History Main / RussianFashion

* Sarafan: a sleeveless jumper-dress. Mostly used now for folk dances, along with the previous item.

->''Gdye mozhna koopit'' blue jeans''?''

* Papakha: A wool hat (often made out of karakul sheep skin), associated with Georgia and Cossacks, sometimes worn by TricoloursWithRustingRockets officers and generals. In fact, a papakha is a regulation winter hat for the officers from colonel up.

* Babushka: Worn by country women and older women in cities. A relic of the frozen in time Soviet fashion. Initially was a piece of clothing worn by religious mandate and symbolizing women's submission and modesty, similarly to modern Islamic headscarves. Ironically, a red or scarlet headscarf was a typical headgear for female Commissars, Chekists or other strong, independent women aligned with Bolshevism in the [[RedOctober Russian Civil War era]].

* Budyonnovka: Hat of the RedsWithRockets until the 1930s, like a kepi, but with a cone-shaped top. Associated with the [[RedOctober Russian Civil War era]] and Communism, despite initially being designed for an Imperial [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption WWI victory parade]]. Its creator, a famous Romantic painter Victor Vasnetsov, styled it after a traditional Russian cone-shaped helmet (which wasn't, in fact, uniquely Russian, but was in use in all Europe during the Early and Early-High Middle Ages; you could see a Norman knight wearing a similar helmet and not be surprised).

[[caption-width-right:215:[-Even in the days of [[UsefulNotes/TsaristRussia the czar]], Russian [[ErmineCapeEffect court dress]] was [[DressCode distinctive]].-] ]]

* Ushanka: ''The'' Russian hat. Made of fur with the ear flaps. Often worn by soldiers and cops during the long Russian winter. The army and police standard issue hat is made of cheap artificial fur (derisively nicknamed "fish fur"); civilian hats are of [[PrettyInMink natural fur]] and more expensive.

*** Jackboots may be impractical in both garrison service and mountain warfare (the only kind of warfare TheNewRussia engaged itself in, to date), but they are the best thing there is in large-scale wars on wide open plains. That means, if someone [[WhatAnIdiot invades Russia again]], the boots will be useful.

* [[CommissarCap Big, high peaked caps]] are associated, among other things, with Russia, despite they are [[TheNewRussia a new introduction]] to Russian uniforms. Smaller ones, though, have a long history in the Russian military, and a similar but even smaller civilian headgear, called ''kartuz'', is indeed part of the traditional national costume.

*** Later Soviet caps included a circular spring around its crown to give it some shape, and the front was raised a bit. By TheEighties[[note]]A-ha![[/note]] it became a kind of military chic to have a cap with the widest crown and the highest front, not unlike a traditional BananaRepublic [[TheGeneralissimo Generalissimo]] headgear, often dubbed "the aerodrome". After USSR fell, this look somehow got codified in the uniform regs, giving TheNewRussia the association with the CommissarCap. Ironically, by the same time their wearers has noted the SukhomlinovEffect in action (frankly, the caps started to look ridiculous) and begun a backlash against them, derisively naming them "[[TheGeneralissimo Pinochet's hats]]", and throttling down on size and trim. In fact, the modern field and undress uniforms don't include a peaked cap at all, eschewing it in favor of a simple kepi or a beret, and since Shoigu came to the [=MoD=], he brought an EMERCOM cap, clearly based on a Tsarist-era design, with him.

* Gymnastiorka: The one-piece smock-style standard tunic for Soviet soldiers in WW2, which was based on the traditional peasant shirt called "kosovorotka". This tunic also resembles the modern U.S. "Combat shirt", except made of less advanced materials.

** Some have gotten to the US. Chief Marge Gunderson in ''{{Fargo}}'' is wearing one.

* Valenki (singular Valenok): Felt boots, used by the Soviet and Russian military during winter. Helped them win the UsefulNotes/GreatPatrioticWar, since their feet didn't freeze. Now have lost most of their popularity in cities, because these boots excel in walking on snow (particularly common in the country, uncommon in cities) and are terrible at walking on slush (they are not waterproof at all).

[[caption-width-right:215:[-Even in the days of [[TsaristRussia the czar]], Russian [[ErmineCapeEffect court dress]] was [[DressCode distinctive]].-] ]]

-->-- ''Flight of the Old Dog'', by DaleBrown.

** Some historians suggest that they might also be an adoption from the steppe nomads, as very similar hats are still could be seen among various Turkic tribes of the Great Steppe, and the early KievanRus hats were mostly round leather skullcaps or tall conical hats made of wool, often with the fur trim.

Since the collapse though, Russian women (and men) have grabbed Western fashions voraciously. Their upper and upper-middle classes are currently often found wearing several salaries on their person at once. In extreme cases, a driver's currently worn outfit can be worth more than his car. The vast majority of Russians, however, doesn't look much different from typical "white trash" found anywhere in the West.

* Valenki (singular Valenok): Felt boots, used by the Soviet and Russian military during winter. Helped them win the UsefulNotes/GreatPatrioticWar, since their feet didn't freeze. Now have lost most of their popularity in cities.

During the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, the Soviet Union didn't really have much access to Western fashion, unless you were one of the ''nomenklatura'' or otherwise well connected. This is why Sergei in the novel is surprised to see a woman wearing a denim jacket and jeans (he asks "Where did you get those blue jeans?"), gladly trading his coat for it. Note, though, that this is a fairly overblown notion — while for a time in TheSixties and early [[TheSeventies Seventies]] the authorities tried to fight this "cowtowing before the West" (including [[DisproportionateRetribution cutting too-narrow trousers]]), by the mid-Seventies they finally relented and even started the domestic production of the most coveted items such as the blue jeans, as well importing a knock-off ones from Turkey and India. Still it dodn't have much effect, as not only the quality was often atrocious, but the mere fact that they were domestically produced made them not "true" and thus not worth it.

Since the collapse though, Russian women (and men) have grabbed Western fashions voraciously. They are currently often found wearing several salaries on their person at once. In extreme cases, a driver's currently worn outfit can be worth more than his car.

* Budyonnovka: Hat of the RedsWithRockets until the 1930s, like a kepi, but with a cone-shaped top. Associated with the [[RedOctober Russian Civil War era]] and Communism, despite initially being designed for an Imperial [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption WWI victory parade]]. Its creator, a famous Romantic painter Victor Vasnetsov, styled it after a traditional Russian peaked helmet (which wasn't, in fact, uniquely Russian, but was in use in all Europe during the Early and Early-High Middle Ages; you could see a Norman knight wearing a similar helmet and not be surprised).

* Budyonnovka: Hat of the RedsWithRockets until the 1930s, like a kepi, but with a cone-shaped top. Associated with the [[RedOctober Russian Civil War era]] and Communism, despite initially being designed for an Imperial [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption WWI victory parade]]. Its creator, a famous Romantic painter Victor Vasnetsov, styled it after a traditional Russian peaked helmet.

* Telogreika: literally translated as "body warmer", a quilted short coat. The most common type of winter uniform until the 1960s and was first issued by the Red Army during the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo Great Patriotic War.]] It is also still popular today among many blue-collar workers in the successor states of the USSR. Very common in all media depicting the Eastern Front of the aforementioned war.

*** Later Soviet caps included a circular spring around its crown to give it some shape, and the front was raised a bit. By TheEighties[[note]]A-ha![[/note]] it became a kind of military chic to have a cap with the widest crown and the highest front, not unlike a traditional BananaRepublic [[TheGeneralissimo Generalissimo]] headgear, often dubbed "the aerodrome". After USSR fell, this look somehow got codified in the uniform regs, giving TheNewRussia the association with the CommissarCap. Ironically, by the same time their wearers has noted the SukhomlinovEffect in action (frankly, the caps started to look ridiculous) and begun a backlash against them, derisively naming them "[[TheGeneralissimo Pinochet's hats]]", and throttling down on size and trim. In fact, the modern field and undress uniforms don't include a peaked cap at all, eschewing it in favor of a simple kepi or a beret, and since Shoigu came to the MoD, he brought an EMERCOM cap, clearly based on a Tsarist-era design, with him.
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<<|UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}|>>

<<|CostumeTropes|>>

* Papakha: A wool hat (often made out of karakul sheep skin), associated with Georgia and Cossacks, sometimes worn by TricoloursWithRustingRockets officers and generals.

*** Later Soviet caps included a circular spring around its crown to give it some shape, and the front was raised a bit. By TheEighties[[note]]A-ha![[/note]] it became a kind of military chic to have a cap with the widest crown and the highest front, not unlike a traditional BananaRepublic [[TheGeneralissimo Generalissimo]] headgear, often dubbed "the aerodrome". After USSR fell, this look somehow got codified in the uniform regs, giving TheNewRussia the association with the CommissarCap. Ironically, by the same time their wearers has noted the SukhomlinovEffect in action (frankly, the caps started to look ridiculous) and begun a backlash against them, derisively naming them "[[TheGeneralissimo Pinochet's hats]]", and throttling down on size and trim. In fact, the modern field and undress uniforms don't include a peaked cap at all, eschewing it in favor of a simple kepi or a beret.

* Telnyashka: A striped top, usually dark blue and white, worn by sailors and the VDV Airborne forces (they are the Russian equivalent of [[SemperFi USMC]], except they are paratroopers and not marines).

During the ColdWar, the Soviet Union didn't really have much access to Western fashion, unless you were one of the ''nomenklatura'' or otherwise well connected. This is why Sergei in the novel is surprised to see a woman wearing a denim jacket and jeans (he asks "Where did you get those blue jeans?"), gladly trading his coat for it. Note, though, that this is a fairly overblown notion — while for a time in TheSixties and early [[TheSeventies Seventies]] the authorities tried to fight this "cowtowing before the West" (including [[DisproportionateRetribution cutting too-narrow trousers]]), by the mid-Seventies they finally relented and even started the domestic production of the most coveted items such as the blue jeans, as well importing a knock-off ones from Turkey and India. Still it dodn't have much effect, as not only the quality was often atrocious, but the mere fact that they were domestically produced made them not "true" and thus not worth it.

* Telogreika: literally translated as "body warmer", a quilted short coat. The most common type of winter uniform until the 1960s and was first issued by the Red Army during the [[WorldWarTwo Great Patriotic War.]] It is also still popular today among many blue-collar workers in the successor states of the USSR. Very common in all media depicting the Eastern Front of the aforementioned war.

* Valenki (singular Valenok): Felt boots, used by the Soviet and Russian military during winter. Helped them win the GreatPatrioticWar, since their feet didn't freeze. Now have lost most of their popularity in cities.

** Some historians suggest that they might also be an adoption from the steppe nomads, as very similar hats are still could be seen among various Turkic triped of the Great Steppe, and the early Kievan Rus hats were mostly round leather scullcaps or tall conical hats made of wool, often with the fur trim.

* Gymnastiorka: The one-piece smock-style standard tunic for Soviet soldiers in WW2, which was based on the traditional peasant shirt called "kosovorotka".

** The military also continues to use jackboots for both ceremonial and field use, but in the latter case they are considered so uncomfortable that sneakers are often worn instead (probably because the standard Russian field jackboot is made of very heavy, stiff and generally uncomfortable type of cheap artificial leather called kirza; the ceremonial ones are better though). Regular combat boots are especially prized and are now gradually replacing jackboots from service (often being bought privately).

-->''Gdye mozhna koopit'' blue jeans''?''
--> ''Flight of the Old Dog'', by DaleBrown.

* Ushanka: ''The'' Russian hat. Made of fur with the ear flaps. Often worn by soldiers and cops during the long Russian winter. The army and police standard issue hat is made of cheap artificial fur (derisively nicknamed "fish fur"); civilian hats are of natural fur and more expensive.