German girls of the 40s. World War II fashion and style. Great Patriotic fashion

The beginning of the 40s of the last century was overshadowed by the ongoing world war. Military conflicts are always a big test for the fashion world. The attitude to clothes is changing, the worldview in terms of presenting oneself with the help of things. Practicality and durability come to the fore in everything. The destinies of people are changing and representatives of the fashion world are no exception. Many are forced to adapt to the circumstances or to completely cease their activities. Fashion 40s - 50s of the last century was full of events, both sad and joyful.

The fashion industry of all the countries involved in the war was undermined and in a deplorable state. Many Parisian fashion houses were closed during the Second World War. Among themMaison vionnet and maison chanel ... Some designers, includingMainbocher moved to New York. A full-scale program of moral and intellectual re-education of the French state has not bypassed the world of fashion. The stylish Parisian woman was replaced by the image of a reliable wife and a young athletic girl more in line with the agenda of the new regime. Germany took over more than half of the entire French fashion industry, including the Fashion House, and even the question of transferring French fashion to Berlin or Vienna was raised. The archives of the Haute Couture Chamber of Commerce were seized, including an extensive list of clients. The point of all this was to break the monopoly that allegedly threatened the dominance of the Third Reich. At that time, there were 92 fashion houses in France.

The fabric was sorely lacking, so in order to save money, the length of the dress became higher and higher. This extended to both casual and evening wear. Since 1940, a certain regulation was introduced, according to which no more than 4 meters of fabric could be spent on a coat, and no more than 1 meter on a blouse. Cheap materials began to be used more and more, and natural materials were replaced by artificial ones. But despite this, the couture did everything possible to keep its banner. Humor and frivolity became the main defense against the occupying authorities, thanks to which the fashion was able to survive. While some argue that wealthy Nazi wives helped preserve French fashion, the records show that the clients of the fashion houses at the time were a mix of wealthy Parisians, the wives of foreign ambassadors, black market clients, and other salon goers, including German women were in the minority. During the war, such fashion houses as Jacques Fath, Maggie Rouff, Nina Ricci, Marcel Rochas, Jeanne Lafaurie, Madeleine Vramant worked.

During the occupation, the only way for women to add variety and color to their gray image was with hats. It is expensive to change a dress or suit, and a hat is the cheapest. Almost all hats were a turban high above the head, as this pattern matched the shape of the hairstyle. The whipped curls rose up or gathered in a bun, tucked into a mesh. In the USSR, such hairstyles were called "lousy house". And this was really so, because in order to save money, they washed their hair no more than once a week. The purpose of the headdress was not to show the hair, but to completely hide it, and the shape of the turban coped with this perfectly.

Turban fashion came from the Caribbean. During the war, France was cut off from America, the main consumer of French fashion, and the United States turned their eyes to the Caribbean countries: Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago. Women working on plantations in Latin American countries tied a cloth like a turban around their heads to protect themselves from the sun. And thanks to Brazilian actress Carmen Miranda , famous in Hollywood, the platform shoes I made for her became very popular. Miranda was short (about 149 cm) and became a true promoter of such shoes. To look taller, she wore a platform and a heel of about 20 cm, and a turban on her head. The turban was sewn from the remnants of fabric and did not require special materials or tools for its manufacture, as for the production of felt hats. Among the innovative milliners of the time were Pauline Adam, Simone Naudet, Rose Valois and Le Monier.

Various packaging was simplified, and the use of cheap materials such as wood, straw, bamboo, and plastic became common. Manual labor is back in vogue, only this time it's cheap. The platform on the shoe, like the accessories, could be wooden. Leather became more and more inaccessible, as it was taken away for the needs of the army. For women, a leather belt should not be wider than 3 cm, in order to save money. The patchwork style was gaining popularity, previously used for making blankets in the villages and never before in high fashion. But due to the difficult economic environment, it is included in casual wear. Women used imagination to look beautiful and elegant. A ribbon, a combination of fabrics and even curtains could be used.

Elsa Schiaparelli was forced to leave for the USA, but did not close her house, but entrusted the management to the Swede Irene Dana. In America, Elsa was engaged in lecturing on fashion at the Red Cross. In her absence, the leading model of the House was a native of Kiev, Varvara Rapponet, who emigrated from Russia. After the liberation of Paris in 1944, Schiaparelli returned to France, to her House, but during her absence, young designers appeared who could compete with her. In 1947, Elsa took a job at the House of the French aristocrat Hubert de Givenchy.

Schiaparelli's constant rival, Coco Chanel, closed her house in 1940. And in 1944, when Paris was liberated, Chanel fled from France, so as not to fall under reprisals, since during the occupation her gentleman was a Gestapo officer. She spent 10 years in exile in Switzerland.

One of the famous fashion houses was the House of Madame Gre, a French designer who created dresses directly on the model, without patterns. In her youth, she studied sculpture and painting, which she used in her further work. In 1933, she opened her first salon, which, at the beginning of the war in 1940, would close and leave with her family to the south of France from occupied Paris. But due to a difficult financial situation, she returned to Paris and continued to work. She did her best to resist the restrictions imposed by the Germans. She consumed more fabrics than was allowed, refused to serve the Nazis' mistresses, and presented a collection in the national colors of France at a fashion show for the Nazis. And in 1943, Madame Gre's House was closed for exceeding the fabric limit and for opposing the authorities. Madame Gre fled again and returned to Paris only in 1945, after his release. In 1947 she was awarded the Legion of Honor as the moral authority of the nation. Despite the fact that her models were completely different from those of Dior, she had many fans. Draperies, soft fabrics are what set her dresses apart from others. Some of Madame Gre's clients were Elsa Triolet and Lilya Brik.

Many famous actresses of that time contributed to the development of fashion. Rita Hayworth, Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburnwere very popular and had their own style and imagination. For the lack of beautiful lace, things in the 40s were often trimmed with pieces of fur. The silver fox was very popular, which was grown in the USA and Siberia. Every woman dreamed of having a silver fox collar or muff. The colors in the clothes were mostly dark: brown, maroon, dark blue. For purely practical reasons, dark clothing did not need to be cleaned frequently. One of the most fashionable fabrics during the war was crepe (matte woolen fabric), and a very popular suit was a combination of a jacket and a dress. The most relevant style of the war era was: wide overhead shoulders, a belt that emphasized the waist, a straight skirt, patch pockets. These were all details of the military uniform. As a replacement for the skin that was used before, products from the skin of reptiles: python, crocodile and lizard are in fashion. Gold was requisitioned in banks and gold items became quite rare. Accessories were made of shiny metal, and details that had a distinctly military theme, such as chains, locks, and bandolier bags, came into fashion. The production of accessories and bijouterie began to decline and craftsmen independently made buttons and various decorations.

Fashion House Worth, very famous at the end of the 19th century, lost its popularity and the 40s became the decline of his empire. The main couturier of France during the war was Lucien Lelong, President of the Paris High Couture Syndicate. And the chief designer at the House of Lelong was Christian Dior, the second designer - Pierre Balmain... After the war, they will quit and open their own fashion houses. Christian Dior in 1947 will show his first collection entitled "The King", the distinctive features of which will be an accentuated bust, wasp waist and a fluffy skirt. The "hourglass" silhouette, consisting of a jacket - a bar and a skirt with a crinoline reaching to the ankle, conquered the whole world.

It was a post-war return to femininity and pre-war luxury and a renaissance in French haute couture. Dior's popularity grew rapidly, in addition, certain advertising contributed to this, the editor of the American Harper's Basaar, Carmel Snow said it was "a new look!" The style was born new look... This was considered wasteful by many, as a lot of fabric was used for skirts in this style, and the card system still existed. Some dresses required from 16 to 100 meters of fabric and tulle. In addition, appropriate tights and good bras were needed.

Along with this, Christian Dior used very simple buttons. He believed that ordinary black 4-hole buttons were the height of elegance. Although the House of Dior also made military-style suits, perhaps for American working women who continued to be active consumers of French fashion.

In 1947, a young man came to work at the House of Dior. Pierre Cardin, who started his career as a theater artist. And in 1950 he opened his own Fashion House. A year later, he showed his first collection of women's clothing, and in 1957 he was admitted to the Haute Couture Syndicate. He was a singer of futuristic clothing. Creating vivid images, he did not particularly care about the beauty of the female figure. Rectangular silhouettes hid all flaws. The avant-garde direction was the motto of his work.

But Cardin was not only the creator of the future fashion, but also a great entrepreneur. He was the first to sell his creations at a lower price as part of a new form of pret - a - porter sale. Cooperating with trading houses, he exhibited his collections under his own name, but in a more affordable pricing policy. For this, in 1959, he was expelled from the Syndicate for breaking the rules and lowering the image of high fashion. But Cardin turned out to be a visionary, and after a while, many designers followed his example.

Cristobal Balenciaga, a Spanish designer, one of the most famous couturiers of the time. He started his career back in the 30s, having moved to France. In 1937 he opened his own Fashion House and continued his activity until the 60s. For the Spaniards, Balenciaga is still a "national hero" today. Balenciaga costumes are very expensive, starting at $ 10,000 and up. One of the distinguishing features of his costumes is the presence of a peplum, popular in Spanish attire.

Shanghai became one of the fashion capitals during the war, since a very international population lived there at that time: the French, the British and many Russian emigrants. Many fashion houses worked, which were opened by emigrants from Russia, and many women worked in cabarets, theaters, restaurants and carefully followed the news. For the Japanese who occupied China, European fashion was a real revelation.

In the post-war period, the entire garment industry was in a deplorable state. Fashion designers have long been in a cramped position and total savings in everything. To fill the cost gap, designers have used more fabric as soon as possible. A novelty that appeared in the post-war years is pleating. Wartime straight pencil skirts gave way to flared skirts well below the knee. Men returned from the war and women's clothing took on a new direction. She again had to look attractive, feminine and sexy. There comes a period of elegance, calm tones, not frightening men.

Since 1947, small hats have come into vogue instead of turbans and instead of wide heels and platforms, stiletto heels, into the heels of which metal pins taken from aircraft construction were inserted. In the era of new look, all delicate powdery shades have become fashionable. New shape of glasses in the form of "chanterelles". The "golden age" begins in the world of haute couture.

At the end of the 40s, an unusual subculture was born in the USSR, which is a community of young people who imitate the American way of life. In 1949, after the publication of DG Belyaev, in the magazine "Crocodile" of the feuilleton called "Hipsters" this name was firmly entrenched in a new direction. The movement became widespread throughout the country and continued to exist until the early 60s. Young people expressed a negative attitude towards the existing system, moral values \u200b\u200band the whole way of life. They differed from the rest of the population primarily for their bright and unusual appearance, intricate hairstyles and stylish images, for which they were very criticized by obedient citizens and even bore criminal responsibility. The hipsters promoted foreign music, emancipation, the top of the chic was wearing foreign clothes, which were obtained with great difficulty and for this, as a response, they received a contemptuous attitude towards themselves. Despite all the obstacles, the dudes remained positive, creatively related to their appearance, bright and cheerful people.

Famous musician Alexey Kozlov says:

“The dudes had such a practiced, meaningless expression in their eyes. Not because we're assholes. It's just that if we bare our eyes, if we watched how we feel, everyone would see how we hate them. This look was worth the price. So we played the fool. "

In 1949, fashion took a new turn in Germany, and the first ready-to-wear salon was opened in Düsseldorf. This marked the beginning of the mass production of clothing and a genuine democratization of the fashion industry. With the rise of pret - a - port in the 50s, the choice of styles, fabrics, colors has incredibly expanded, which made it possible to satisfy the needs of every woman.

Fashion of the 50s was characterized by optimism, luxury and femininity. Gold jewelry and evening dresses decorated with beads and rhinestones returned again. Despite the fact that women thirsted for progress, many of them worked and already drove cars themselves, they accepted the feminine image with joy. Couture has experienced something of a revival. Small corsets, narrow waist and active neckline. Throughout the 1950s, women still preferred French fashion.

Returns to Paris after the end of the war Elsa Schiaparelli ... Fuchsia becomes her new color, very bright and active. Elsa was a propagandist of surrealist painting and this was very strongly reflected in her collections. Schiaparelli's clothing was designed for young, energetic and independent women, who were not alien to a new, extravagant clothing image. But after the war, men were afraid of such women and too bright colors scared them away. The men were tired of fighting, they liked more pretty and calm women, dressed in pastel colors. This played a decisive role in the fate of Elsa, because, following her direction, she lost her former popularity and in 1954 left the fashion world, under the pretext of giving birth to her two granddaughters, which her constant rival Coco Chanel was incredibly happy about.

The most famous couturiers of that time were Cristobal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy and Pierre Balmain... In 1951, Balenciaga completely changed the silhouette: widened the shoulders and changed the waistline. In 1955 he developed a dress - tunic, which by 1957 was transformed into a dress - shirt. And by the end of 1959 it ended with the Empire line, with high-waisted dresses and coats cut out like a kimono. Balenciaga differs from many couturiers in that he could create models himself from start to finish, since at the age of 12 he was given an apprentice to a tailor.

Hubert de Givenchy opened his first fashion house in 1952 and made a splash with designs mixed from different fabrics. Boutiques were opened in Zurich, Rome and Buenos Aires. He was called a man of great taste and restrained elegance. Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Kennedy were his clients. At 25, he became the youngest and most progressive designer in the Parisian fashion scene. Givenchy's first collection was named "Bettina Graziani" after a young Parisian model of the time. He used not expensive fabrics, but attracted clients with the originality of his designs. Givenchy sewed almost all costumes for the heroines of Audrey Hepburn. She was his muse. After Audrey's death, Givenchy decided to leave the fashion world.

Pierre Balmain opened his own Fashion House in 1945. But he began to enjoy great success only since 1952. Balmain maintained the style of the elegant Parisian with a touch of glamor, moreover, he was masterful in the creative combination of fabrics and subtle color combinations. The clients of his house were supporters of elegance, simple cut and a more natural look.

In 1953, they begin their activities in Italy Ottavio and Rosita Missoni... This year they open their small knitting workshop and this becomes the starting point for the birth of a new brand. In 1958 they present their first collection in a Milan department store under the brand name Missoni... She was adequately covered in the press and became popular with the public. Supported by the editor-in-chief of the journal Arianna, Anna Piaggio business became prosperous. Missoni started mainly with the production of sportswear and were looking for their own path, their own corporate style for about ten years. The heyday of this brand will be the coming decades, and the hallmark of the multicolored stripes - zigzags in ethnic style.

After a decade of exile, the fashion world returned Coco Chanel... She was at that time already about 70 years old. She hated new look and presented to the public a number of ideas, which later became the highlight of her image. These are quilted handbags on metal chains, suits made of large-weave fabric with gold chains, shiny costume jewelry, floral silk blouses, monogrammed buttons and buttons, evening dresses and furs, long strings of pearls. But the first postwar collection was a flop and a fiasco.

The audience perceived the models as old-fashioned and out of date. But sometimes fate presents amazing surprises, and this is exactly what happened with the Chanel models. This period coincided with the Warsaw Aircraft Convention, according to which women and men were allowed to take only 20 kg of luggage with them. And of course, fluffy dresses in the new look style did not fit in more than one suitcase. And Chanel suits were great for transportation in some quantities. In 1955, the public accepted Chanel's ideas and adopted them.

One of Chanel's inventions was a chain sewn to the bottom of the jacket from the wrong side, so that the bottom of the jacket would not be pulled up. The lining should be exactly the same tone as the jacket itself, there should be no border. The length of the skirt never rose above the knees, which, according to Chanel, were not the most beautiful place on a woman's body. Coco Chanel could neither draw nor sew, but she always did all the fittings herself.

In 1959, the invention of lycra revolutionized the fashion world. This changed the attitude towards underwear in many ways and led to a restructuring in the industry related to the production of underwear. Floral bright colors of fabrics with printed patterns came into fashion. And the most popular fabrics were taffeta and organdy, because they kept the shape of the dress well. Throughout the 50s, the red line runs the theme of ostentatious luxury, which people missed so much during the war. The topic of recreation has become popular, something that everyone could not afford some time ago. This was expressed in marine designs on fabric, applications on handbags in the form of shells and fish. Saint Tropez is becoming the most fashionable resort, where all the life-seekers flock.

A special style of glamor was created in Hollywood, which was promoted Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Lauren Bacall... Some fashion designers believed that the dress shown on the screen would be seen by millions compared to the models in magazines. Therefore, this is a more profitable investment of their labor and they actively collaborated with film studios. They did not try to follow all the styles of fashionable Paris, but tried to create their own version of classicism, which should be timeless. To create the costumes, furs, sequins, luxurious materials, chiffon were used. A model with a deep cut on the back was popular, the actress looked very impressive in such a dress. The most influential Hollywood designers of the time were Orrie Kelly, William Travilla, Travis Benton and Gilbert Adrian.

The 50s is a triumph of color and stones, not always real, but the main thing is that they shine. In 1953, a young man came to the Dior Fashion House Yves Saint Laurent, and after the sudden death of Dior becomes the leading fashion designer of the house. In 1957, Yves Saint Laurent introduced a new trapeze silhouette. The first "humane" model in which a woman could eat. This silhouette will move smoothly into the 60s, but it will take on a new sound.

In 1959, a significant event will take place within the USSR. 12 French fashion models and 120 clothing models led by Yves Saint Laurent will visit the capital of the country. All 14 shows of the collections will be held behind closed doors, attended by high-ranking officials and representatives of the textile and light industry. Within a few days of stay, the collection will be able to be shown at several factories in Moscow, as well as to make a flight to Arkhangelsk.

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The fashion of the forties was dictated not by fashion houses and designers, but by the harsh conditions in which almost all countries of the world were placed.

In 1939, the world war began and from that moment on, industry (including light industry) began to work to support the front. Fabrics are becoming scarce, in particular, there was a ban on the use of cotton, silk, leather for non-military purposes. As a result, minimalism prevails in the cut of women's clothing of the 40s and there are no decorative elements, draperies and other details that require additional footage of fabric.

The two main clothing styles of the time were sporty and military.

The color scheme did not differ in variety: black, blue, gray, khaki. From prints one could sometimes find peas or small flowers.

Very common clothing items have become:

Pencil skirt - a very tight skirt with a length just below the knee.

A shirt dress is incredibly practical. Often supplemented with belts, belts, straps, large pockets.

White collars and cuffs. Used for any events when you wanted to look more elegant and beautiful. There might not be enough fabric for a white blouse, so collars and cuffs sewn on dresses or colored blouses became a real salvation for such cases.

Shoes were a huge shortage. The industry offered only leatherette shoes with wooden soles.

Hats. Since the beginning of the forties, hats have been rapidly decreasing in size, and then completely disappeared from the wardrobe. They were replaced by scarves, shawls and berets.

Knitted items and accessories were in fashion.

Cosmetics have practically disappeared from store shelves. Lipstick has become an unaffordable luxury. The only exception was America, a country on whose territory there was no war, and which economically suffered significantly less than Russia and Europe. In America, women of fashion could buy both powder and lipstick, and the latter was of various, often quite bright shades.

In wedding fashion, all the same trends were traced. Dresses were made short, with a minimum of details. Brides in simple costumes were often seen, white dresses were rare. America was again an exception, where wedding dresses were still long, white, complemented by a long veil.

After the end of the war, when economic conditions gradually begin to improve, fashion will again become an important part of women's lives. In 1947, Christian Dior launched his first collection of dresses, marking the beginning of a new era in fashion. But this will be already in the 50s.

Blogger Donna Julietta writes: “Today I looked through various retro photographs that capture the history of people's lives and then thought that it would be nice to see photographs related to fashion, to see how it changed, how interestingly fashionistas dressed then. And I decided, why not make an overview regarding fashion by decades. I will make a reservation right away that I will not cite as an example women who were popular at a certain time, it is better to give them special attention. Let's just talk about fashion. "

(43 photos total)

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Source: Journal / make-your-style

Let's start from the 10s of the XX century.

1. Corsets held back women for years, made their figures much more beautiful and graceful, and life was harder. The inability to breathe in and out once again, constant illnesses due to too tightly tightened "shells" - all this made the corset, though a significant item of the era, but very unpleasant.
Therefore, in 1906, women all over the world literally breathed out - a couturier named Paul Poiret first proposed wearing dresses of simple cut, without corsets. Very soon, such dresses became fashionable - that is why the tenth years were remembered as the years of "liberation" of women from the oppression of one of the most uncomfortable items of dress, and Paul Poiret became a real deliverer for ladies of high society.

2. In the tenths, Russian chic was in vogue - the "Russian Seasons", which were brought to Paris by the famous Sergei Diaghilev, were in vogue. Ballet, opera, art, exhibitions - all this was accompanied by a huge number of receptions at which our ladies could adopt the art of high fashion among Parisians.

3. It was then that all the familiar to us nowadays attributes of "chic life" in the wardrobe began to come into fashion - women bared their shoulders, began to wear very boudoir-looking toilets, decorating them with a huge number of feather fans, precious jewelry and shiny accessories.

Smoothly moving to the fashion of the 20s

4. During this period, sports, male sports figures entered fashion with confident steps, and female forms began to gradually lose their relevance and popularity. The ideal is a slender lady with narrow hips, without the slightest hint of a bust or other roundness. The famous Gabrielle Chanel can be called the reformer and revolutionary of the fashion of this period. Along with her in these times, fashionable clothes were created in such fashion houses as Nina Ricci, Chanel, Madame Paquin, Jean Patou, Madeleine Vionne, Jacques Doucet, Jacques Heim, Lucille ", the house of fur fashion" Jacques Heim "and others.

5. Egyptian motifs began to come into fashion in the 1920s. The designers' models were decorative, with an abundance of jewelry, embroidery in the zig-zag style. This style was called "Art Deco", and originated from the name of the exhibition of modern decorative and industrial art in Paris in 1925.

6. It was the style of embellishment and embellishment. Decor elements were present on furniture, kitchen utensils, and women's dresses.

7. Shoes, trimmed with embroidery or appliqués, decorated to the taste of popular couturiers of that time, came into fashion. Art Deco is an eclectic style in which African abstract exoticism is mixed with geometric forms of cubism; unconventional inexpensive and simple materials are mixed with expensive traditional materials of good quality.

8. Such a combination of incompatible, mixed in one style.

9. As a result, the fashion features of the 20s:

- the main elements of clothing are of course dresses, straight cut suits;
- pleating is in fashion;
- fashionable coat with a straight cut tapering to the bottom and with a fur collar;
- Pajama pants and pajamas, in which they went to the beach at that time, are in fashion;
- the first swimwear for women appeared - a revolution in beach fashion;
- clothes were sewn from more affordable fabrics and knitwear became a discovery;
- sports style is in fashion, not only trousers appear, but also shorts;
- the appearance of the classic little black dress of Chanel;

30s fashion

10. In these times, the cut of clothing became more complex. The quality of ready-to-wear, mass-produced, has improved markedly. Hollywood is the trendsetter in the United States. But even here firms began to appear that traded using catalogs sent by mail. These firms distributed new fashionable models in millions of copies.

11. Long skirts became the standard of fashion in the crisis times of the thirties. In 1929, Jean Patou was the first to propose long dresses and skirts, the waistline of which was in place. Following this innovation, all fashion houses extended their models in two stages. At first, the length of dresses and skirts reached mid-calf, and a little later dropped almost to the ankle. Ladies who follow fashion trends have lengthened their clothes on their own. They sewed on wedges and various frills.

12. A very popular garment of the 1930s was the women's street suit, which existed in a wide variety of versions. Outerwear - coats and jackets were distinguished by their extraordinary elegance and variety of styles.

13. Each type of clothing, including a suit, was characterized by a wide variety of shapes and finishes. The cut of the suits became more complicated, began to rely on geometry, which gives clarity to the silhouette.

14. Decorative details and adornments were widely used in the costume. Hat, handbag, gloves and shoes - that's what should have been in the same color scheme. Accessories were chosen very strictly. As a rule, they were black or brown, and in summer they were white.

15. The accessories selected in this way easily fit any dress or suit, which was relevant during the crisis. In the fashion of the 30s, accessories played a huge role. After all, most women of those years, except for a hat or a handbag, could not afford anything else.

40s fashion

16. The dominant fashion trend in the early 40s was multi-layered long skirts, huge bows on clothes, sometimes with the addition of vertical stripes, lantern sleeves. It is worth noting that at the time, striped clothing was the most popular. The war broke out and the world went into a militarized state, so the fashion of the 40s underwent significant changes. Women have no time to think about makeup and replenishment of their wardrobe.

17. During this period, the appearance of outfits was greatly simplified to minimalism in everything. Natural fabrics are no longer used for civilian purposes. Clothes for women began to be produced and sewn from acetate silk and viscose.

18. Floral designs are returning to fashion: ornaments, small flowers have become the main decoration of fabric and dresses made of this material. It became impossible to sew blouses and shirts from white fabric, so cuffs and collars began to take root in fashion. The discovery of the war period was the popular and nowadays style of "military"

19. At the same time, a new shoe model was released: shoes with stiletto heels.

20. Another innovation was the production of turtleneck sweaters, these models with a high collar under the throat deservedly received the recognition of fashionistas of those times.

50s fashion

22. In the post-war years, social differences sharpened markedly. Wives have again become a symbol of their spouses' well-being, a kind of showcase for those around them. Visiting a hairdressing salon and applying makeup has become an obligatory ritual for every woman. An ideal woman, even if she did not work anywhere and was a housewife, had to be fully equipped in the early morning: with the perfect haircut, heels and makeup, stand by the stove or vacuum the carpet.

23. Even in the Soviet Union, in which the way of life was significantly different from that of the West, it was customary to do hair styling in a hairdresser's or perm at least once a week, which also began to come into fashion with particular swiftness.

24. The '50s style contrasted the hourglass silhouette with the crisp, wide-shouldered silhouette that was popular during the war years. Thus, special requirements were imposed on the figure: sloping shoulders, thin waist, rounded feminine hips and lush breasts.

25. To meet these standards, women wore tight corsets, tuck cloth or cotton wool into their bras, and tightened their bellies. The images of the beauty of those times were: Elizabeth Taylor, Lyubov Orlova, Sophia Loren, Clara Luchko, Marilyn Monroe.

26. Among the young population, the standards were Lyudmila Gurchenko and others. A fashionable and stylish woman of the 1950s style resembled a flower in silhouette: a fluffy floor-length skirt, under which they put on a multilayer petticoat, high heels with stilettos, nylon stockings with a seam. Stockings are a must-have accessory to complete the look and are extremely expensive. But what women did not go to in order to look attractive and feel like beauties following fashion trends. It was problematic to buy fabrics at that time, they were released into one hands no more than a certain amount approved by the norms of those times. To sew one skirt for the "new silhouette", it took from nine to forty meters of material!

60s fashion

The legendary 60s - this is the brightest decade in the history of world fashion, free and expressive, a period of solemn procession of the so-called youth fashion. A new style needed new hairstyles. And again London was ahead of Paris in terms of innovative ideas. In 1959, the French film Babette Goes to War was released with Brigitte Bardot in the title role. A casually whipped hairstyle with a pile, despite the fact that it takes a lot of time for fashionistas to create it, is becoming super popular.

27. Accessories have become very popular: beads made of large beads, voluminous jewelry, macro glasses that covered the half of the face.

28. In London, the most scandalous clothing of the sixties was born - a miniskirt, a symbol of emancipation and the sexual revolution. In 1962, the legendary Mary Quant showed the first collection of mini-length pieces. The new style, called "London style", very quickly conquered the youth of the whole world.

29. 60s - the era of synthetics and everything artificial. Synthetic fabrics are widespread in mass fashion - they are considered the most comfortable and practical, since they do not wrinkle and are easy to wash, in addition, they are cheap.

30. Fashion of that time favored unnaturalness - false eyelashes, wigs, hairpieces, jewelry. High women's boots with low heels, with a narrow or wide rounded toe made of leather or synthetic material, called go go, are becoming super popular. Boots became widespread with the emergence of the mini length fashion and the dance style of the same name.

Fashion from the late 1960s was influenced by the hippie movement. Young people opposed social and class differences, racial discrimination and war. With their appearance, hippies emphasized the denial of the norms of official culture. Their clothes are deliberately sloppy and even sloppy - ripped jeans, beaded bracelets, fabric bags over the shoulders. The genderlessness of the appearance is emphasized, long hair symbolizes freedom.

70s fashion

31. In the 1970s, fashion became even more democratic. And, despite the fact that many call the 70s the era of bad taste, we can say that it was in those years that people had more means of expressing themselves through fashion. There was no single style direction, everything was fashionable: ethnic, disco, hippie, minimalism, retro, sports style.

32. The motto of the 70s was the expression "Everything is possible!" The couturiers presented several styles for the choice of progressive and active young people, none of which could be called dominant. The most fashionable element of the wardrobe was jeans, which were originally worn only by cowboys, and then by hippies and students.

33. Also in the wardrobe of women of fashion of that time were trapeze skirts, flared trousers, tunics, overalls, blouses with large bright prints, turtleneck sweaters, A-shaped dresses, shirt dresses.

34. In addition, it should be noted that clothing has become more comfortable and practical. The concept of a basic wardrobe, consisting of the required number of things that fit together, appeared. As for shoes, platform shoes have gained popularity.

35. Of the designers in the 70s, Sonya Rykiel was singled out, who was called the new Chanel. Sonia Rykiel created comfortable, comfortable clothes: sweaters, cardigans, dresses from woolen knitwear and mohair.

80s fashion

36. In the fashion of the 80s, retro images intertwined, reinterpreted by designers, as well as those born of youth subcultures, music and dance styles, the continuing boom of sports.

37. Hip-hop, gothic, post-punk, rave, house, techno, break dance, snowboarding, skateboarding, roller skates, step aerobics - all these phenomena were reflected in the style of the decade.

38. The list of iconic items of a decade of stylistic revelry is impressive - padded shoulders, banana trousers, military and safari clothing, kimono, bat and raglan sleeves, leggings with bright patterns, black fishnet tights, worn denim, so-called dumplings, black leather jackets, lurex, massive costume jewelry, jewelry buttons on jackets, voluminous hairstyles or styling with the effect of "wet hair", cascading haircuts, spiral perm, hair of decorative flowers, such as "eggplant", highlighting with "feathers". A lot of cosmetics were used in deliberate shades with sparkles and mother-of-pearl.

The massive 1980s can be described as excessive. Everything is, as it were, "too" - too narrow, too voluminous, too catchy, too bright. In the 80s, designers who thought outside the box and created unusual clothes with original decor elements enjoyed success: Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Jean-Paul Gaultier.

90s fashion

39. The style of the 90s in clothes, which has become universal, is better called not a style, but a new approach to the choice of clothes. Because in the fashion of the 90s, the very principle of creating your image is changing, as well as the principle used in creating a costume. The main appeal of the nineties is "to be what you are!" In those days, special attention was paid to denim clothing - only the lazy did not go in it. Avid fashionistas managed to wear jeans with denim shirts, bags and boots. So the style of the 90s can be safely called "denim", since every person had such a thing in more than one copy.

40. In the nineties, unisex fashion spread around the world: jeans with a T-shirt or loose-fitting trousers with a sweater, complemented by comfortable shoes.

41. Nineties - the time of sneakers and flat shoes. This unisex style is very fond of large Italian and American companies such as Banana Republic, Benetton, Marko Polo. Costumes strive for simplicity and functionality, which, however, revives the traditions of partner art, when along with strict asceticism in the costume there is a deliberate theatricality with a bright gamut of colors. Fashion changes depending on social orientation and territoriality, as in Europe, bohemians prefer conceptual designer clothes.

42. The main fashionable emphasis of the nineties is not on clothes, but on its owner. A fashionable look is created by a slim figure with tanned or milky-white skin. Body culture flourishes as in the days of Ancient Greece. Fashionistas and women of fashion visit not only sports clubs, but also beauty parlors and even use the services of plastic surgery. Catwalk supermodels become role models, with television and fashion magazines making a significant contribution to this.

43. Well then. This concludes my review. I would like to say that of all times, the 30s, 50s and 70s are closer to my preferences. In general, everything new is a long forgotten old.

This is not at all the work of professional photographers who can be accused of being one-sided. These are photographs from private albums - the real life that ordinary average Soviet people lived in the 20s - 50s.
Of course, they cannot be compared with the level of work of professional photojournalists, most of them were made by amateurs. But they reflect life as those people saw it and partially managed to preserve it in family photos ...
There is a lot left behind the scenes. For example, educational programs, where they taught to read and write 80% of the country's illiterate population - where did the peasants of those years get cameras from? But it's not that. Look at what surrounded the Soviet people of those years, the clothes, the faces that reflect their time. Sometimes they will tell about their time better than any historians, propagandists and analysts.

Mid-20s Children
School textbooks - for the first time in my life. For the first time in the world, education for all was given by Soviet Power.


1926 Cherepovets. Celebration of May 1
Near the tribune, street children - the consequences of the Civil. Homelessness will be eliminated only by the beginning of the 30s.


The year is 1928. Krasnoyarsk region. Congress of Party Workers.
Look at how party workers are dressed - just like the average person for those years.
In the 20s, not everyone had a suit. And the party workers had 2 tunics, or even one, in their usual wardrobe.


Family celebration, 20-30s

Photo of a woman. 1930 Moscow


A group of people 1930. Location unknown


Village Council early. 30's. Pavlo-Posad district, Moscow region


Car on the Wood (!) Car run 1931
Enthusiastic designers of the 30s. At that time, it was not very good with oil in the USSR - practically all of the explored reserves were concentrated in the Caucasus. The oil fields of Tataria and Siberia were discovered only in the 40s-50s, when a base for geological surveys was created. Before that, the country was sorely lacking geologists, equipment, engineers, transport ... there was practically nothing. All this was created in the 30s.


1931 The best crew at the construction of the Kuznetsk Metallurgical Combine, Novokuznetsk.
The foundation for heavy industry is being laid.
Look not at the faces of these people. They, not sparing themselves, built factories and cities for their descendants, for us. In 10 years they will protect what they have done in the most terrible war in human history, dying so that we live. And we allowed all this to be stolen and destroyed. Could we look them in the eye?


Family. Leningrad 1930-31
The intelligentsia and specialists in those years earned very good money.


Rest on the water. Kirov region 1932 - 1936


Apr 18 1934. "Working Brigade". Neverovo-Sloboda agricultural artel "Lenin's Testament" S. Neverovo-Sloboda Ver.Landekh. district Shuisk. env.
Agricultural workers in a remote Siberian province. An artel is a non-governmental organization, but a cooperative of united entrepreneurs who themselves entered into agreements with the state and other cooperatives, paid taxes, etc.
The cooperative movement was extremely developed in the Stalinist USSR. In addition to collective farms, which were cooperative organizations, there were then over 114,000 industrial workshops employing about 2 million people. They produced almost 6% of the gross industrial output of the USSR in its composition: 40% of all furniture in the country, 70% of all metal utensils, 35% of knitwear, almost 100% of toys.
In cooperative rural artels, workers (both collective farmers and individual farmers) were usually part-time employed. They included up to 30 million people in the 1930s.
The cooperative movement in the USSR was destroyed by Khrushchev simultaneously with the deployment of anti-Stalinist hysteria.

1934 Tour along the Georgian Military Highway
Can you imagine a worker in tsarist Russia who went on a tourist trip at government expense? As H. Wells said, this is the only country in the world where classical music is played to workers.

"After bathing" Mid-30s.
“Frightened Soviet people. »© See if there is fear on these faces? On any of the photos. Open, optimistic and bright faces.


Collective farmers. Kirov region between 1932 and 1936
Ordinary Soviet collective farmers at haymaking.


Kolomensky district. Mid-30s.


1935, Oryol region, Bogdanovsky rest house.
The whole country went in for sports. These are ordinary Soviet girls, not the gymnastics team at all. Try to repeat what they are doing.

Pedagogical school students, 1935, Kirov region
The form was given to the students by the Soviet State. This is a country that a few years ago walked in bast shoes and did not know how to read and write.


Young men of the 30s, Kirov region.
Badges - the standards of the TRP (Ready for Labor and Defense) and GTSO (the same, but sanitary) have been passed. In those years, it was absolutely necessary for a self-respecting boy to receive such a badge. A person was valued for personal qualities, and not for the wallet and connections of the parents. Those who used connections were despised.
In a few years such people will win the War, build a world power almost from scratch, and launch a man into space.
Pay attention to the collected, strong-willed, adult faces of these boys - they are about 16 years old. And compare them with the current ones.


The game "Pioneer Bench". Pioneer camp 1937
Each child could go almost free of charge for the whole summer to the pioneer camp, where they were raised, trained and educated. In Western countries, this is still impossible to dream of. And this has been commonplace since the 30s.


Snowmobile on the ice of the Volga at the Kanavdinsky bridge. Mid-30s.
High-tech of those years. They played an important role in the development of aviation technologies and were widely used in the development of the North, the Finnish and Patriotic wars.

1936 Moscow View of the Parachute Tower from the embankment. M. Gorky (Central Entrance to the Park)
What didn't you expect? That in the "terrible Stalinist USSR, where there was no sex" in Moscow, a sculpture of a beautiful naked woman is exhibited? Yes, moreover, she stood in the "terrible 37th".
The public park was then almost unthinkable without a parachute tower, a shooting gallery and a summer stadium. Each city had an airfield, where millions of young people mastered gliders and light aircraft. Fostered will, courage, courage.
In 1935 alone, more than 800,000 people were involved in parachuting. In those years, almost in every city, every large park there was a parachute tower, they were built even on large collective farms.
The parachute towers began to be liquidated immediately after Stalin's death. At the same time it became forbidden to have personal weapons. The parachute towers in the parks were closed by about the mid-60s.
By the way, there were a lot of sculptures and nude paintings in the Stalinist USSR, it was just that they never kindled a stir from this, turning a person with an unstable psyche into a slave of their passions, and this was just a calm and dignified part of culture.

Vera Voloshin, October 1, 1941. Two months later, November 29, this extremely beautiful girl will die.
Eight-meter sculpture Girl with an oar by the remarkable sculptor Ivan Shadr (Ivanov), the model was the remarkable Soviet athlete Vera Voloshina, who disappeared in November 1941 during a sabotage operation behind enemy lines.
A month before her death, the sculpture was destroyed by a German bomb. Only a quarter of a century later, the details of her death became known - she was seriously wounded when returning from a mission, captured by the Germans and, after long torture, was hanged in the forest. This happened 10 km from the place of death of Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, on the same day. Vera Voloshin, who performed the same feat, was a Komsomol organizer of the Komsomol reconnaissance and sabotage group, which included Zoya.
Vera was also an excellent parachutist and the sculptor half-jokingly said that he had specially set her to look at the parachute tower.


Geology students 1937


What the photo is about is clear from the caption above. Pay attention - almost all boys have TRP badges. Being a Komsomol dystrophist was simply wild. Komsomol members and communists could have personal weapons.


Ordinary Moscow Family 1939-1940


1939 year. Khakassia. Village
A bicycle in the Land of Soviets became commonplace - almost everyone could afford it and their children. In the West, for example, not everyone could afford a bicycle in those years. The five-year plan of consumer goods began, which was carried out extremely successfully. The standard of living of Soviet people rose rapidly from 1939 ... until June 22, 1941.

1942, two months later he will die in the battles near Vyazma.

On the Ruins of the Native House 1942. Moscow region.


Oath. 1944


1947 Rural school in the Vologda region.
In the photographs of the first years after the War, even on children's faces, traces of severe stress and hard life are visible. The traces of the War are visible on human faces even in the early 50s and then they gradually disappear, and the faces of 10-year-old children cease to be not childish adults.
Almost all of them lost or seriously injured someone close to them, if not from their family, then from their friends, their families, and classmates. For many of them, their mothers remained widows.


Country Boys 1947


4 "A" class, end of October 1948, a village near Smolensk.


"Trinity, 1949". Kirov region
For the last 20 years, "everyone knows" that religious rituals in the USSR were strictly prohibited, and the terror was especially fierce during the time of Stalin. As we are assured: put an end to the grave, dressed up a Christmas tree - and march in a column to the Kolyma. And it was like this.


Class of 1950. One of the Moscow schools.


"Camping" - late 40s - early 50s


At the desk in the institution. 1949, Kirov region


Holiday of the October Revolution. Early 50s


Editorial Office of the Local Newspaper. Listen to the News. Vladimir region, early. 50's


Residents of Kaunas 1950


Student, 50s.

Young man. Ufa, 1953.


Village Boys, der. Chupakhino, Oryol region 1953 year
Once on TV they said that the "zipper" appeared in the USSR only in the 60s, so much it lagged behind the "civilized countries" in consumer goods. I meant, "why do we need space if we cannot make lightning." Apparently, the guy on the left side of the photo removed the skin from the killed American.


1954. Ready for Labor and Defense. Delivery of TRP norms.


Picnic with a gramophone. End of the 50s

"Nadia" - mid-50s, Moscow
Their faces no longer reflect the War, they become carefree and mischievous. Children who tried to better "fatten" in the 50s after the hungry war years.

Riga-50s.

In the dash of the society "Dynamo" 1955


In a new apartment. Personnel worker of the plant "Red October" Shubin A.I. Moscow, Tushino, 1956


Boys, Kolomna, 1958.


Kislovodsk. Ceremony of drinking mineral water. 1957 year. Author - Javad Bagirov


Kiev apartment 1957

Baku, Walk Tired. 1959 Author - Javad Bagirov


Apparatus for the sale of perfumes and cologne. 50th
Since the 50s, it was possible to "pshik" on yourself with perfume or cologne in large stores. It cost 15 kopecks before the "Khrushchev reform".

The world was on the verge of World War II. The militarization of society again influenced fashion. As well as during the First World War, clothing silhouettes began to change noticeably. Since the end of the 30s, the lining shoulders have become the main style-forming detail, increasing every year. In the 1940s, massive shoulder pads are a must for both women and men fashion clothes... In addition, clothes appear with details characteristic of the military and sports style - patch pockets, yokes and deep folds on the back, straps and shoulder straps, in fashion belted waist. Women's skirts are getting shorter than they were in the 1930s, with slightly flared and pleated designs dominating.

In 1940, the Soviet fashion is moving closer to the European one. Politicians fought for spheres of influence and divided the world among themselves, taking territories from some states and giving them to others, and fashion, oddly enough, benefited from this cruel process, once again proving that she is part of a global world process, and she does not need borders. Thanks to the annexation of Western Belarus, Western Ukraine, which were part of Poland, to the USSR, the return of Bessarabia, which at that time was part of Romania, Vyborg, which was the territory of Finland, the Baltic countries, in the Soviet space there was a renewal and expansion of such a concept as fashion.

For the USSR, the states in which the light industry was highly developed enough in the field of fashion were a kind of stream of fresh blood, the Soviet people received greater access to information about fashionable world trends. In Lviv, famous for its excellent tailors and shoemakers, in Vilna, and especially in Riga, which at that time was even compared with Western European cities, calling it "little Paris", one could freely buy a good fashionable clothes... Riga women have always been famous for their special elegance. There were many fashion salons in Riga, high-quality fashion magazines were published, informing about fashion world trends. People came to the Baltics for good shoes, linen, furs and French perfume. Soviet actresses brought fashionable things from the tour. Lviv was also filled with goods. From there they brought in magnificent fabrics, furs, jewelry, leather bags and shoes.

During this period, Soviet women of fashion walked along with European fashions and wore padded shoulders, heavily flared things at the waist, just over the knee, blouses with lantern sleeves, worn with sundresses, high hats in the Tyrolean-Bovarian style, and in imitation of the Spanish style and Latin American - insanely popular polka-dot dresses and blouses, berets and turbans. The turban so liked the taste of Soviet women that those who could not buy the finished product simply tied a scarf folded with a strip in a special manner, with the tips up, constructing a large knot on the crown of the head, thus, something was obtained that imitates the semblance of the aforementioned headdress. Also in vogue are various felt hats and hats with veils, miniature leather or silk handbags-envelopes, in the 40s they began to wear small handbags over their shoulders with a long thin strap.

In the USSR at that time, original or stylized Spanish and Latin American songs performed by Klavdia Shulzhenko, Isabella Yurieva, and Petr Leshchenko were very popular. And although the songs performed by Pyotr Leshchenko in the Soviet Union did not sound, since the former subject of the Russian Empire after the revolution ended up on the territory that went to Romania, his records in a roundabout way fell into the domestic spaces, mainly from Bessarabia, from Western Ukraine and the Baltic states, which in 1940 to the USSR.

In the evening fashion dominated by the romantic trend. For fashionable evening and elegant dresses of the 40s, slightly flared skirts, neckline, tight-fitting bodice, or bodice with drapery, small lantern sleeves are characteristic. Most often, evening dresses were sewn from crepe satin, faydeshin or thick silk, crepe georgette, crepe morocin, velvet, panne velvet and panschiffon, finished with lace and flower appliqués, beads. White lace collars are very common. The main addition to the weekend toilet was a silver fox boa. Beads and large brooches were especially popular among jewelry.

In the early 1940s, widening gabardine coats with large padded shoulders, often with raglan sleeves, became very fashionable. In addition, double-breasted coats and coats with fitted silhouettes with a belt are popular. Soviet outerwear models of that period were in line with world fashion trends. In addition to gabardine, in the USSR, coats were sewn from boston wool, cord, carpet coat and from the most common fabrics of those years - fulle, drape, drape velor, ratin, cloth and beaver.

The 1940s is the time of platform and wedge shoes. Women all over the world preferred to wear similar shoes. A very fashionable model was shoes with open toes and heels, with high heels, with a platform under the toe. In the USSR, there were practically no such shoes, only a select few could wear the fashionable "platform", most of the platforms in those days were cut out of a handicraft way from wood, and then they were stuffed with straps or vamp made of fabric or leather scraps. It turned out something like fashionable shoes. One of the most common models of women's shoes in the 1940s in our country were lace-up low-heeled shoes and pumps.

In winter, women of fashion dreamed of getting shoes, called "Romanian", again with a small heel, with lacing, but inside with fur, and outside trimmed with fur trim. Why they were called “Romanians” is unknown, perhaps in the 1940s, such a shoe model came to the Soviet country from the annexed Bessarabia. But, often, both women and men had to be content with felt boots, or felt cloaks, which were popular at that time - warm high boots with a bootleg made of thin felt and a bottom trimmed with natural leather.

Good shoes were in short supply, and they were not cheap, therefore, on the feet of Soviet women, one could often see rude models, not much like elegant shoes from fashion magazines... Seamed filderer stockings, fetish of the 40s, were very difficult to get, and the prices for these stockings were simply unrealistic. Stockings were so scarce and such an object of dreams that women drew a seam and a heel on their legs with a pencil, imitating a stocking on a bare leg. True, during the Second World War, such problems were in many European countries. In the USSR, white socks became an alternative to the coveted stockings. A girl in a dress with padded shoulders or lantern sleeves in white socks and pumps with small heels or sandals is a kind of symbol of the 40s era.

The short, wavy hair that was so popular in the 1930s gradually faded into the 1940s. fashion, it was difficult to do them yourself, many hairdressing salons closed during this period. Women began to grow their hair because long hair was easier to do without assistance. Perms from long hair, rollers and styling rings, laid over the forehead, as well as all kinds of hairstyles with braids have become established in world fashion. The most common hairstyles of the war years among Soviet women were - a roller over the forehead and a bun in the back, often covered with a net, or a roller and hair twisted with Marseilles tongs or pinned up behind the hair, as well as the so-called little braids and a basket - two pigtails with a tip one is fixed to the base of the other. The fashionable smells of the 40s were all the same “Krasnaya Moskva”, “Lily of the Valley” and “Carmen”, and TEZHE's cosmetic products were invariably in great demand.

Fashion magazines in the USSR continued to be published during the war years. Fashionable clothes The forties could be seen in the "Fashion Magazine", "Models of the Season", "Mods", etc. But if we talk specifically about fashion, then this facet was present in the life of a relatively small circle of people, fashion was not available to everyone, and the problem of "fashionable or not fashionable" did not really excite Soviet citizens. Most were preoccupied with the thought of getting at least some clothes, saving up money to buy everyday things. Life was very difficult and unsettled. If the inhabitants of the capital and large cities lived in conditions of shortage and overcoming difficulties, taking little interest in fashion, then for the hinterland the concept of fashion was something incomprehensible, distant and insignificant.

Since the mid-1930s, shops in large cities began to more or less fill up with goods, but there was still no abundance in small settlements. The level of commodity deficit in different localities of the USSR varied greatly. The smallest deficit was in Moscow and Leningrad, among the Union republics - in the Baltic states. Each settlement in the USSR was assigned to a certain "supply category", and there were 4 of them (special, first, second and third). The flow of nonresident buyers to Moscow was constantly growing. Large department stores had long queues.

In the Soviet periodicals of the 1930s, one could read articles by representatives of the retail trade, complaining that buyers were mainly interested in inexpensive products, and, for example, silk dresses that factories supply to stores they could not afford, and also talk about the problems of low-quality sewing at garment factories, which is why they often had to give the things received by the store for revision to cooperative artels. In addition, it followed from the publications that the sellers independently ordered batches of clothing in cooperatives and personally agreed on the styles of the ordered models.

With the beginning of the war in the USSR, shops, fashion ateliers and other institutions associated with the fashion and beauty industry began to close. Soon, the rationing system for the distribution of goods, due to wartime, was again introduced on the territory of the USSR. The scale of destruction and disaster was such that it seemed that the nascent Soviet fashion will no longer be reborn. The war quickly left its mark on the appearance of people. Hundreds of thousands of girls and boys who came from school to the front just did not have time to learn what fashion is, they had to put on military uniforms. Many women who remained in the rear did heavy and dirty work instead of the men who had gone to the front - they dug trenches, worked in hospitals, put out lighters on the roofs of houses. Instead fashion clothes trousers, quilted jackets and tarpaulin boots entered women's life.

At the end of the war, in 1944, the Soviet government decided to contribute to the revival of modeling fashion clothes in the country and opened a fashion house in Moscow on the famous "fashion street" since the 18th century - Kuznetsky Most, house number 14. A new important stage in the history of the Soviet fashion industry began. The best fashion designers of the country were supposed to develop new models of clothing for Soviet people, and garment factories were going to oblige to produce products not at their own discretion, but only according to the patterns of the most successful model samples. This intention was already in the late 1930s, but the war prevented the implementation of all this in practice on a national scale.

The USSR intended to demonstrate to the world the advantages of a centralized socialist economy. It was decided that the future development fashion should be associated with ensemble modeling, which involved the creation of a single concept of the costume. In those difficult war years, when the whole world was experiencing difficulties in the field of light industry, the idea of \u200b\u200bensemble modeling was extremely strange, since its implementation required significant financial investments. The state approach to the development of fashion in the country opened up for the authorities the prospect of controlling what the population was wearing, regulating fashion trends, opposing the Soviet fashion bourgeois. The transition to a peaceful track of the light industry of the country, which worked almost entirely for the needs of the army, was inevitable. It was necessary to start mastering the production of household items by sewing factories.

A unified centralized system for modeling clothes in the USSR was created gradually and went through several main periods in its development. At the first stage, in 1944-1948, only a few regional Model Houses functioned in the largest cities, among which the Moscow Model House (MDM) occupied the leading place. Besides Moscow, in the 40s, Model Houses were opened in Kiev, Leningrad, Minsk and Riga. At the end of the war, the state, which stood up for the revival of clothing design, did not have the means for fashion. Therefore, the Moscow House of Models (MDM) was obliged to work on the principles of self-sufficiency. It was planned that garment workers would order and pay for MDM model design fashion clothesimplemented in factories. But the enterprises did not want to order anything, it was more profitable for them to put on stream the antediluvian models of their own production, made according to old patterns, thereby replicating out of fashion, low-quality products. The situation was aggravated by high demand - any more or less cheap and practical clothes were sold out instantly. In addition to sewing factories, numerous artels were engaged in sewing clothes, producing cheap products of low quality, which were in constant demand due to the shortage. So the advantages of a centralized socialist economy over a capitalist one were highly questionable.

The Moscow Fashion House was obliged to proactively develop and offer new models of clothing to seamstresses, working at a loss. Since the modeling turned out to be unprofitable, the main source of livelihood was the orders of a structure called Glavobtorg. MDM not only developed new models fashion clothes, but also sewed them in small batches, which were then successfully sold through commercial stores in the capital and exemplary special stores that appeared in the country back in the 1930s. A decree on the widespread deployment of a network of commercial food stores, department stores and restaurants of Glavobtorg was adopted by the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR on March 18, 1944. The need for this measure was explained by concern for improving the supply of Soviet workers, or rather, their individual representatives. The decree stated that workers in science, technology, art, literature, as well as senior officers of the Red Army have significant funds, but with the existing system of rationed supply, they are not able to buy high-quality goods in the assortment they need, and in commercial stores that have opened in department stores, they could purchase them within the limits of vacation rates per one hand. Limit books were also issued, with coupons which could be partially paid in the commercial network.