Jeans in the USSR (7 photos)

The inhabitants of the Soviet Union, with jeans is never easy. This garment was banned, as a symbol of bad government to the spirit of freedom that comes from behind the Iron Curtain. Jeans were not produced by industrial methods and not imported into the country, so resourceful dandies had to invent their own, sometimes quite exotic, trendy ways to get a pair.



1. Jeans equated with smuggled goods



In the 1980s, fashion jeans reached what is called its peak, but to buy them in the Soviet Union was still impossible, because not a single factory engaged in manufacturing such clothing. The lucky ones who can afford to buy jeans, were the ones who are on duty often traveled abroad - sailors, actors, athletes. True, they had to pass customs inspection, and if on a pair of jeans, the bought "for himself", the authorities still condoned, the three import pants suitcase per person is already considered speculation.

Resourceful sailors avoided the ban on its own: before arriving at the port, they put on themselves five jeans at the same time, and on top to top it all pulled sailor uniform pants. Surprisingly, it worked. Most often, it is so real branded jeans and fell into the Soviet Union.



Leonid Tyagaevch

Known history, when in 1978, the famous coach of the USSR in Alpine skiing Tyagachev tried to push through smuggling control at the airport at the time unprecedented party jeans - as many as 200 pieces. Apparently, he thought that no one would inspect the box from under the ski boots. However, the "contraband" found against Tyagachev was prosecuted. However, until the court has not reached since the coach had influential friends, including in law enforcement. Nevertheless, the whole party was confiscated.

2. Jeans were very expensive


As the cost of a pair of jeans could be up to 200 rubles with an average salary of 120 rubles a month, hunters sell the coveted article of clothing was much, however, as wanting to buy it. Not surprisingly, the huckster quickly learned to fake branded jeans: they took imported canvas pants, using dye repainted in their traditional and so beloved by Soviet "dzhinsomanami" indigo, sewed labels and sold, with the goods they are usually not zalёzhivalsya. Most prized among Soviet youth brand Lee Riders, Levi Strauss and Wrangler: these labels dealers and sewed on products most often. But the coolest was believed to appear on the street in these «Montana», as they were the most expensive and flashy.



Unfortunately, unscrupulous sellers were many. Often there were cases when the buyer giving money, getting closed opaque package, and it cost him to try to look into it from somewhere shouts: "Athas, cops!" To get to the sale or purchase of jeans threatened serious trouble, so that all who fled where. When a naive buyer still open package, found that not bought two pant legs, but only one. This way of deception was quite common, and find the middleman in Moscow and get even with him - it's like finding a needle in a haystack.

It is no exaggeration to suggest that the desire to get the jeans in your wardrobe contributed to academic achievement: the young men promised to end the year without at least triples if parents help them with the purchase. If there was no money and the parents, students and school children for the sake alone jeans were hired to work: helping to unload the car, packed vegetables ovoschebazah or took up another prestigious part time too.

3. Especially fashionable were "grated" jeans



The main difference between these branded jeans on canvas forgery was that these jeans rubbed. Have "grated" jeans was considered particularly chic and fashionable people spent hours trying to create on your favorite pants artificial fray with a red brick. Furthermore, color jeans had to be precisely and no other blue.

For good jeans was presenting youth and other requirements: cloth had to be the most dense, such that jeans "were." A particularly valuable were those trousers, which they cover the body like a second skin. Get into them could only "soap", and fasten the zipper is only possible supine and plunging stomach. But dark skinny jeans made visually slimmer figure, and if we add to the charm of this deficit, we obtain a universal formula for success with the opposite sex for girls and for boys.

There is another extreme. Because its size was almost impossible to pick up, often had to buy a pair of jeans sizes larger. But there was a way out: to lay down for a while right in the new thing in the bathroom with hot water and wait until the cloth "sit».

4. The first domestic jeans appeared in Odessa



Odessa - a port city located not so far from Europe, so it is logical that there appeared the first underground plant for the production of domestic jeans that were made from the Soviet Union secretly vvezёnnoy imported denim. Also smuggled rivets, buttons, thread, accessories, mandatory patches. It should be noted that Odessa jeans are not too different in quality from the West, because they were created by professional tailors of high quality materials. These jeans cost no less than real imports, and bought up their no less hunting.