4 facts of jeans in the USSR

The people of the Soviet Union with jeans evolved very complicated relationship. This garment was banned as a symbol of bad government to the spirit of liberty, coming from behind the Iron Curtain. Jeans are not produced industrially or imported into the country, so resourceful dandies had to invent their own, sometimes rather exotic ways to get trendy pair.





Jeans equated contraband

In the 1980s, the fashion for jeans has reached what is called the peak, but to buy them in the Soviet Union was still impossible, because no one factory was not engaged in the manufacture of such clothing. The lucky ones who can afford to buy jeans, there were those who are on duty often traveled abroad - the 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 imported trousers in the suitcase of a man already regarded as speculation. Resourceful sailors avoided the ban in their own way before arriving at the port, they put the five of jeans at the same time, and on top to top it all pulled uniforms sailor pants. Surprisingly, it worked. Most often, it is so real branded jeans and fell into the Soviet Union.

Known history, when in 1978, the famous coach of the Soviet national team in Alpine skiing Tyagachev attempted smuggling push through unprecedented control of the airport at that time the party of 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 a criminal case. However, before the trial and did not make it, because the coach had influential friends, including those in law enforcement. Nevertheless, the whole party was confiscated.

Jeans were very expensive



As the cost of a pair of jeans can be up to 200 rubles with an average salary of 120 rubles a month, the 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: take 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: those dealers and sewed labels on products most often. But the coolest was believed to appear on the street in these «Montana», because they were the most expensive and flashy.

Unfortunately, unscrupulous sellers were many. Often there were cases when the buyer giving money, received a closed opaque package, and it cost him to try him look, somewhere heard the cry, "Athas, cops!" To get to the sale or purchase of jeans threatened with serious trouble, so everything ran one where. When a naive buyer still open package, found that not bought two leg, and only one. This method of fraud was very widespread, and to find the middleman in Moscow and to 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 hire: help unload the car, packed vegetables ovoschebazah or took up another prestigious part time too.

Especially fashionable were "grated" jeans



The main difference between this brand of jeans on canvas forgery was that these jeans rubbed. Having "grated" jeans was considered particularly chic and mods spent hours trying to create on your favorite pants artificial fray with a red brick. Furthermore, color jeans had to be a dark blue and no other.

For good jeans was presenting young people and other requirements: the cloth should be as dense, so that the jeans "were." Especially valuable are those trousers, which they cover the body like a second skin. Getting into them could only "soap" and fasten the lightning is possible only lying on the back and stomach plunging. But dark skinny jeans made visually slimmer figure, and if we add to this the charm of the 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: go for a while right in the new thing in the bathroom with hot water and wait until the tissue "sit».

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, required 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.