A vest is traditional clothing for sailors, it is simply impossible to imagine a true sailor without this element of clothing. Where did this tradition come from - wearing a striped shirt, who invented it? Why did she take root in naval traditions, remains relevant to this day?
This is a relatively recent tradition dating back a couple of centuries. She firmly entered both the naval life and the army traditions.
The history of the appearance of the vest
The vest appeared in naval traditions relatively recently, but firmly entered the everyday life of sailors. Before the abolition of serfdom, they were recruited for service for 25 years, after which they switched to universal military service. In connection with these fundamental changes, the uniform worn by sailors was also replaced - this happened in 1874. It was during this period that the appearance of the tunic in the army uniform occurred, and for the sailors the tunic, which did not differ in convenience, was replaced by shirts. In summer, the sailor was supposed to wear a white linen shirt, and in winter, a blue flannel shirt. Under them, it was supposed to put on the lower shirts of the canvas with blue and white stripes - the colors were chosen in accordance with the color of the St. Andrew's flag, the same for the entire Russian fleet.
Interesting fact: vests are used not only by Russian, but also by French sailors, civilian and military.
The initial name of the vest is a bostrog, it quickly went out of use.The striped shirt became known as a vest or vest. Probably, this name appeared and consolidated due to the fact that this shirt really represents the underwear of a sailor.
The main tasks of the vest
The sailor's upper shirts have a wide neckline on his chest, which requires the obligatory wearing of clothes under them. Piercing winds reign on the seas, the sailor needs additional protection from their effects. The vest can be woolen, knitted for winter time, compacted and insulated for divers. There was a period when winter vests in the Red Army were made from camel hair, which warmed the body particularly well. The summer vest is made of cotton, which provides the body with ventilation and prevents overheating. Since this clothing was created for the period of sailing, it allows a person to stay on deck for a long time in any weather, to protect themselves from the cold in a piercing wind, working with gear and sails.
The sailor's clothes should withstand any vagaries of the weather, and in addition, it should make a person noticeable from afar.
Why are striped vests
Sailors working with sails and tackle should be noticeable in order to be able to immediately correct any mistake in their actions. The vest makes a person noticeable from afar, the sailor stands out against the background of white sails due to the blue stripes. White stripes make a person noticeable from afar on the water if he breaks and falls overboard. The colors taken from the St. Andrew's flag turned out to be very practical.And the vest also creates the optical effect of the fact that there are more people on the deck than there really is. This was noted both in the early times, and during the Second World War, in subsequent wars.
In addition, striped clothing has always been a symbol of doomed people, even social outcasts, to those who oppose themselves to human laws. For example, she was issued by prisoners. Sailors in one way or another oppose themselves to people on land. And the exploits of the Marines, who go to death in vests, have been remembered since the Second World War.
How many stripes on a vest?
The number of stripes on the vest is an important issue, because sailors are known for their careful attitude to traditions, a certain superstition. It is believed that the first began to pay attention to the number of bands of French sailors, then this trend became relevant for the Russian fleet. At the same time, in power structures and troops that are not connected with the water element, it is not customary to attach importance to the number of bands. This is an exclusively naval tendency.
The French Navy used shirts with 21 stripes - it is believed that their number corresponds to the number of victories of Napoleon. Also, this is the number of luck in blackjack, a card game that originated in the marine environment. British and Dutch naval shirts looked completely different, but also had stripes - 12 pieces. According to the number of stripes, it was believed that a sailor was deceiving death, showing himself as a skeleton or a ghost, a dead person.
Interesting fact: vests were initially issued only in the navy.This form migrated to the landing after the vest began to reward the soldier who completed the jump into the water, which is considered especially dangerous.
On modern Russian vests, the number of strips may vary depending on the size of the product. So, a vest of 46th size has 33 strips, and of 56th - 52 pieces.
Thus, the wearing of vests by sailors is associated with a tradition that is not accidental at all. The sailor in the vest is visible from afar, the vest allowed to monitor his work, highlighting the person against the background of the sails, and the captain could perfectly control what was happening even for 50 meters or more. The vest makes a person visible against the background of waves, allowing you to quickly save him. It warms the body in winter and provides ventilation in the summer. The thing proved so good in practice that the sailors began to call it "sea soul".
