Recently, school uniforms are beginning to return to the life of modern students . Many parents support this initiative of officials from education, believing that a common style in clothing will not distract from the most important thing - the assimilation of material. Indeed, very often, instead of carefully listening to the teacher, classmates consider each other's outfits and discuss them. In addition, the parents of the students recall their youth when they all wore a school uniform.
Reasons for the introduction
In the post-war period, the introduction of uniform style in all departments took place. Employees had to strictly abide by the statutory dress code, as they say now. School life was no exception. In schools, the wearing of a school uniform became mandatory in 1948, when the first, most rigorous and ascetic version of it was approved. The education of a true patriot, distinguished by high moral principles, was to begin from childhood. The school uniform of the times of the USSR not only accustomed the child to accuracy, disciplined him, but also indicated the absence of class differences. All children were equal to each other. In any case, during the training sessions it was impossible to demonstrate to classmates some unusual thing that his parents had difficulty getting to their child.
School uniform worn by girls
Introduced in 1948, the USSR school uniform for girls very much resembled the style of clothing that should have been followed by pupils of pre-revolutionary women's gymnasiums. She was a neat brown dress made of wool and an apron. A black apron was intended for everyday wear, which on holidays could be replaced with white.
In order to freshen the appearance a bit, white cuffs were sewn onto the sleeves, and a white collar was also used. Their presence was mandatory both on a public holiday and on a regular workday.
The dress was quite long, below the knee. Any experiments with the elements of the dress, its length and style were prohibited. The school administration usually severely punished fashionistas who dared to violate generally accepted rules.
School uniform worn by boys
The school uniform for boys of the USSR had several mandatory elements:
1. A cap decorated with a cockade.
2. Gymnast.
3. A belt with a shiny massive buckle.
4. Pants.
The gymnast and trousers were sewn from gray woolen fabric. Such products were not very comfortable to wear, as they quickly lost their shape. And after a not very accurate washing or unsuccessful drying, they could significantly increase in size.
Boys were also not allowed to experiment with their appearance. The school uniform of the USSR was mandatory for all students without exception.
General appearance
The appearance of schoolchildren was also required to meet certain conditions. It was not enough just to wear a school uniform, the student should always look neat.
Allowed to appear at school only in clean and well-ironed clothes. Cuffs and a collar patch, which are a must for girls, should always be clean. Coming to school with dirty or poorly ironed cuffs could turn into a great shame. Shoes should also be kept clean, despite the time of year and the remoteness of the house from the school.
Hairstyle for schoolchildren
The school uniform of the USSR, the severity and minimalism manifested in it, dictated a certain type of hairstyles for schoolchildren. There could not be any liberties either.
For boys, a short haircut was mandatory. Girls could braid braids using black or brown bows. On a holiday, you could tie a white bow. Other colors were banned, so it was not easy to find in Soviet stores. Braids with bows were obligatory for girls, there was no question of any other hairstyle.
Shape change
In 1960, the school uniform of the USSR began to change, photos in different periods of the existence of the Soviet Union perfectly demonstrate these transformations. Changes taking place in all spheres of people's lives at this time could not but affect the clothes of students.
The main transformations appeared in a school uniform for boys. Inexpressive clothing made of gray woolen fabric was replaced by brighter models of blue wool material. She kept her shape better, did not stretch after washing. The cut of the jacket looked like a denim, which was very popular at that time in the West. Emblems were sewn on the sleeves, which are pictures with images of an open textbook and the rising sun. The color of these stripes was blue or red.
The school uniform of the USSR worn by the girls did not undergo any special changes. It was only allowed to shorten the dress a little - its length was just above the knees.
High school uniform
The real breakthrough of that time was the introduction in early 1980 of a form for high school students. Boys began to wear pantsuits instead of individual trousers and jackets. The color of the form also remained blue. Sometimes it was even possible to remove emblems, as over time the paint on them wore off and they looked messy.
The long-awaited transformation of the school uniform also affected the girls. From the first to the seventh grade, they still wore the usual dresses with aprons. But from the eighth grade it was possible to wear a three-piece suit of dense material of blue color. It included a neat a-line skirt decorated with pleats in front, a vest and a jacket. The girl herself could pick up a blouse for the costume, which was the field for a huge number of experiments. The skirt could be worn with both a vest and a jacket. In cold weather, they wore the entire costume at once.
Another innovation was the introduction in 1988 of trousers for schoolgirls living in areas of the Far North. They could be worn in the winter season.
Pioneer Badges
The school uniform of the USSR was necessarily supplemented with badges worn by students according to their age and affiliation with a particular organization.
Children in primary school were Oktyabrs and wore the October badge, which was the face of little Volodya Ulyanov inside a red star. Older students, middle school students, wore a pioneer badge. It was also made in the shape of a star, but on it was an image of V.I. Lenin. If a pioneer was particularly distinguished in public work, showed himself an active person, he was awarded a special badge. Instead of the inscription “Always ready”, the inscription “For active work” was made on it, and the insignia itself was slightly larger than the standard one. The school uniform worn by the pioneers was complemented by a pioneer tie.
High school students were supposed to wear the Komsomol badge. It was a small symbol that looked like a red flag decorated with a portrait of V.I. Lenin.
Recently, more and more schoolchildren are eager to find out where to buy a school uniform of the USSR, which would have the exact form of clothing of that time. High school students want, for example, to put it on the last bell. This tradition has spread in many schools. In this case, usually the option with a white festive apron is used. Finding a form is not so difficult. It can be seen both in specialized stores and on sale on various Internet resources, where a considerable number of models of various sizes are presented.