Stilyagi

fashion movement of the USSR 80s

 “Stilyaga” (Russian) is a slang word used to designate
representatives of the youth subculture in the USSR,
which became widespread in large Soviet cities. The
first wave of stilyagi began in the 1940s and ended in
the 1960s; in the 1980s, the movement was revived
and received a second wave.

Moscow stilyagi trying to dance the twist. 1980

Representatives of this subculture sought to imitate the American way of

life and manner of dressing, but because of the “Iron Curtain” they had a
distorted idea of ​the subject of imitation. Young people wanted to enjoy
life, dress beautifully and be happy. They stood out from the crowd with
their bright clothes.

Freedom and the desire to stand out were not approved in the Soviet
Union, representatives of the subculture were disliked, the stilyagi’s Stilyagi. Anton Teddy and comrades, 1984.
parties were monitored by the KGB and they were even hunted by patrols. Photo by Dmitry Konrad
Distinctive features were bright colourful clothing,
emphasized apoliticality, denial of certain norms of public
morality (which was sharply condemned by society),
american music and dancing, and their oun slang.

The first stilyagi wore baggy double- Photo from the archive of the Voronezh sanatorium. 1988

breasted jackets of colorful colors,

wide-brimmed hats, bright socks
peeking out from under their trousers,
colored silk or Hawaiian shirts,
sweaters with deer, pointed high-soled
boots, ties with dragons, monkeys, and
roosters.

Later, strict raincoats with a top

button, ratite coats in the English style,
pure wool suits, wide gray jackets with
a handkerchief in the pocket, tailor-
made Stetson hats, American soldier
boots and shoes with perforated toes
became popular among
representatives of the movement.

Photo from the personal archive
of an unknown woman
Photo by Mikhail Ivanov
Women's wardrobe
Women's clothing was also
bright and catchy. Dresses
were colourful decorated
with prints in circles,
stripes, checks or patterns
in the form of flowers. An
important role played
accessories: gloves,
voluminous earrings,
stockings with suspenders,
headbands and scarves
The more prints, the brighter the image and the better it looks.
Spaghetti straps, revealing stockings, daring behavior, bold
makeup, lined eyes and brightly painted lips. The difference was
striking between Soviet girls in shapeless, dull clothes and bright
feminine forms, which were emphasized by the contrast
between a full skirt with a narrow cinched waist. Very often,
such dresses were complemented with round beads, bracelets
and other jewelry.
Photos of MSU graduates

Photo from an article by Alexander Goncharov

Such bright and strange (by Soviet standards) clothes could

not be bought in a store. Wealthy stilyagi bought clothes
from black marketeers or visiting foreigners, and also
ordered clothes made from Western fabrics purchased in
thrift stores. Hipsters from poor families often sewed
raincoats and trousers from canvas, glued so-called
“semolina porridge” onto their shoes - soles made of rubber
or micropork, which were then corrugated on the side, etc.
Wide Stilyagi. Moscow, 1987
Since the movement was condemned, the
media tried in every possible way to ridicule it.
In newspapers and magazines one could find
caricatures of stilyagi.

Media compared them to parrots (because of

brightness and imitation), monkeys or
homeless people, trying to make the
appearance of stilyagi look stupid and
embarrassing.

Images taken from magazine “krokodil”

Sources:
https://diletant.media/articles/26699480/
https://dzen.ru/a/YVv7FBHAfBMHoxSw
https://pikabu.ru/story/sovetskie_karikaturyi_na_stilyag_9406597
https://odezhda.guru/stil/129-stilyagi
https://rr-life.ru/category/fashion/nashestvie-stilyag/
https://pressa.tv/foto/40612-neformalnye-molodezhnye-
dvizheniya-v-sssr-45-foto.html
https://make-your-style.livejournal.com/240969.html