What do all these colored stripes mean? guy in a vest

Among the military, hunters, fishermen, lovers of water and not only tourism, you can often see people dressed in striped T-shirts and the same type of loose-fitting T-shirts with long sleeves which are called vests or vests. If you spend a lot of time outdoors and decide to buy this type of clothing for yourself, then you will definitely have a question: “Where to buy?”. Best Choice- Military 21 store, where you will definitely buy good model from those available on the site.

A bit of history

The men's vest dates back to the middle of the 19th century as part of the naval uniform of British sailors. From there she migrated to the Russian navy, and blue and White color stripes repeated the colors of the St. Andrew's flag. After military sailors, civilian sailors, fishermen and all people whose profession is somehow connected with the sea began to wear vests. By chance, she was seen by Coco Chanel, who introduced fashion for civilians as well. And now anyone can buy it.

Vests in our store

The website of the store offers a wide range of summer and winter options. You can buy a real summer cotton vest in black, blue, light blue, green, red; for winter, a classic half-woolen or on a bike (cotton with fleece) is recommended, which retains heat well in the cold season. As underwear you can buy shirts with stripes different colors: black, green, cyan, blue and red. All items are made from natural knitted fabric, not shedding when washing.

If you are a fan of this type of clothing, then you will definitely buy a vest from us. right size and models. If in winter it is worn for warming, then in summer it is practical clothing, in which you can not only walk at home and in nature, but also go out to people, dressing her with a shirt, jacket and sweatshirt. Moreover, in addition to men, vests are now also bought by girls who prefer unique style. For this fashionable category of clothes, stylists give special recommendations on what to wear it with in order to be always sophisticated in such democratic clothes.

Men and vests

In 1874, by the imperial decree of Alexander II, the vest was officially included in the list of ammunition mandatory for Russian sailors to wear. Since then, this date has been considered the birthday of the Russian vest, and the striped shirt itself has firmly entered the life of the Russian sailor. But the story of its origin is still shrouded in mystery.

MIKE OF THE DEADMAN

It is believed that a sailor who first set off to the open sea (whether on a fishing boat, a merchant ship or a military cruiser) immediately joins the brotherhood of brave conquerors of the sea. There are a lot of dangers there, and sailors are the most superstitious people in the world. And here is one of the main sea beliefs associated with dark and light stripes applied to the vest.

It turns out that unlike land citizens, every real sailor is sure that the abyss is inhabited by various demons and mermaids, and each of them is a serious danger to the conquerors of the seas and oceans. To deceive them, they used a vest: it was believed that, having put on a similar shirt, the sailors seemed to the spirits of the sea already dead, from which only skeletons remained.

The fishermen of French Brittany were the first to put on a robe with black and white stripes to protect themselves from the spirits of the sea. At the beginning of the 17th century, this superstition spread throughout the Old World.

Starting from 1852, according to the French standard, the vest had to have 21 stripes - according to the number of Napoleon's major victories. In turn, the Dutch and the British preferred a vest exclusively with 12 transverse stripes - according to the number of ribs in a person.

PAPER SHIRT

Seriously speaking, the appearance of a vest on the sea was dictated by harsh circumstances. sea ​​voyages and it is very strange that it did not appear before the 17th century. Not wanting to draw information from dubious sources, the author of the article turned to a familiar rear admiral with a request to tell about where this striped shirt actually came from. The admiral laughed and said: “Even at the school, the teachers told us: the stripes on the vest - so that we can see the nets against the background of the sails.”

Indeed, during a voyage or a sea battle, it was vital for the ship's boatswain to see how many people were at work. A man in a striped blue-and-white shirt is perfectly visible against the background of both white and colored sails. In a situation where the sailor was overboard, the vest again greatly facilitated his search and rescue. But the main thing for which the sailors fell in love with the vest is its composition.

For example, after the introduction of the vest into the uniform of Russian sailors, the official document said: “A shirt knitted from wool in half with paper,” that is, with cotton. This made it possible to ventilate the body during the heat and warm it during the cold.

The first vests were knitted. Sailors during distant wanderings sometimes knitted their favorite clothes with crochet and knitting needles - this took their leisure time and very calmed the nerves.

OUTLAW

Despite the popularity of the vest, to XVIII century she was banned. The reason for the ban, despite the obvious stupidity, was logical enough. Naval Forces Leadership Row European countries considered the vest to be a non-statutory form of clothing. Indeed, sailors often knitted it by eye, not observing the standards for the quality of the material and the length of the strips.

In addition, at that time, state-owned naval uniforms appeared in most countries. So the vest for almost a hundred years disappeared from the active use of sailors. Some sailors, out of old habit, put on a vest under their clothes, but they were severely punished for this.

The striped shirt was rehabilitated only in the middle of the 19th century, when the Dutch marine uniform came into fashion: a short pea jacket, flared trousers, jackets with plunging neckline on the chest, from which the stripes were visible. From that moment on, every sailor was required to have at least three vests in his wardrobe.

"SEA SOUL"

In Russia, the vest has become a symbol of reckless courage, heroism and contempt for death. Today it is difficult to say when Russian sailors first saw striped shirts on their foreign colleagues. Most likely, this acquaintance happened in the 17th century in Arkhangelsk, during a visit to the port by English or Dutch merchant ships.

It is surprising why Peter I, who almost completely adopted the maritime traditions of Holland, did not immediately borrow the vest. Only in August 1874 did Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich Romanov put before Emperor Alexander II a decree on the inclusion of a vest in sea ​​uniform.

The first Russian vest has a distance between blue stripes was approximately 4.5 cm. It was believed that the blue and white scale of the vest repeats the colors of the St. Andrew's flag. The white stripes were much wider than the blue ones. Equality between them was established only in 1912. From that moment on, the width of the strips was a quarter of an inch, in modern terms, about 1 cm. Cotton was now used exclusively as a material.

For the first time, the production of vests took place abroad. Only with time in St. Petersburg it was established own production at the Kersten knitting factory, after the revolution, renamed the "Red Banner".

The striped shirt did not become casual at once. At first, it was intended exclusively for long trips. V normal mode the lower ranks could wear it only on Sundays, on days public holidays, as well as when leaving ashore. Thus, the vest from a convenient household item for some time turned into an element dress uniform. But the sailors still tried to wear it every day, affectionately calling it "the soul of the sea."

STRIPED DEVILS

Since 1893, the vest has been included in the uniform of the flotilla of the Separate Border Guard Corps on the White, Black and Caspian Seas. The classic blue stripes in 1898 were replaced by green stripes, as they remain with the border guards to this day.

The special forces of the internal troops wear a vest with maroon stripes, the special forces of the FSB and the Presidential Regiment - with cornflower blue, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations - with orange. Marines, like submariners, dress in a black striped vest.

Why were these colors chosen? This is a secret with seven seals. But it is well known for what merits the vest from the sea migrated to land. The reason for this is the use of sailors in land military operations in the Civil and Great Patriotic War. For reasons unknown to historians, the sailors turned out to be better fighters than their land counterparts.

No wonder the enemy, in fear, called the marines "striped devils." Until now, a saying is popular in Russia: “There are few of us, but we are in vests!”. During the war years, it was supplemented by another: "One sailor - a sailor, two sailors - a platoon, three sailors - a company." In the first battle on land on June 25, 1941, near Liepaja, Baltic sailors put to flight the Wehrmacht soldiers, who had previously captured half of Europe.

Their favorite vest also played a role in the successful fulfillment of combat missions by Soviet sailors. The fact is that the sailors went on the attack, as a rule, in the same vests, the stripes of which were created optical illusion more people than it actually was.

The command, making sure that the sailors never retreat, threw the "striped devils" into a breakthrough in the most difficult sectors of the front. It was because of the courage of the sailors on the fields of the Great Patriotic War on July 6, 1969 that the vest entered the uniform of the airborne troops.

A vest, or "vest" in the common people, is associated with navy. Indeed, initially the vest was the clothes of sailors. Then this item men's wardrobe adopted other types of troops, as well as those who military service had nothing to do with it. Today, the vest is a symbol of courage, masculinity, romance and fidelity to one's work. So pay attention to this thing.

By the way, even a separate holiday is dedicated to military clothing with stripes - the birthday of the Russian vest, which is celebrated (especially widely - in St. Petersburg) on ​​August 19th.

Like any trend, striped clothing has evolved over time. Designers menswear began to boldly experiment with the width and color of the stripes. In addition, today on the shelves of stores you can find vests of the most various styles. They will differ from classic military ones, first of all, in the quality of workmanship - the thread will be thinner, the material will be softer. Shop vests are more comfortable to wear.

Here are a few secrets of using a vest in your everyday wardrobe:

1. Stripes have now become a neutral piece of clothing for every day, so you can wear them both to work and to a friendly meeting.

2. Vests go great with rolled up chinos. So you can create a relaxed look, perfect for hot weekends and weekdays.

3. Choose vests with large, wide stripes - the combination of small contrasting lines is poorly perceived by the eye and can cause irritation for your interlocutor.

4. Mikey's horizontal stripe(as in the photo above) will allow you to emphasize the relief muscles of the arms and visually expand the torso. Well, isn't it perfect option to go to the practice area?

5. If you have not had time to work hard on the muscles of the press, and your bulging belly does not suit you, then choose vests free cut to hide imperfections. In addition, it would be nice to visually limit the vest with a jacket / vest / jacket so that the stripes do not expand yours already volumetric figure- let the vest only peek out from under upper layers clothes, thereby refreshing your image.

On August 19, 1874, the striped jersey received the official status of a part of the ammunition of a Russian sailor by a high Imperial decree. It's time to reveal the main mysteries of the "sea soul".

Let's start with a little prologue. If before that you read something about the origin of vests, then consider that you have lost time. What is written in Russian is a flawed compilation of a compilation. Today, on the unofficial birthday of the Russian vest, you have a happy opportunity to learn SOMETHING about this element of the “marine” wardrobe, if, of course, you need it at all for some reason.

Now the prologue itself. Any person is blood from flesh the son of the earth. The bearer of its language, culture, stereotypes, delusions and stupidity. But one day this earthly creature, the “land rat”, the existential “root crop”, gets the chance to go to the open sea. Gravity decreases, the turnip stretches and the “root crop” dies, and instead of it, the one who is called “tumbleweed”, “tear and throw away” is born,

Maritime culture is the first experience of globalization. The sailors of the whole world do not care about flags, state borders, religion. Everything on land loses value to them immediately after they overcome seasickness and cross the equator. After that, they already know that life, in which you feel solid flesh under your feet, is an illusion, a trick, bullshit. The whole truth, the true reality is going on in the sea, where the shores are not visible. Instead of the past waddling on alumina, a person acquires a floating, soft tread, in which one can see a slight disdain for everything that is harder than a deck board and that absorbs the smart clatter of heels.

Sailors are aliens on our planet, a global alternative to "soil being", an anti-system for "earthly order". It was in such a culture that a strange and at the same time very deep in meaning cult of a thing that the Western world calls a breton shirt (Breton shirt), and we Russians call a “vest” could be born.

Why is she striped?

Until recently, every cabin boy knew that the sea is inhabited not only by fish and water reptiles, but also by spirits. Lots of spirits! Establishing normal contact with them, finding mutual understanding is the key not only to a successful voyage, but also a guarantor of a sailor's life expectancy. Mother fate rules the sea directly, without an intermediary in the form of " common sense". Concerning the main task any person on the high seas - do not provoke fate famously. Over many millennia, this goal has formed around itself a whole system of knowledge, a real science, which people dependent on the earth's firmament carelessly call marine superstitions.

Sailors don't like to test axioms with personal experience. The experiments of physicists and the careless curiosity of lyricists are alien to him. All he has to do is strictly follow tradition, for it is difficult for drowned men to learn from their own mistakes.

Do not take a woman on a ship, do not whistle, do not kill seagulls, bathe after crossing the equator; an earring in the ear so as not to drown, a tattoo so as not to become a ghost after death - everything has its own specific meaning, where functionality is adjacent to mysticism, protective magic.

From time immemorial, Breton fishermen, going to sea, put on striped (black and white) robes. It was believed that the robe protects them from the aggression of undines, mermaids and other evil spirits. Perhaps the Breton vest played the role of underwater camouflage, protecting from the gaze of sea demons. And, perhaps, another function was attributed to the alternating horizontal stripes by the Breton fishermen: one thing is for sure, the striped shirt played the role of a talisman.

During the period of the Great Geographical Discoveries, when there was an acute shortage of personnel in the world, many Breton fishermen joined the European fleets. But most of the Bretons, oddly enough, ended up on Dutch, not French ships. Maybe because they paid well there, maybe because the Bretons were not very fond of the French usurpers, or maybe the Dutch, liberal by nature, did not forbid the Bretons from wearing their defiant striped outfits. It was the beginning of the 17th century; by the end of the century, the vest will become a global fashion trend for all European sailors.

How many stripes are on the vest?

Of course, you can tritely count the stripes on the same paratrooper's vest, but here we will be disappointed. In Russia, since the Soviet period, the number of stripes on vests depends on the dimensions of a particular sailor, marine or border guard. Relatively speaking, on the 46th size there will be 33 of them, and on the 56th - 52. The numerological problems of the vest could be put on the brakes if it were not known for sure that the numerical symbolism in the "Breton shirt" still exists. For example, in the standard adopted by the French Navy in 1852, the vest had to be 21 stripes - according to the number of Napoleon's great victories. However, this is the version for "land rats". 21 is the number of success, good luck in the cult card game of sailors Vingt-et-un (aka Blackjack, aka Point). The numerological component in the number of bands was among the Dutch and the British. So, in the middle of the 17th century, ship crews engaged by the Dutch East India Company preferred "Breton sweaters" with twelve horizontal stripes - the number of ribs in a person. Thus, as some connoisseurs of the maritime tradition explain, the sailors deceived a dashing fate, showing that they had already died and become ghost skeletons.

How the breton shirt became a "vest"

Russian sailors in New York, 1850s. Still no vests

For the first time, a Russian person saw a vest, most likely in the second half of the 17th century, when Dutch merchant ships got into the habit of Kholmogory and Arkhangelsk. The sea wolves from the Netherlands, along with the British, were the main trendsetters in the field of marine ammunition. It is no coincidence that Peter I completely adopted the Dutch naval uniform for the nascent Russian fleet. True, without the "Breton shirts". The latter fragmentarily appeared in Russia in the 40-50s of the 19th century: sailors of the merchant fleet flaunted in vests, who exchanged or bought them in some European port.

There is a story that in 1868 the Grand Duke and Admiral Konstantin Nikolayevich Romanov received the crew of the General Admiral frigate. All the sailors came to the meeting wearing striped shirts they had bought in Europe. The sea wolves praised the functionality and convenience of striped jerseys so much that a few years later, in 1874, the prince brought a decree for the emperor's signature, officially including the vest in naval ammunition.

How was the "sea soul" born?

However, the vest became a cult a little later. After the Russo-Japanese War, the demobilized sailors filled the Russian cities. They were like the people of the New York Bronx, only instead of hip-hop they danced dances like "Bullseye", talked about how they fought for Port Arthur, and looked for adventures on their own heads. The main attribute of these dashing sailors, "the soul wide open", was a vest, which at that time began to be called the "sea soul". It was at this time that the first mass acquaintance of the “sea soul” with the collective Russian soul took place. The union of "two lonely souls", which took place in 1917, gave a mixture that blew up Russia. The Bolsheviks, who actively used the sailors in their seizure of power as a natural anti-system to any "land" order, in 1921, by suppressing the Kronstadt rebellion, finally rid themselves of the unwanted reflection of the "sea soul".

Why is a paratrooper wearing a vest?

Premiere of the airborne vest in Prague, 1968

Vest always associated with water element, but not with air. How and why did a skydiver in a blue beret get a vest? Unofficially, "Breton shirts" appeared in the wardrobe of paratroopers in 1959. Then they began to be awarded for a parachute jump into the water. However, it is unlikely that this minor tradition could grow into a "striped" cult, which eventually arose in the Airborne Forces. The main cultivator of the vest in the Airborne Forces was the legendary commander of the Airborne Forces Vasily Margelov. It was thanks to his frantic enthusiasm that the striped sweatshirt officially entered the essentials of the paratrooper's wardrobe.

The abduction of the “sea soul” by “paratroopers” was resisted in every possible way by the commander-in-chief of the USSR Navy, Sergei Gorshkov. Once, according to legend, at one meeting he entered into an open skirmish with Vasily Margelov, calling the phenomenon of a paratrooper in a vest bad word"Anachronism". Vasily Filippovich then severely besieged the old sea wolf: “I fought in marines and I know what paratroopers deserve and what they don’t!”

The official premiere of the blue striped vests took place in the Prague events of August 1968: it was the Soviet paratroopers in striped jerseys that played a decisive role in ending the Prague Spring. At the same time, the debut of the famous blue berets. Few people know that the new look of the paratroopers was not registered by any official document. They received their baptism of fire by the free will of the "patriarch" of the Airborne Forces - without any unnecessary bureaucratic red tape. Knowledgeable people who can read between the lines, saw in the Prague fashion show of Soviet paratroopers hidden call Commander of the Airborne Forces to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The fact is that Margelov stole from the sailors not only a vest, but also a beret.

The official premiere of berets was scheduled for November 7, 1968 - a parade on Red Square. But most importantly, the berets were supposed to be black and crown the heads of the Marines under the jurisdiction of the Navy. The Navy received the right of the first night by a special Order of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR No. 248 dated November 5, 1963. But five years of careful preparation went down the drain due to the pirate fashion raid of the “landing force”, which then had no formal right to wear a beret, not on a vest. legitimacy new outfit paratroopers received almost a year after the Prague events thanks to the Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 191 of July 26, 1969, which introduced the next rules for wearing military uniform clothes. Who would dare to ban the fighters of the Airborne Forces from wearing a vest and beret after they actually single-handedly extended the life of "developed socialism" in Eastern Europe.

Spiteful critics saw the roots of Vasily Filippovich's passion for the attributes of the Navy in the desire to annoy the opponent from the Navy and jealousy for the marines, in which Margelov served during the war. I would like to believe that the commander of the Airborne Forces had more serious reasons- for example, belief in the super strength of the vest, understanding of the "striped" soul, which he learned about when he fought side by side with the "flared" sailors during the war.

There is a very funny hypothesis that the chief paratrooper’s passion for horizontal stripes was born on the wave of popularity among the Soviet military elite of the British film “This is sport life"(Eng. This Sporting Life). This depressing drama tells the story of the harsh world of English rugby players. The picture, released in 1963, for some mysterious reason, became a cult among military leaders. Many military commanders lobbied for the creation of subordinate rugby teams. And Vasily Filippovich generally ordered rugby to be included in the training program for paratroopers.

The film can hardly be called spectacular; there are not very many episodes where rugby is played, so it is very difficult to form an opinion about the intricacies of the game. It seems that the main impression on Margelov was made by one of the most brutal moments of the picture, when the main character is intentionally injured by a player of the opposite team. The player of this team is dressed in a striped uniform that resembles a vest.

“We are few, but we are in vests”

"Striped Devils". Marines in the Great Patriotic War

This is not empty bravado. Horizontal stripes create an optical effect that is larger than it really is. Interestingly, the Germans called the Soviet sailors and marines who participated in battles on land during World War II "striped devils." This epithet is associated not only with the shocking fighting qualities of our warriors, but also with the Western European archetypal consciousness. In Europe, striped clothing for many centuries was the lot of the "damned": professional executioners, heretics, lepers and other outcasts of society who did not have the rights of a city dweller were required to wear it. Of course, the appearance of Soviet sailors in vests in a "land" situation caused primitive fear among unprepared German infantrymen.

What do all these colored stripes mean?

Today, almost every branch of the military in Russia has its own striped vest. unique color. T-shirts with black stripes are worn by marines and submariners, with light green - border guards, with maroon - Spetzazovtsy Internal Troops Ministry of Internal Affairs, with cornflower blue - fighters of the Presidential Regiment and special forces of the FSB, with orange - employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, etc.

The criteria for choosing a particular color by a particular branch of service is probably a military secret. Although it would be very interesting to know why, say, the FSB special forces flaunt in vests with cornflower blue stripes. But time will pass and the secret will still be revealed.

guy in a vest

Navy Private

Military rank

Sailor, private of the fleet, as well as an employee of the ship's crew

Poem by I. Bunin

Sailor, not belonging to the command staff, private of the fleet

The private, who always shakes in the service

Unquestioning Man

A fighter in a peakless cap

At the end of his career, the admiral, and at the beginning

Waterfowl analogue of private

Waterfowl Private

Soldier without question

Military rank

Unit of parade formation on a ship

Source material for sculpting an admiral

M. German. an ordinary servant on a ship. The whole ship's crew is called his crew; military sailors also form teams on the shore, in the form of battalions, under the name of crews. Sailor non-commissioned officer, quartermaster (sergeant); sergeant major, boatswain, and the senior boatswain behind him. Sailors are divided into three articles, according to merit, and in addition, according to position, into closet, poop, tank, mars, etc .; senior helmsmen, and receive more salaries. Several people are assigned to signal, lot, hold and, as a punishment, to latrines. Merchant sailors on the Caspian Sea, music; river, barge haulers. Jokingly, the sailors are called: matrafal, mitrofonya, mitrokha, etc. Recognize the sailor by patches. Sailor, tar tow! A sailor and a cow will not lead away without screeching. A soldier dies in a field, a sailor at sea, a peasant in a pit. Matrosenok m. -syata pl. cabin boy, a boy preparing to be a sailor. Sailor, sailor's wife. -owls, -skin, him, her belonging. Sailor, relating to a sailor. Matrosnich - owl, son and daughter of a sailor

Sailor, not belonging to the commanding staff, private of the fleet, as well as an employee of the ship's crew

Opera "Poor..." by French composer Darius Milhaud

Deck Raider

Partisan from the opera "In the forests of Polesye" by the Belarusian composer A.V. Bogatyrev

The story of the American writer Herman Melville "Billy Budd, Formars ..."

boatswain's subordinate

The work of the Russian writer I. Bunin from the collection "Leaf Fall"

Private in a vest

Private of the navy

Private from the cockpit

Navy Private

Private, who shakes

The private, who always shakes in the service

Private, whose barracks is called a cockpit

Ship crew member

Servant without question (pogov)

Servant in the Navy

Soldier in a vest

Poem by I. Bunin

Stands in formation on the deck of the ship

Dancing "Apple"

Dancing "Apple"

Chizhik from the ship

apple

Partisan from the opera by the Belarusian composer A. V. Bogatyrev "In the forests of Polesie"

Opera by French composer Darius Milhaud "Poor..."

The work of the Russian writer I. Bunin from the collection "Leaf Fall"

Dancing "Apple"

The story of the American writer Herman Melville "Billy Budd, Formars ..."

Dancing "Apple"

Admiral at the end of his career, but at the beginning?