Soviet suits and other garments

[Fastuni]

A thread to discuss various aspects of civilian textile industry and fashion in the 1920's to 50's Soviet Union.
The discussion originated in the "Show us their suits" thread: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?9860-Show-us-their-suits/page109

Repeating first some aspects mentioned in the previous thread:

1. I suggested that fashion/tailoring in the USSR was largely following central European/German trends:

Russian/Soviet tailoring certainly was also largely following the "German school".
The 30' Munich tailoring periodical "Rundschau" showed a world map for international subscriptions for it's instructions and patterns.
Moscow and Leningrad are among them (and all capitals of Eastern/S-Eastern Europe). I have to see whether I have the map.

Looking at this post-war chart of Soviet style evolution, I'd say it clearly follows continental European trends until the war's end.
A 1946/47 tailoring instruction for occupied Berlin mentioned that Russians prefer very wide trousers (60 cm foot width), shoulders and lapels
at a time when French/British/German tailoring was already going for tapered more narrow ankled trousers and narrower lapels.
The Russians also liked very long coats at that time.

Samarov, Cheremnykh: "Model und Design Menswear" 1949

2. Regarding the extreme rarity of preserved Soviet civilian textiles compared to Germany:

Germany despite all the destruction during the war years, was one of the most prosperous countries before the war... and some years after the war again.
Apart from the hard 1945-48 years Germany also didn't have a comparable poverty problem like the Soviet Union. The differences in living standards were severe.

The clothes produced in Germany also were of extremely high quality - both factory and tailor-made - and reasonably affordable (a weeks salary got a worker a good quality off-the-rack suit).
A suit during Stalin's rule was a major investment for the average worker... and if he got something, it was mostly of relatively low quality.

So there are several historical/economic reasons why there are much more German than Soviet clothes preserved.

I will follow up with some translations of German articles regarding Soviet clothing industry.

 

[Fastuni]

Here an interesting excerpt from "Die Textil-Woche" (textile week) from Sept. 13, 1941. This was the largest periodical for the German textile industry and trade. Certainly the intent was also propaganda, the article was published a few weeks after the Soviet-German war began, but even accounting for some element of propaganda or exaggeration, it certainly has some valuable information and overall appears to be factual.

The author is a certain Louise Diel, who visited the Soviet Union during the years of the German-Soviet pact 1939-41, she visited textile factories, stores and wrote several articles comparing the textile production in both countries.

These are lengthy articles... here an interesting excerpt pertaining to our topic:

"[...] Supply and demand are approximately in a relation 1:100

This is particularly true for textile products of all kinds. From socks to the winter coat – there is almost nothing to be found. The stores of the shops are almost always empty. Certainly 700 to 800 rubels for a winter coat are a lot of money, if one considers that the average worker earns 80 to 250 rubels a month. But every other year a new winter coat should replace the entirely worn-off one. But where to get it, even when the entire family has saved the money off it's mouth?

With the men's suits it's similar. The simple tunics, that all Bolsheviks from Stalin downwards are preferring, are available already for a few hundred rubels. However those who want to frequent the Hotel Metropol [owned by Intourist, the Soviet state travel agency – frequented mostly by foreigners and Soviet functionaries] is only admitted in an European street suit with white collar. And such a suit costs off-the-rack up to 500 rubels und made-to-measure 800 rubels. Nobody complains (strangely enough) about the price, but the lamentations that despite all efforts one cannot find fabric, are to be heard everywhere. [...]"

Source: Louise Diehl, "Aus der Sowjet-Union" in: "Die Textil-Woche", Nr. 37, 13. Sept. 1941, Berlin

...

If one takes these numbers... a good off-the-rack suit (500 rubels) costed the better paid skilled Soviet worker the salary of two months (250 rubels each).
The average skilled worker in Germany earned 1939 per month 120 Reichsmark, a good quality off-the-rack/catalogue suit costed between 20 and 60 RM (premium qualities from catalogues up to 150 RM) in that year. In other words the salary of one to two weeks.

Winter coats were 800 Rubels in USSR or over three months salary, while at the same time in Germany a factory-made coat could be bought for 20-40 RM on the lower end of the price range (160 RM for premium qualities), so on average three weeks salary.

 

[dh66]

Thank you for taking the time to post this information, Fastuni. I found the pricing especially interesting, as a few years ago I lived briefly in Odessa, and was quite surprised at the cost of things like clothing and everyday use items (t.v.s, coffeemakers, etc.). For example, a pair of levis bluejeans there was about 1600 hryvna (about $200 US at the time). I was shocked as (a) this is about four times what I would expect to pay for a pair here, and more importantly (b) about two months earnings for the average worker, yet everywhere I went I saw people wearing them. Our friends there explained that in the cities, dressing in the latest fashions is very important to many people, no matter the cost. Sounds like there is a solid historical basis for this.
I did notice a pretty widespread underground economy of street vendors and flea market type situations selling used clothing and what I presumed to be cheap knock-off stuff. I would imagine this, too, is a holdover from the Soviet days.

I look forward to more on this subject, and photos, if any are available.

 

[Metatron]

Very fascinating and obscure information.
Such a shortage of fabric and clothing is hard to comprehend today, with a saturated fashion market and clothing that is near disposable.
Perhaps something similar is still the norm in North Korea.
It appears that many Soviet citizens did not own a suit, or did not wear one often.
Is the 'simple tunic' mentioned in the text the mandarin collared, military inspired jacket that I imagine?

 

[Fastuni]

Is the 'simple tunic' mentioned in the text the mandarin collared, military inspired jacket that I imagine?

Da! (But with fold-down collar.)

Yakov Sverdlov curiously wore his "simple tunic" 1919 with what appears to be a silk tie and a cummerbund (or some very strange corset-belt [huh])...

I don't think the Bolsheviks were ever accused of being particularly stylish dressers, for that matter.

 

[Fastuni]

From Russian 1930-40's online albums:

I notice the preference for very high boots, large square billed caps and fur trimmings.

 

[Fastuni]

 

[Fastuni]

 

[dh66]

I notice the preference for very high boots, large square billed caps and fur trimmings.

And cigarettes.


Thanks for posting these. Very insightful.

 

[Two Types]

This is brilliant! Thanks Fastuni!!!

 

[Edward]

Really interesting stuff. Sean, how do these compare to what you've dug up about Romania? I'm wondering how far tailoring styles influenced each other as disitnct from Western style, behind the iron curtain.

Interesting too how Stalin's standard dress always looked so similar to Sun Yat-sen's suit design (better known now as the Mao Suit).

 

[Fastuni]

My German "Die Textil Woche" periodicals from 1939-1943 have also several short articles on Romania.
I can translate them for you, Sean.

 

[herringbonekid]

some great smart-casual-workwear mixtures in these photos !

 

[Metatron]

Noteworthy that the majority are not wearing ties.

Might as well repost these here for consistency.
Postwar, 1940s-1950s. Note the popularity of solid coloured caps. I think they look quite cool:

















http://englishrussia.com/

 

[Rabbit]

Brilliant, Fastuni. Thank you!

The fellow on the far right is wearing what looks very much like a jazz suit jacket. They must have had another name for it. Ot did riding coats have a similar button placement at one time?

 

[Fastuni]

Rabbit, I agree that it looks some very early 20's "jazz jacket". Probably second or third hand from some NEPman.

...

Thanks Metatron for adding some color to this thread!

...

Here now some Soviet catalogue illustrations for menswear.
The catalogue scans are all from this interesting website of a Russian vintage enthusiast: http://megan-swing.livejournal.com/

Lots of fur-trimmings on winter-wear!

Winter 1935-36

 

[Fastuni]

1937

1939-40

1942