interest of society. But not for long. As soon as the country recovered from the post-war devastation and the old factories resumed producing fabrics with classical designs, the demand for constructivists ceased. The authorities did not give a helping hand to young fashion designers. Gradually, their artels turned into ordinary ateliers, developing standard products for mass production. It is worth noting that interest in revolutionary experiments bypassed the wives of party functionaries and artists. The situation is paradoxical. For example, the most famous fashion designer of that time, Nadezhda Lamanova, enthusiastically experimented with constructivist fabrics at her workplace (in the Modern Costume Workshop), and at home she upholstered the Soviet elite in the traditions of old fashion, without innovation. In those years, it was very difficult to find good fabric, which the wives of party leaders had no idea about. So Lamanova had to sew from available materials: blankets, towels, curtains...
The authorities are ready to tolerate
The New Economic Policy, NEP, which replaced the policy of War Communism in 1921, again brought private enterprise back to the country. Along with foreign capital, Parisian fashion magazines also appeared, turning the heads of Soviet fashionistas. Models in the Charleston style came into use: straight-cut shirt dresses with a low waist at the hips. They were convenient for all fans of foreign style, since the cut hid the proportions of the figure. This was true for the NEP men, who were often unenviably overweight. Flirty bowler hats, coats, fur collars and muffs have also returned to fashion. The men once again put on tailcoats, carpet suits, felt boots and soft felt Borsalino hats. Of course, the majority of Soviet citizens could not even think of dressing so stylishly - only the Soviet bourgeoisie, who managed to open their own business and amass a small capital, could do it. French historian Georges Lefebvre, who visited Russia in the 1920s, wrote about ordinary Soviet citizens: “A crowd of tired-looking people in similar worn and identical clothes is seething around me. There are both women and men, young people and old people. All classes have been erased. At least in terms of their clothes.” Ordinary Soviet women then wore long straight skirts, headscarves and cloth shoes with a webbed strap, and men wore sweatshirts and blouses, caps, caps, canvas pants, boots or canvas shoes. It may seem strange that the party, which did not support the red constructivist artists in its time, tolerated bourgeois fashion for almost a decade. The fact was that young fashion designers in the eyes of the country's leaders looked only like romantics, soaring in idyllic fantasies. But the NEP was a serious matter. If the Bolsheviks had not backed down in 1921 and sanctioned a partial restoration of the old economic order, a new revolution might well have broken out in a country exhausted by the policies of War Communism. There was an urgent need to find a way to dialogue with society, and for this, the authorities could tolerate Parisian dresses on city streets.
Stalin's gift
NEP was abandoned by 1928. Now Soviet Russia was entering the era of the “great turning point.” It had to go through the crucible of industrialization and collectivization of agriculture. All the forces of the USSR were thrown into the implementation of these projects, and private capital, not subject to state control, lost its right to exist. Along with him, most fashion ateliers became a thing of the past, and those that remained fulfilled planned orders, producing a stream of roughly tailored coats, dresses and boots. The state again led ordinary citizens to severe asceticism. Any initiative was punishable and resulted in dramatic consequences: for example, in those years there was an organization called Soyuzkhlopkosbyt, whose artistic council was headed by Alexander Perelitsyn and Vera Munitsyna, perhaps the last representatives of Soviet constructivism in the textile industry. Not seeing any sedition in their actions, they produced fabrics with propaganda drawings: combines, threshers, smoking chimneys of factories, power lines... But on October 6, 1933, a feuilleton “Tractor in front, combine harvester in back” appeared in the Pravda newspaper. Its author, journalist Grigory Ryklin, wrote about the enterprise of Perelitsyn and Munitsina: “These are very “leftist” guys. They call any drawing artistic, but simple, without frills, counter-revolutionary... And everything that we carry with you... is all complete counter-revolution. A bunch of hacks and vulgarities, hiding behind pseudo-revolutionary phrases, stained matter... There were also sheep-like communists who obediently bleated, considering hooligan antics as innovation and a “step forward.” A kind of chintz platform was set up here, where people alien to us had the opportunity to speak, profaning and vulgarizing our socialist construction.” The further fate of Perelitsyn and Munitsyna is unknown...
For several years, the Soviet government was busy building giant factories and destroying the wealthy peasantry. By 1935, everything was completed, and the country's leadership decided to reward its citizens. “Life has become better, life has become more fun” - this phrase, uttered by Stalin on November 17, 1935 at the All-Union Conference of Workers and Workers, became the slogan of that time. Cafes and restaurants reopened, good wine and sweets, caviar, white and red fish appeared in stores, and mass production of cosmetics and perfumes began. And of course, many new studios have opened. But it was impossible to get fashion magazines. It was assumed that now Soviet fashion would be able to develop independently, without looking back to the West. However, society's response to the freedom provided did not coincide with the plans of the leadership. Soviet women began to become involved in world fashion through American films, which were then often shown in cinemas. Anne Harding (“Devotion”), Mildred Harris (“Cool Guy”), Rita Hayworth (“Only Angels Have Wings”) shone on the screen. Even the first Soviet film, pop and ballet stars imitated them: Lyubov Orlova, Klavdiya Shulzhenko, Galina Ulanova. Thus, dresses cut on the bias, with a high waistline, puffed sleeves and small turn-down collars began to come into fashion. A little later, the sports style gained popularity. Soviet people had to develop their bodies in order to defend their fatherland, surrounded by enemies. The shoulder line of a women's suit expanded, patch pockets, large turn-down collars, high-waisted skirts with vertical pleats came into fashion. Wide trousers with very loose jackets, blouses, sports jerseys and canvas shoes were popular among men. A certain combined Soviet style was being formed - partly borrowed, partly independent. It is unknown whether the authorities would have interfered in this spontaneously ongoing process, but the war began, which stopped the evolution of the Soviet costume for four years.
First protest
In 1941-1945 there was no time for outfits. But after the victory, Soviet women quickly forgot the gray everyday life of war. The time had come for the so-called trophy fashion, when citizens of the USSR wore clothes brought from Europe in soldiers' duffel bags. However, this period was short-lived, and after the start of the Cold War, domestic fashion designers again began work on creating an independent Soviet style. The task was political: the USSR could not lose face in front of the West. Now a streamlined silhouette has come into fashion: a dress below the knees with a high waist and padded shoulders. Men dressed in dark-colored double-breasted suits with wide trousers. Gabardine coats and wide-brimmed hats were popular. In the West, they laughed at the way the builders of communism dressed, noting that, no matter how good the products of Soviet light industry, they become terribly boring, since they are put into production and continue to be churned out for several years. However, most citizens of the USSR were quite happy with what the planned economy offered them.
At the same time, in Soviet society, youth ceased to be just an age group, but turned into a new social community. This was a fast-moving process due to the improvement in the quality of life in the USSR. Now in some families, after graduating from school, children did not go to work in order to replenish the family budget, but began to enter college. Thus, a community of young people with a relatively broad outlook arose, actively communicating with each other. It was in this environment that lovers of a beautiful life (hipsters) appeared - the first who dared to express with their appearance a protest against the leveling influence of Soviet fashion, and, in fact, the entire Soviet government.
From the gray mass of Soviet citizens, dudes distinguished themselves with flashy clothes, as if declaring: away with averageness, to hell with modesty, simplicity and a sense of proportion! Thus, individualism came into conflict with the state’s emphasis on asceticism and inexpressiveness. In the late 1940s, the look of a dude (styling was predominantly a men's fashion) was defined by wide, bright trousers, a baggy jacket, a wide-brimmed hat, bright socks and a “jungle fire” tie with images of palm trees, monkeys or butterflies. A few years later, the dudes changed their fashion: now they wore pipe trousers, a loose checkered jacket with wide shoulders, a narrow tie and an umbrella-cane. Bright shoes with “semolina porridge” - a rubber platform that craftsmen fused onto a regular sole - were considered especially chic. The dudes' head was adorned with long hair with a high greased crown above the forehead and long sideburns on the cheeks - opposition to the usual boxing and half-boxing. Soviet fashionistas either bought their foreign outfits from black marketeers or ordered them from private dressmakers, reproducing the models they had seen in foreign films (“Tarzan”, “Sun Valley Serenade” or “The Girl of My Dreams”). Soviet society immediately rejected “those who kowtow to the West.” Patrols of vigilantes caught fashionably dressed young people, shaved off their hair, ripped open their tight trousers, tore out the shoulder pads from their jackets, and cut off their ties. Hipsters were bullied at meetings, and those who were particularly disobedient were expelled from universities or expelled from the Komsomol, depriving them of their careers. The press ridiculed them as cheap speculators who sold their conscience for chewing gum and clothes (“Today he plays jazz, and tomorrow he will sell his homeland”). In response, the dudes closed themselves off, went underground, but did not renounce their ideals and continued to tease society at their own peril and risk. Thus, it was considered especially chic to stroll along Broadway, or Ford (the central street of the city), in the brightest and most provocative outfit. They remained unbroken and left the historical stage on their own by the mid-1960s, when they turned from youths into men. Many of them drank themselves to death or died from drugs, but with their persistence, the dudes showed the authorities how powerful an ideological factor fashion could be, and forced Soviet leaders to think about what the citizens of the USSR were wearing. That is why, during the Khrushchev Thaw, the question of creating a new Soviet style that met international standards was far from the last.
This was especially influenced by the Festival of Youth and Students held in Moscow in 1957. According to the famous saxophonist Alexei Kozlov, the festival played a huge role in changing the views of Soviet people on fashion, behavior, and lifestyle. Before him, “the country lived by inertia in a kind of stupor and fear, despite the fact that Stalin seemed to be a thing of the past. The inertia and hostility of Soviet society towards everything new, especially Western, cannot be considered only as the result of Soviet propaganda. I have long been convinced from my own experience that even without any agitation, the Russian masses are characterized by intolerance towards everything foreign, as well as a reluctance to learn better and figure it out: what if they like it?
Fashionable communist
Since the late 1950s, Soviet fashion designers began to actively master the New Look style, created by Christian Dior back in the late 1940s and continuing to develop dynamically in the new decade. Soft silhouettes, long dresses with wide fluffy skirts, a wasp waist accentuated by a belt, kimono sleeves and stiletto heels became popular. Khrushchev liked the style, despite the fact that in the West it was considered clothing for the bourgeoisie. Our fashion designers continued to try to be flexible (though often belatedly), catching new trends in world fashion. In the second half of the 1960s, laconicism, clear proportions and smooth lines a la Coco Chanel became relevant: sweaters, jumpers, jackets, pleated skirts and shirt-cut dresses.
True, the quality of Soviet products left much to be desired. Therefore, those who wanted to dress stylishly were forced to sew new outfits from private tailors. “Self-tailoring” became a real underground business, evading taxes and undermining the principles of the socialist economy. The authorities understood this very well and tried in every possible way to eradicate the sprouts of private enterprise. Thus, the resolution of the CPSU Central Committee and the Council of Ministers dated March 6, 1959 directly stated: “The lag in organizing consumer services for the population forces workers to resort to the services of private individuals and overpay them, which causes great damage to the interests of the population and the state.” Khrushchev found a way out of the situation in his own spirit - let fashionistas sew their outfits themselves. A wide sale of ready-made patterns immediately began, and at school, during labor lessons, girls began to be taught the basics of cutting and sewing. It was a rare young woman of that time who did not know how to operate a sewing machine.
But the most important thing was something else. During the “thaw” period, both the authorities and the people realized that fashionably dressed citizens could be just as devoted to high ideals as those who dressed inconspicuously. In the fall of 1963, the magazine “Rabotnitsa” published a touching and very characteristic letter from Zinaida Balakh from Nikopol. Comrade Balakh repented that she and her friend had treated the girl, dressed in a short skirt and shapeless sweater, unfairly. “We couldn’t resist,” Zinaida worried, “we reprimanded her.” But it soon turned out that this girl had a kind heart: she helped the lost child and carried the bags to Balakh herself. “How unfair we are sometimes! - the woman exclaims at the end of the letter. - We approach a man with a bourgeois standard of clothing. I didn’t like the skirt, I didn’t like the hairstyle, and well, let’s go and judge: the dude! But let’s forget to look into the soul.”
Three Polish shirts and a civilian sheepskin coat
The new approach stimulated the further development of fashion. In fact, it turned out to be the only sphere of Soviet culture where at least some dynamics were visible in the era of stagnation. True, now two friends went hand in hand with fashion - deficit and cronyism. The fact is that in the USSR demand continued to significantly exceed supply. To buy anything more or less fashionable, you had to stand in huge lines, writing down your number on the palm of your hand.
It was easier to get scarce goods through connections if you had an acquaintance who worked in the trade sector. Only the Soviet nomenklatura provided everything. Dressing with taste had now become fashionable among Soviet leaders, who could shop in special stores, for example in the hundredth section of GUM or Beryozka. A “side effect” of the new trends was the birth of another youth community - the majors, the children of senior officials who often traveled abroad and brought newfangled outfits to their children. Majors did not hesitate to demonstrate superiority over ordinary citizens, dressing in tightly fitted, narrow-shouldered corduroy jackets, tight-fitting flared trousers and shirts with frills, complemented by wide ties with polka dots or oblique stripes. As it was sung in the couplets of that time: “He is driving his father’s ZIM, / Drunk and smoking at the wheel, / And a girl in tight trousers / Painting her lips next to him.”
However, the golden youth were not subjected to any political obstruction - double standards were already firmly established in the country: what is allowed for someone and what is not allowed. It is no coincidence that the joke was popular in those years. Brezhnev meets Richard Nixon at the airport, who has flown to the USSR on an official visit, kisses him and asks: “Well, did you bring jeans?” Nixon kisses Brezhnev in response: “Of course, I brought it, both for you and Gromyko!”
During Brezhnev's time, the general international tension of the Cold War subsided noticeably and the process of détente began. Foreign fashion magazines and records began to appear in the Soviet Union, and musical culture determined the style of youth clothing. It was the time of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, ABBA. Soviet fashionistas cried for John Travolta, who then played the main role in the acclaimed musical film Saturday Night Fever - this picture was known in the Soviet Union from its soundtracks. Ten years late compared to America and Europe, miniskirts came into fashion, sometimes worn with fringed cowboy vests. But the main shock for Soviet citizens was the idea of women's trousers. A woman in trousers might not be allowed to dance or go to a restaurant (they were allowed to wear a mini). The trousers were also accompanied by a jacket with a turn-down collar and blunt-toed shoes with thick heels. This outfit was only legalized in 1973.
There were few hippies in the Soviet Union, but they left their mark on history. It was the “flower children” who brought into fashion flared trousers of incredible colors (for example, light green or purple), as well as fitted shirts worn untucked. The fashion for jeans soon spread. Flared jeans with machine embroidery, floral patterns and numerous pockets decorated with studs were considered the most chic. More modest models, which were sometimes thrown onto the shelves of Soviet stores, were also in demand - light blue Yugoslav, Bulgarian or Greek. The ultimate dream remained the American Lee, Levi's or Wrangler. At that time, there were even ditties like the following: “Levis jeans will help you sleep with Angela Davis!” and “Don’t wear Levi jeans, Angela Davis was eaten in them, but wear Lee jeans, Angela was not eaten in them.” On the black market, jeans cost from 120 to 160 rubles - a month’s salary. Soviet engineer. By the mid-1970s, denim skirts with a slit came into fashion, which, as they said, “helps keep up with the times.” Sundresses, body shirts, vests and caps with a large visor were also available in denim. only from black marketeers who bought or exchanged their goods from foreigners. It was not easy for the pioneers of Soviet entrepreneurship to get to the “client”, so they had to hide, pretend to be Bulgarian tourists, in order to get into the hotel. There, the “entrepreneurs” managed to deceive gullible foreigners, slipping them in instead. packs of “doll” money. They performed a similar trick with customers, selling only one denim pant leg in a sealed package. But even if the item turned out to be of high quality and intact, it usually did not fit exactly. Therefore, fashionistas had to climb into a hot bath wearing new jeans - this is how the fabric “sat down” and stuck to the body. In Moscow, black marketeers usually sold their goods on Begovaya Street or in the toilet on the corner of Kuznetsky Most. The authorities were well aware of this and from time to time they organized raids, which, however, were rarely successful. The punishment for farts was up to seven years, but it was very difficult to prove the guilt of the person caught, so after a while he was released and he returned to his activities.
But still, farce things were expensive, and Soviet women, remembering the ancient precepts of Khrushchev, continued to sew fashionable clothes for themselves, according to magazine patterns. The most popular magazines were the Latvian Rigas Modes and the rare German Burda. At the same time, fashion designers often found themselves in difficult circumstances. Either one material is missing, or another. Or the ministry will receive an order to create a collection of stale “lining” fabrics, but no one cares that these fabrics cannot be ironed, since hot stains remain on them. But our stylists have learned to masterfully cope with difficult situations. They tell, for example, how young Vyacheslav Zaitsev in a few hours sewed swimming trunks for his comrades gathered at the sea from a curtain taken from a window.
An alternative to denim fashion was quite popular women's retro - knee-length knitted skirts, light shirts with turn-down collars and blouses. It was believed that this was a Russian style, but, as one of the leading fashion models of the time, Marina Blinovskaya, admitted, “at the Fashion House we quietly focused on foreign magazines. Of course, they “licked” everything! What else could we see? We had the Iron Curtain back then.” This tracing did not prevent Soviet fashion designers from performing very successfully at foreign competitions. Russian female models were considered the most spectacular (in the USSR at that time there was no such profession - model, fashion models were equated to laborers).
Last conversation
In the 1980s, the crisis of Soviet power entered its final stage. Fashion split into official and unofficial. The first was associated with the strict suits of party leaders and bureaucratic officials. This is exactly how the outdated models of women's two-piece suits worn by Komsomol workers and women from Rono were perceived. The novelty of Soviet fashion designers was also irritating - a businesswoman's suit a la Margaret Thatcher (straight-cut jackets with an English collar and gold buttons, double-breasted jackets and straight skirts below the knees).
Society, especially young people, again opposed the state standard with their way of dressing: miniskirts, leggings, large shapeless jumpers with huge shoulders, metallic synthetic jackets, sneakers and “moon rover” boots. The faux perm “explosion at a pasta factory” and provocative makeup came into fashion: bright shadows, eyeliner at an acute angle to the bridge of the nose, lilac or purple lipstick and dark lip contour. Men began to wear slacks, ripped jeans, moccasins and colorful shirts. The authorities tried to somehow stop the expansion of the destructive style through explanatory conversations in schools and articles on the pages of youth magazines, but this only caused smiles. They were no longer afraid of her, and the party no longer had enough teeth for repression. She passed away in 1991. The last round of the “fashionable” game was completely lost by the state vertical.
The era of the USSR was very contradictory and ambiguous in relation to such a phenomenon as fashion. The first post-revolutionary decades were categorically against stylish clothing. The opinion was formed that fashion is “bourgeois things.” If a woman looked stylish, this indicated that she did not work much and spent more time on her appearance than on work...
At that time, looking fashionable sometimes cost too much. The only professional fashion designer in the 20s - 30s was Nadezhda Petrovna Lamanova (1861-1941), who was responsible for the appearance of the entire elite and for the fashionable face of the USSR abroad.
The 40s were the most difficult years for the country as a whole. We can safely say that at that time there was no fashion at all, since there was simply no time for it. The war hindered the development of fashion in the country. But despite this, in 1944 the Moscow All-Union House of Models (ODMO) opened, and in 1945 the functioning of the Leningrad House of Models was restored.
The All-Union Fashion House played a huge role in the development of Soviet fashion. Women came to watch the shows, purchase ready-made patterns and plunged headlong into the atmosphere of fashion and style. ODMO was created under the leadership of the main stylist of previous decades, Natalya Lamanova.
Thanks to her talent, determination and confidence in the right actions, the opportunity arose to reveal the country's potential in the field of fashion.
The 50s gradually began to open the door to the west, from where fashion trends began to leak out. Those who managed to visit the borders of the vast USSR brought with them a sea of impressions and stylish things that were of great interest and were the subject of discussion among avid fashionistas for a very long time.
Women traveled to Riga to learn the latest trends in fashion in Europe. During this period, the so-called dudes began to appear, who shocked others with their extraordinary appearance.
In the early 50s, active work began on creating domestic fashion collections. More and more bright and talented designers appeared. Among them: Vera Aralova, Tatyana Osmerkina, Galina Gagarina, Alexander Igmand, Sveta Kocharava, Tamara Mokeeva, Irina Krutikova, Elena Ivanova, Elena Sterligova and Elena Telegina. These are the best fashion designers, unique specialists.
It was in the 50s that the first fashion shows of both our designers abroad and foreign fashion designers in the Land of the Soviets began to take place. The collections of Soviet fashion maestros enjoyed great interest and delighted European fashionistas.
In 1959, a significant event took place in the history of fashion of the USSR - the first show of foreign designer Christian Dior took place, which allowed for the first time to fully plunge into European fashion.
Actress in the USSR 50s Alla Larionova.
One of the leading fashion designers of the USSR of that decade was Vyacheslav Zaitsev. His shows took place in New York, Milan, Paris, and Tokyo. He was a fashionable wizard for all women of the USSR. He sewed couture clothes; simple things did not appeal to him. For a long time he was not allowed to leave the country, because they were afraid that he would not return.
Zaitsev's works amazed with their ideal style, elegance, even severity, but at the same time with bold and bright solutions. His work completely changed the attitude towards the profession of an artist and fashion designer; it became more in demand and prestigious. Galina Ulanova, Marina Ladynina, Klavdiya Shulzhenko, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Lyubov Orlova, Nadezhda Pakhmutova and many other divas were dressed by Zaitsev.
The trendsetter of men's fashion of that period was Alexander Igmand, a master of the perfect suit cut. Almost all famous men of the late 20th century in the USSR dressed him. Among his regular and unusual clients were: Andrei Tarkovsky, Mikhail Ulyanov, Yuri Lyubimov, Vasily Livanov, Veniamin Smekhov, Alexander Zbruev, Alexander Abdulov, but his main client was always Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev.
Alexander Igmand (far left) and Vyacheslav Zaitsev worked together at the Fashion House on Kuznetsky Most
Another fairly successful fashion designer of that time was Galina Gagarina. She began her creative journey at ODMO. “We fashion designers make women beautiful. I can turn any ugly woman into a woman with attractive power. I can hide the flaws of the figure and reveal the advantages...” - said Galina Nikolaevna. Classics are what inspired Gagarina to create magnificent collections.
Fashion model Yanina Cherepkova. GUM Fashion Show June 24, 1960
The All-Union House of Models left a huge mark on the history of fashion development in the USSR. He gave the country many talents and professionals. ODMO gave me the opportunity to express myself, liberate myself and give free rein to my imagination.
The 60s were marked by “stagnation”. But this did not apply to fashion. More and more exhibitions of Western manufacturers were held in the Land of the Soviets, and more and more people learned about new fashion trends.
With Zaitsev’s arrival at ODMO in 1965, a revolution took place in the country’s fashion industry. He was the first to sew modern clothes in Russian traditions. His collections made it clear abroad that in the USSR there is style, taste and the desire to be part of such a great phenomenon as fashion.
70s This decade was primarily a period of establishing external relations. As a result, more and more imported goods appeared, including clothing. Many things were available only to a select few.
Late 70s
The main “tidbit” at that time was such simple and so inaccessible jeans. If you had jeans, you were an authority figure for everyone. Bell-bottomed trousers and chintz dresses came into fashion. Everyone wanted change, something new, fresh and unusual.
80s - 90s. The last years of the existence of the USSR. Being fashionable was no longer considered bad manners. Foreign trends increasingly influenced the state of fashion society. More and more idols appeared, both Soviet and foreign.
The main idol of the USSR was Alla Pugacheva. Her hairstyle was the most popular and most copied at the time. Such names as Michael Jackson, Scorpions, Madonna, Modern Talking came to us from abroad...
The 80s were the peak of development of the fashion industry in the USSR. People felt freedom and this was reflected in their appearance. The most popular wardrobe items were acid-colored leggings, a wide top that fell off one shoulder, leather or denim jackets, fluffy short skirts, and large plastic jewelry.
People have become brighter, bolder and with a distinct personality. More and more subcultures appeared that came from abroad. The main reference book, or rather magazine, of any avid fashionista was the publication “Burda”. Patterns from there were repeatedly used to sew trendy clothes.
As for the men, they also did not lag behind. Crazy hairstyles, banana and varenki jeans, voluminous sweaters, biker jackets with studs, fingerless gloves and sneakers with neon laces - this is what any self-respecting fashionista had in his wardrobe.
In 1986, the number of Soviet fashion designers was replenished with another designer who changed the course of events in the development of the fashion industry in the USSR. Valentin Yudashkin and his collections brought unprecedented fame to the Soviet school of fashion designers.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, a flood of fashion trends and trends poured into the country. The 90s became even more vibrant and crazy than the 80s. Fashionable boundaries and differences between Russia and the West were gradually erased. The fashion industry began to develop in full force. And that was just the beginning...
Lara Khasaeva
Fashion in the Soviet Union is a topic that occupies many researchers and costume historians, and is of no less interest to ordinary women who keep clippings and patterns from Soviet fashion magazines.
But if in the second half of the twentieth century it was possible to talk about new styles and fashion trends, then in the post-revolutionary 1910s-1920s people mostly wore the clothes that they could afford. However, as often happened, even in the difficult years of devastation and unemployment, women tried to look good, using various tricks...
Symbols of time and course to the West
The October Socialist Revolution, which became a turning point in the history of the country, could not but affect fashion, which changed dramatically after 1917.In the Soviet state there was no place for luxurious outfits that representatives of the noble class and bourgeoisie of Tsarist Russia sewed for themselves. In the Land of Soviets, every citizen was a builder of a new society, and it was not appropriate for him to think about fashion: the main task of the industrial sector was declared to be the creation of a comfortable suit for workers, preferably suitable for both women and men.
After the revolution, the First World War and the civil war, the male population in the country decreased, and women were forced to master traditionally male professions - now they joined the navy, the police, the army, and also engaged in heavy physical labor. All this also influenced the styles of clothes - girls wore unisex models and borrowed shoes, hats, shirts and trousers from the men's wardrobe.
Leather jackets made for aviation battalions during the First World War, which both men and women wore with leather caps, came into fashion; tunics belted with a belt became no less popular. Men wore them with trousers, women - with straight cloth skirts.
Canvas dresses, chintz blouses and fabric jackets were fashionable. With any clothes, girls tied a red scarf - another symbol of the times - which was now tied not under the chin, but at the back of the head. Post-revolutionary fashion emphasized the equal rights of men and women, who equally participated in building a new world.
Fragments of paintings by Georgy Ryazhsky “Delegate” (1927) and Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin “Girl in a Red Shawl” (1925)
Soviet fashion of the 1920s was formed in conditions of a severe shortage of fabric, so one of the main tasks of the clothing industry was the creation of a uniform fashion for all.
“Instead of all types of dresses, a uniform form of the Russian outer shirt was established for both men and women. The style of the women's skirt was established with the same precision. Any trims, folds, stitches and cuffs were strictly prohibited,” wrote the head of the production department of Moskvoshway.
The authorities of post-revolutionary Russia firmly decided to get rid of any legacy of the past and elements of Tsarist Russia, including everything related to clothing style. Despite this, workers at garment factories worked for many years on a universal suit for a Soviet citizen. Clothing manufacturers were given the task of creating suits for the proletariat, which should not be too tight and suitable for work.
Alexander Deineka “Textile Workers”. 1927
Since the artists had no other restrictions, when working on new clothing, they used their imagination and went into constructivism. The new models were distinguished by a geometric cut and the same patterns on the fabric. The clothes sewn in the workshops were something fundamentally new, but they attracted the attention of ordinary citizens, and not wealthy ladies, who still preferred to dress according to pre-revolutionary fashion.
Hence the main paradox of the fashion of those years: when working on clothes for workers, artists experimented and tried new fabrics and designs, but when sewing for the party elite, they sewed in the old fashioned way, excluding any innovations.
In the early 1920s, the influence of Western styles on Soviet fashion was clearly felt. In particular, this was due to the widespread abolition of the corset and the innovations of the Parisian couturier Paul Poiret. The shirt dress with a low waist, which does not emphasize the figure, but, on the contrary, hides the waistline, hips and chest, has especially taken root in the Soviet Union. This style was popular throughout the decade; over time, only the length of the skirt changed, gradually rising above the knee.
In 1921, when private business became possible under the NEP, not only foreign magazines entered the country, but also clothing brought from the West. The capital's fashionistas immediately adopted world fashion trends. In the bourgeois environment, women again began to wear muffs, fur collars and bowler hats.
Men also followed fashion - felt hats and boots, carpet suits and tailcoats were popular. However, all this applied only to a narrow circle of wealthy people, while the majority of citizens dressed differently: straight long skirts and strappy shoes for girls, shirts, canvas pants and canvas shoes for men.
Poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and Lilya Brik on vacation in Yalta
During the NEP period, people’s desire to have fun and “waste” their lives was especially strong - women closely followed all the new products and especially Parisian evening dresses.
The image of a vamp, wrapped in furs and adorned with diamonds, popular abroad, was adapted in the Soviet Union by actresses who shone from the screens with dazzling dresses and jewelry inaccessible to the proletariat.
Soviet craftswomen tried to copy clothes brought from other countries, but individual models and custom-made clothes were also available to a very limited part of the population.
Constructivism and Parisian styles became a thing of the past in the late 1920s, or more precisely, in 1928, when the NEP policy was curtailed. The authorities no longer intended to tolerate the penetration of Western fashions into the streets of Soviet cities, and did everything possible to make citizens look the same.
Factories produced coarse coats and dresses of a simple cut, and the last artists who were adherents of constructivism were subjected to harsh criticism. Alexander Perelitsyn and Vera Munitsyna, who headed the artistic council of the Soyuzkhlopkosbyt organization, were among the last fashion designers who tried to bring something new to the styles and cuts of clothes in the 1920s.
“These are very left-wing guys. They call every drawing artistic, but simple, without frills, counter-revolutionary... And everything that we carry with you... is all complete counter-revolution. A bunch of hacks and vulgarities, hiding behind pseudo-revolutionary phrases, stained the fabric... Here a kind of chintz platform was set up, where people alien to us had the opportunity to speak, profaning and vulgarizing our socialist construction,”- said one of the feuilletons in the Pravda newspaper, which finally determined the fate of Soviet constructivism in fashion.
According to surviving reference books, in 1923 there were 204 workshops in the capital, specializing in men's clothing, and only 32 women's ateliers. Almost all the famous workshops at that time were located in the center: in Stoleshnikov Lane, on Petrovka, Pokrovka, Tverskaya and Malaya Bronnaya.
The parents of USSR pilot-cosmonaut Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov are Ksenia Ignatievna and Mikhail Yakovlevich. Moscow. 1925
At the same time, the first Soviet fashion magazines appeared. The Atelier publication, created under the first Soviet Fashion Atelier, according to the editorial letter, set as its goal “an active and tireless desire to identify everything that is creatively beautiful, that deserves the greatest attention in the field of material culture.”
Materials for the magazine were prepared by the most famous artists and authors of that time, and on the pages of the Atelier, in addition to sketches and articles, one could see photographs of famous actresses in expensive outfits, made, despite the difficult economic situation, from high-quality fabrics.
The magazine published a sketch of the popular bud dress by the sculptor, artist and fashion designer Vera Mukhina. The outfit got its name from the draped skirt made of white fabric that resembled flower petals. The look was completed with a wide-brimmed red hat and a cane.
The publication was a great success among readers, and its circulation amounted to two thousand copies. However, the second issue of the magazine was no longer published. The content of the “Atelier” was criticized by journalists from another publication, “Sewing Man,” and in 1925, big changes took place in the “Fashion Atelier” itself, whose workers, after the appointment of new management, began to sew outfits for celebrities and wives of officials.
Another magazine published in the 1920s was “The Art of Dressing,” the first issue of which was published in 1928 and began with an article by Anatoly Lunacharsky “Is it time for a worker to think about the art of dressing?” Among the columns of the magazine are “Useful Tips”, “The Past of Costume”, “Fashion Curiosities”. Readers were encouraged to participate in discussions about the suit for the Soviet worker, which emphasized the need to create their own, rather than Parisian fashions.
The Home Dressmaker magazine, also published in 1928, published patterns and clothing models with explanations. In this decade, several more publications appeared, including “Clothing Industry”, “Fashion Magazine”, “Four Seasons”, “Fashion Bulletin”, “Models of the Season”, “Women’s Magazine”. Most publications did not last long, but some were published for several years, enjoying constant success among readers.
Fashionable girls of the 20s
One of the most popular costume designers, whose sketches were published in magazines, in the first years of Soviet power was Nadezhda Lamanova, who gained recognition in Tsarist Russia.
Having created outfits for the royal family and the elite before the revolution and even received the title “Supplier of the Court of Her Imperial Majesty,” after 1917 Lamanova was forced to adapt to new conditions - not only the changing course in clothing, but also the lack of fabrics.
The designer was able to turn difficult circumstances to her advantage: it was with her light hand that the creative intelligentsia began to be interested in handicraft fabrics (in the early 1920s, Lamanova experimented with canvas fabric, linen towels, blankets, and curtains).
So, under the new government, while continuing to work with the wives of officials, she began mass production of clothing. In the conditions of post-war devastation, costumes had to be made from rough and cheap materials, which required enormous patience and ingenuity from fashion designers. At Lamanova’s request, the then Minister of Culture Alexander Lunacharsky gave the green light to the creation of the “Modern Costume Workshop”.
She also led the creative process in the first Soviet Fashion Atelier, where she worked side by side with other famous artists, and participated in the preparation of the Atelier magazine. Outfits from Lamanova were often demonstrated by the muse of Vladimir Mayakovsky and the famous fashionista of that time, Lilya Brik.
Designer Alexandra Ekster also collaborated with Atelier. Her works stood out from the rest and were easily recognizable - Exter created costumes based on the principles of cubism. One of her most popular works is a complex costume constructed from several materials and reminiscent of a kimono. Exter’s sketches were printed on the cover of Atelier, and inside the magazine one could find her article “On Constructive Clothes.”
“When choosing a form of clothing, one should take into account the natural proportions of the figure; By properly designing clothing, you can ensure that it matches your body shapes and sizes. Work clothes should provide freedom of movement, so they cannot be tight. One of the main requirements for such a suit is ease of use.”, wrote the designer. For Atelier, Exter developed overalls and fashionable costumes with variations on a historical theme. Alexandra Exter emigrated to France in the 1920s.
Lilya Brik and Luella Krasnoshchekova 1924
The famous artist Varvara Karinskaya led the ARS school of artistic embroidery. Like Lamanova, the People's Commissar of Education Lunacharsky helped her open the studio. Later, she organized a Haute Couture salon for the capital’s elite, whose clients included representatives of the wealthy elite and the wives of Nepmen. Also in this environment, Karinskaya’s antique salon was popular - rich ladies bought jewelry there.
Varvara Karinskaya created a new technology for embroidery on fabric and appliqué, thanks to which the material resembled a painting. In 1928, the artist emigrated from the Soviet Union, stopping first in Germany and later moving to New York, where she became the owner of the most popular studio. Another recognition of Karinskaya’s talent is the Oscar award for best costumes for the 1948 film “Joan of Arc” with Ingrid Bergman in the title role.
Fashion Herald (1926)
