Fashion Norms and Anomalies of developed socialism period

Abstract

.  The purpose of the article. To provide characterization of the fashion development and demonstration in the Soviet society, based on the dichotomous comparison of concepts «norm/anomaly», during Briezhniev`s stagnation era in the context of correspondence to political and social-economical goals of the Communist power. The methodology of the research is based on general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis and generalization), special historical methods (comparative, chronological and historical-systemic methods) in combination with the principles of historicism and objectivity, content analysis of «fashionable» chronicles and satirical magazines «Perets» («The Pepper») and «Krokodyl» («The Crocodile»). The scientific novelty of the research is attained by an attempt to analyze the phenomenon of the concept «fashion» in the Soviet Union during the end of 60-ies – the beginning of 80-ies of the XX century through the lens of “norms” and «anomalies» as two interrelated components of fashion trends, typical of the Soviet society in the outlined period. Conclusions. The phenomenon of the Soviet fashion combined two components – «norms» and «anomalies». Fashion «norms» were subjected to the Communist ideology and served to form a «required» image and appearance of a Soviet citizen, in contrast to representatives of the capitalist world. A widespread net of «Fashion Houses» and fashion magazines stood as a means of distribution of standardized Soviet fashion trends. Nevertheless, in the so-called «era of stagnation» under Briezhniev`s leadership the Soviet fashion industry suffered considerable transformations, initiated by both internal social-economic and external factors. The first category included conflicts between problems in consumer goods manufacturing functioning, improving population’s welfare leading to a consumer boom and a deficit in consumer goods, chary of quality in the Soviet manner. The second category of factors was connected with specificity of the fashion industry, which still had to function.

Despite the restrictions, the information about the trends and Western fashion samples were spread by fashion magazines and TV screens, thus generating and distributing the so called fashion «anomalies». The homogeneity of the Soviet fashion was aggravated by an inexpugnable desire of the Soviet women to look attractive. The freedom spirit and adherence to anarchism promoted by hippies threatened the existence of the system, and women’s desire to be more beautiful became one more element of confronting the system. These factors in combination with those staying behind the subject of our research, initiated formation of new phenomena and practices in the Soviet population’s everyday life, accrual and further exacerbation of the crisis in the Communist system.