Forbidden lace: what kind of underwear did Soviet women wear?

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

In the Soviet Union, the concept of aesthetics in clothing was very specific. Simply put, in most cases, beauty was simply neglected in favor of practicality. And the tradition of sewing underwear is fully consistent with this trend. Therefore, Soviet women experienced many difficulties in acquiring and wearing these elements of clothing, and even attempts to sew on their own did not save the situation - after all, the lingerie had too few styles, and lace was generally banned.

Since the formation of the Soviet Union, all its resources, including human resources, have been devoted to building a proletarian paradise. This trend was reflected in all spheres of life of Soviet citizens, and the production of clothing was no exception. Even the underwear produced at that time did not even try to make it in any way beautiful. The emphasis was on practicality and convenience, although this did not always work out.

So, in the 1920s, the entire assortment of underwear, in fact, consisted only of T-shirts and shorts made of cotton. The colors also did not please with the variety - only white, gray and black samples could be found on store shelves. In addition, there was no change in this trend throughout the decade. The only exception to this "dullness of everyday life" was hand-made or tailoring in an atelier.

In fairness, it is worth clarifying that in the very first years of the existence of the USSR, a breath of fresh air in the aesthetic vacuum of underwear production was the Mosbelier trusts, whose products were highly valued, including abroad.

There, silk was used for sewing, and clothes were decorated with expensive lace. However, the activities of the trusts did not last long - they were quickly closed. True, then they began to function again, right up to the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, but now they sewed more of the party elite there than the ordinary Soviet citizen.

The restrictions even seriously affected the materials that could be used for sewing. The fact is that after the proclamation of the course towards industrialization, many things that were previously customary were banned as propagandizing the bourgeois way of life. This list also includes lace.

In the 1930s, the situation changed somewhat: the first bras of their own production began to appear. Although the government determined that the underwear was supposed to be “comfortable and hygienic,” the issue of aesthetics continued to be ignored. Since 1929, Glavodezhda has become a monopoly in the production of underwear in the USSR, which in every possible way tried to comply with the propagated standards of education of a citizen-worker-sportsman.

During the Great Patriotic War and the post-war period, the question of the aesthetics of clothing, in fact, simply did not arise. Therefore, linen continued to be unattractive and did not have a variety in the range.

Much more difficult, this static was noticeable when it came to the size of the upper part of the underwear. The fact is that the Soviet light industry produced bras only in three sizes: first, second and third. Those who were not included in this framework experienced many difficulties.

During the "thaw" period, when cultural exchange with the West reached its peak, Soviet women saw and remembered how beautiful and feminine underwear can be. But this experience did not affect the textile industry of the USSR - they continued to churn out unaesthetic, but "generally available" products there.

At this moment, speculators began to appear who bought imported fashionable clothes from foreigners, better known as blackmail, who were not stopped by criminal prosecution for their activities.

It wasn't until the 1960s that bra models became more feminine and sophisticated. In addition, a variety of materials appeared: in addition to the already bored cotton, linen began to be produced from satin.

However, what the light industry of the USSR did not borrow from Western colleagues was the practice of sewing bras with cups, which today are the main items in the wardrobe of most women. Soviet women were content with only the "bullet" style, so named because of its "sharp nose".

Real changes in the wardrobe of Soviet fashionistas took place only at the decline of the huge state. Then goods from Turkey, Poland and Germany poured into the market, which may not be of perfect quality, but were much more elegant in appearance and comfortable to wear.