When we look at old photographs or drawings depicting sailors, the main distinctive feature are always wide pants bell-bottom And although this uniform is no longer worn today, there is some charm and romance in the old images.
And if you add a vest and a peakless cap to the overall ensemble, then you begin to understand why girls were just staring at guys dressed in such an elegant way. Serving in the navy is a very risky endeavor; sailors have always tried to approach any process very thoroughly and rationally. Almost all the rules on the ship were written in blood, and therefore everything that surrounds a person on the ship, and even his clothing, must meet certain practical purposes.
Indeed, bell-bottom trousers first appeared in the navy, and this was back in the days of sailing ships. Pants that flare out from the hip get their name from French word- cloche, which means "bell". But although the name was French, the first sailors to wear such trousers in 1810 were Americans. By the way, the Americans preferred to call them pipes. Before this, sailors wore wide, canvas or cotton pants.
This form of trousers did not appear by chance; such a cut solved several practical problems. Firstly, they were easy to work with and move around the masts. Secondly, it was easy to roll them up higher if it was necessary to scrub the deck or jump from a boat near the shore directly into the water. Well, thirdly, the sailor could simply fall overboard. This is where the struggle for life began. It was vital for the sailor to quickly take off his clothes once he got into the water. And wide trousers, conveniently unfastened at the sides, could be easily removed, even through boots. By the way, not only the sailors' trousers were easily removed, but also the jacket with a wide neckline.
The sailors were real fashionistas. When going ashore, some sewed pieces of lead into the bottom of their trouser legs. Such trousers were inflated with air, which gave the sailor importance.
But after the transition from sailing to steam fleet, at the end of the 19th century, flared pants were abandoned in Russia. After some time, bell-bottom trousers returned to the navy, but now they became the privilege of officers. This happened in 1909. By this time, sailors were prohibited from wearing such trousers.
After the revolution, offended sailors again rushed to wear flared trousers, considering this a victory over the old regime.
In the modern fleet there is no longer a traditional flare. Today, other tasks are solved on ships, and technological progress has made the life of a sailor easier and safer. That's why sailors today wear more conventional, modern uniforms.
Papa Muller asked a question
Why did the navy start to fashion flared trousers?
Then some publication informed the world that it was because it was easier to pull them off (with flares) if a sailor suddenly fell into the water. Is it logical? Yeah.
The whole point is, why take off your trousers after falling into the water - no one seems to bother with this question...
And I remembered my school years. The flares weren't the problem! They were proud of this.
Let me remind you that throughout high school, my father was a senior officer - an engineer-lieutenant colonel. He wore a black uniform, a naval uniform. He was given a new uniform very often, and his father was a neat guy. The uniform was like new for years. Even shirts! And he supplied me with naval clothes.
Quite in childhood, in primary school, they sewed trousers and a coat for me from the cuts that my father received. It was great fabric! But when I grew big, my father began to bring me a full set of uniforms in my size! The overcoat was slightly altered, but the shirts and trousers matched completely. And for the first time I put on navy sailor pants. And went to school.
Now it will be interesting for mothers who have boys and know how to sew.
The sailors' naval trousers do not have a fly (aka a naval codpiece). The front of the pants has the so-called flap and fastened with buttons on the sides. And the officers have a codpiece.
I remember how in the 7th grade I came to class and everyone looked with interest at my new pants - they had flares! - and when he said and showed that the sailors didn’t have a fly and I didn’t have any pants either, everyone laughed. It was unsightly for me...
And then I came up with it. He said proudly - the valve is the most beautiful thing for quick sex))) and in crowded places))). And all the boys looked with respect))... Bluffing at the right time is a wonderful thing))
Let's skip the versions that everyone repeats - about Peter the Great and sex, about Catherine the Great and the naked member of a sailor - and let's talk about the two main versions.
First. To quickly take off your pants in the water. And bell-bottoms for this purpose, so that you can take off your trousers without taking off your boots. This is the most common version. But I prefer the second one.
For some reason they forgot about the true version of the trouser flap - military uniform The most thoughtful clothes are undoubtedly naval ones too. And everything in it is subordinated to practicality. The origin of this cut with a flap came from the sailor clothing of Dutch sailors. This is so that when you descend from the yard along the rope, you don’t get caught in clothes or tear your clothes... That's all.
No, one more thing. If you have a tailcoat and a tailcoat set, then you also don’t have a fly or codpiece on your trousers! A strange relationship - a sailor and his trousers, an aristocrat and his trousers...
No, it's not easy! Your versions?
***
From the maritime forum:
When I saw the future dress uniform of the sailors and foremen of the fleet, I was very upset. It began to resemble a form ground forces: the same caps, tunics... There are no longer caps with ribbons, no vests, no “Dutch shirts”, no guys... But this was, one might say, the whole “zest” of the sailor uniform! What kind of sailor is this in a cap and not a cap?! A casual uniform, the robe, became in many ways similar to the similar American Navy uniform (again, a blind copying of everything Western). For example, it is made of cloth, which is almost never seen in modern uniforms. This wool uniform, in turn, has a number of advantages: it is warm, “breathes,” repels water, is reliable and does not wear out for a long time. It is also diverse. For example, in cold weather sailors and foremen wore blue cloth Dutch shoes, and when warm they wore white cotton Dutch shoes. The caps were both black and white, etc.
I confirm. The cloth is magnificent, now it’s foreign trash instead of Soviet splendor! We're drowning...
Trousers of a peculiar cut called bell-bottoms were first officially introduced at the beginning of the 19th century into the uniform of sailors in the American Navy and had a very utilitarian purpose. But in subsequent years, these bell-bottom trousers and a vest created a unique and recognizable at first glance image of a sailor, forever captured in feature films and documentaries, books and even in dances. So why did sailors prefer to wear flared trousers? The answer to this question must be sought in the technological features of this type of clothing.
History and application of bell-bottoms
Initially, sailors wore similar pants before, back in the period of the sailing fleet. According to customs, the cut of such trousers meant widening down from the hip, and the name bell-bottom itself, received later, comes from the French word bell. Although there is no definitive version of the appearance of this cut of clothing, historians are inclined to believe that only for the sake of practicality, convenience and safety of sailors, the leadership of the American Navy introduced this type of trousers into the everyday wardrobe. This unique and comfortable cut allowed sailors to more efficiently and quickly perform their daily duties on the ship: cleaning and washing the deck, releasing and hauling anchors, lowering and raising boats, and many other operations requiring dexterity and flexibility, speed of reaction and freedom of movement. The ability to quickly roll up the legs of trousers without getting them wet was very useful when disembarking from a boat ashore or when cleaning the deck. When climbing the yards and masts of a ship, performing work on repairing mechanisms and engines, bell-bottom trousers do not restrict movement and allow you to quickly, and most importantly, carry out these difficult actions without interference.
But the most important advantage of this type of clothing is the ability to increase the chance of survival if you fall into the water. Service on a ship always involves a risk for seafarers of being overboard in the water in the event of a storm or hurricane, a ship accident or collision with another ship, military operations or other emergency situations. unforeseen situations. In such cases, sailors should try to get rid of their clothes as quickly as possible so as not to go to the bottom, but to float to the surface of the sea or ocean. And bell-bottom trousers are great in such situations, since you can take them off in the water with lightning speed, without even taking off your shoes, which easily fit through the wide legs of the trousers. A special type of fastener for such clothing and a folding flap at the front allow you to quickly get rid of this part of the clothing. Other items of sailor uniform are also designed to be easily and quickly removed when falling into the water. The jacket has a large cutout at the neck, and the usual lacing in the boots is replaced with rubber inserts. Over time, the practical need for this type of trousers began to decrease, due to the development of other types of ships and increased safety of service in the navy, therefore, straight-cut products made from modern materials gradually began to be included in the uniform.
In the Russian Navy, initially sailors wore simple, loose-fitting canvas trousers, and bell-bottom trousers became a form of clothing somewhat later and were not as popular as among sailors in other countries.
In pre-revolutionary Russia, this type of clothing was not widely used, and straight-cut trousers made of black wool and cloth were the main type of statutory clothing for sailors and officers. And only in 1909, in connection with civilian flared trousers becoming fashionable, naval officers began to wear such trousers. It became like business card advanced and modern young man. This example was followed by students of naval schools and corps, however, outside of school hours and official events. Ordinary sailors were strictly forbidden to follow this fashion and change ordinary government trousers into bell-bottom trousers. After the February Revolution and the advent of freer and bolder relations between people, the mass production of sailor trousers began in a new, sometimes even funny and ridiculous flared style. But all the sailors and even the command staff of the revolutionary ships considered it their duty to wear just such trousers, which was considered a kind of challenge to the old way of life and system, bourgeois morality and way of life.
- This is interesting -
Nowadays, only old photographs or illustrations in books, the clothes of dancers performing the sailor dance “Apple” or the periodically returning disco-style fashion for these types of trousers remind the younger generation of such an interesting and original form of clothing for sailors and officers as bell-bottom trousers.
AND There are two known romantic versions of the appearance of valves on sailor trousers:
1. Tsar Peter, walking along the embankment, saw a sailor making love to a woman in the bushes and flashing his naked “stern” in full view of passers-by, after which he issued a decree:
“Sailors are boorish creatures, but the girls continue to love them, so that they do not disgrace the Russian Navy, they should have trousers of the specified cut - the front part should be folded back, the back part would cover the butt!”
2. The second version is no less interesting:
Catherine the Great decided to visit the island of Kotlin - Kronstadt on a rowing boat with oarsmen; during the passage, a sailor sitting on the oars opposite the empress had his instrument fall out of his fly, which the queen observed until the boat moored in Kronstadt, after which a decree was issued prohibiting sewing sailor trousers with a fly.
In fact, everything was much more prosaic; let’s look at the issue from all sides.
A lapel is a special form of cut for the front of sailor trousers, when instead of a front slit with buttons there is a flap that is fastened on the sides of the pockets.
The front of the trousers had a folding flap, and together with wide legs, this model of trousers made it possible for a sailor who fell into the water to quickly get rid of his clothes and float up. When the two side fasteners came undone, all I had to do was quickly dangle my feet in the water and, due to the wide flares, the trousers would slide off on their own without touching my boots.
The presence of a folding flap (lapel) at the front made it possible to move freely along yards and narrow passages without the risk of getting caught on anything. Wide, loose fit Sailor trousers, like flannels, are also dictated by practical considerations. Every second is expensive at sea. You need to have a uniform that can be put on almost instantly.
In the era of the sailing fleet, sailors often walked barefoot, and wooden decks were constantly rolled up and washed. To avoid getting their trousers wet, the sailors rolled them up to the knees, and this could only be done if they were wide enough. It is very important that wide trousers are easy to take off in the water if you fall overboard. One way or another, the modern desire to narrow them (again, like flannel) contradicts real maritime traditions.
In fact, the lapel was once a completely popular element of clothing, and not only among sailors. If you have a tailcoat and a tailcoat set, then you also don’t have a fly or codpiece on your trousers! A strange relationship - a sailor and his trousers, an aristocrat and his trousers...
Trousers 1830:
The crease ironed on naval trousers is still quite young: this “novelty” appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century and immediately gave the naval suit an amazing completeness and elegance.
Today is not a happy day.
Minister of Defense Sergeev (graduated from the Nakhimov ChVVMU) knew how to hit traditions harder, appearance Navy: the peacoat was removed from wearing, standard trousers with a fly were introduced. “Economy,” so to speak, on “military and revolutionary traditions.”
It’s not for nothing that in L. Sobolev’s “Capital Repairs” there is the following dialogue:
- You know, future admiral, your pants are not witty, by God!..
- Form. Besides, a regular slot would be ugly. After all, the front of the trousers is not covered by anything.
Well, take a look for yourself:
For anyone who KNOWS what a naval uniform should look like, it’s unpleasant to look at. Moreover, the second one on the right has a badge, as we used to say, hanging on his balls, this is some kind of shame...
Let alone the fact that fabrics for uniforms have become completely different; in my time there was not a single artificial thread from top to bottom, only cotton and wool, whether in winter or summer. Although no, here are the buttons on the trousers and inside the flannel to which the blue one was attached sailor collar, and there were plastic ones on the sleeves of the white uniform - and that’s all.
This is how the sailor uniform was romantically described in its time:
“He had the right look! Black naval flared trousers with a sailor’s flap on the reproductive organ reek of tar. The cap on the back of his head with half-meter-long “braids” and gold anchors at the ends of the ribbons glows like a saint’s halo.
A wide belt with a copper anchor plaque shines like a polished iconostasis..."
I will return to naval clothing and its names later :)
I took parts of the text and pictures here.
Flared trousers in addition to a vest create an image of a sailor that is recognizable at first glance. This is exactly how even children imagine a sailor. But why do sailors wear just such trousers, and not, for example, tapered ones? Where did this form come from, and for what reason was it introduced? Do such trousers have any practical features that are relevant specifically for sailors, useful for them in practice? Why did this style appear specifically within the naval uniform?
If you look deeper into all the nuances, some things will become obvious. It was no coincidence that these trousers appeared in the uniform of sailors in many countries around the world.
The history of flared trousers
Bell-bottomed trousers actually originate from the navy and are an integral part of maritime traditions. Sailors wore trousers widened at the bottom back in the days of sailing ships. According to traditions and norms, the flaring down on trousers began from the hip, and the name of such clothing comes from the French word for bell - cloche. Despite the French origin of this name, such clothing was officially introduced first in the American Navy, this happened in 1810. In Russia, they switched to this form a little later, and trousers of this cut were called not only bell-bottoms, but also pipes. Before this, sailors usually wore wide canvas or cotton pants.
The practical component of bell-bottom trousers
There is no 100% accurate version of the origin of these trousers, but all researchers are inclined to believe that this form was chosen not by chance, but for practical reasons. This is an exceptionally comfortable cut that allows sailors to carry out their daily duties comfortably and without unnecessary problems. The trousers provide mobility, the ability to do physical work, and at the same time easily roll up if necessary, for example, to scrub the deck without getting them wet. You can roll up your pants when going ashore from a boat that is not completely moored. They are extremely convenient when climbing the mast is required.
The work of a sailor always involves the risk of falling into the water and ending up in the sea. Clothing should provide maximum opportunities for survival in this case. Bell-bottomed trousers show off their the best side and in this situation. If you need to immediately get rid of your clothes to avoid going under, you can take these pants off right through your boots. An old type of fastener called a lapel, as well as a flap at the front, ensured that even in water the pants could be removed in a matter of seconds. Other items of clothing were also designed for this, the naval jacket has a wide neckline, it is easily removed over the head, and boots usually did not have lacing, but rubber inserts (after the invention of the process of vulcanizing rubber in 1839), which also simplified getting rid of them.
Interesting fact: the sailors were proud of their uniform, not only for its practical qualities, but also for its beauty. When going ashore, bell-bottom trousers had pieces of lead sewn into the lower part of the trousers - at the same time, the trouser legs swelled in the wind, they swayed beautifully. However, this was punishable, and you could get a reprimand from your superiors. These actions were equated to damage to the uniform.
History of flares in the Russian fleet
Return of flares to the fleet Bell-bottomed trousers did not always appear in naval uniforms. At the end of the 19th century, the Russian navy already featured straight, not too wide trousers made of black cloth or wool. After all, sailboats gradually faded into oblivion, the specifics of the sailor’s work became different, and because of this, the uniform began to change. However, wide trousers soon returned again - in 1909 they became fashionable in civilian environments. Soon they return to the fleet, but already into the officer environment and into schools, becoming for the most part the property of young people. An ordinary sailor had no right to wear them or alter the standard straight trousers of the uniform. But immediately after the February revolution, the situation changed again - every sailor considered it his duty to change his trousers to bell-bottoms, or to purchase them.
This was opposition to the old system, and as is usual in such cases, enthusiasm sometimes went beyond all reasonable limits, and trousers became immeasurably wide. Bell-bellied trousers began to be worn with renewed vigor by civilians and sailors; anarchists considered them an obligatory part of the uniform.
Bell-bottomed pants today
In the modern Russian Navy, flared trousers are not worn; there is no such element in the uniform. But there is a comfortable and practical uniform with trousers of a standard cut, medium width, which is optimally suited for the current conditions in which sailors serve.
Thus, bell-bottom trousers appeared during sailing times. This cut attracted me with its practicality, as well as the ability to quickly remove it in case of a shipwreck or falling into the water. Bell-bottomed trousers are beautiful and comfortable, but today they are not used as an element of naval uniform, appearing from time to time only as part of civilian fashion.
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