What separates the new Russian of the 1990s from the Russian businessman of today? Let's draw an associative series. The first thing that comes to mind is a mobile phone the size of slippers, thick gold chains and crosses on the chest, purses, domestic-made cars for those who are poorer, and black foreign cars for the real rich. But the most important thing is raspberry jackets. Only in this way, pot-bellied and bald nouveau riche look exactly as it should in their status.
Yes, at present, the raspberry jacket is indeed a characteristic feature of the bygone era of financial pyramids, the Russian mafia's violent activity, the development of market trade, the rejection of censorship on television and the press, the decline in the standard of living of the average population and the flourishing prostitution, alcoholism, drug addiction… Yes, those were our 90s. But back to the new Russians and their style.
The crimson jacket did not accidentally appear on the shelves of retail outlets and in expensive boutiques of the capital. According to history, in the early 90s, namely in 1992, the Versace Fashion House showed the world a new collection,the main accent of which were raspberry-colored jackets. The nouveau riche, who had not previously followed fashion trends and did not have large sums of money in their pockets, decided that the status should be emphasized in a bright and memorable way. So, those who are richer acquired the originals from Versace, while novice entrepreneurs and bandits were content with Chinese copies. So the crimson jacket became the uniform of the new Russians. Designers of the former All-Union Republic (Slava Zaitsev, for example) also worked for the benefit of the bandits, sewing more and more new models of clothes.
What did the gangsters from the 90s complement their new image with? Especially bold and daring were not afraid to combine a raspberry jacket with Adidas sweatpants and classic faux leather shoes. Those who were close to the elite did not allow themselves such luxury and managed with black trousers, but never forgot about gold jewelry and a purse.
In general, the jacket is only a symbol of the era, in fact, a lot can be said about the style and life of the new Russians in the early 90s. So, for example, they all built the same houses of red brick, like castles. Until now, similar architectural structures under construction can be found in holiday villages near the city. When choosing a car, the nouveau riche did not show imagination either. As a rule, rich brothers bought themselves a Mercedes 600 model, a BMW Grand Cherokee, or the good old VAZ-21099.
Returning to fashion, it is worth mentioning that due to well-known political events, the "Iron Curtain" wasopened, cheap low-quality goods from Turkey and China began to be actively imported into the country. Hungry for new products, bandits and their wives actively acquired fashionable rubbish and were considered trendsetters of the style of all Russia. Pumps with thin stilettos, sweatpants made of a variety of synthetic materials, denim jeans from companies unknown to the world, and much more. Among other things, children's toys from China appeared in the markets and stores, American junk food (which is still popular) and much more, which we all now remember with some nostalgia.
Of course, even now you can buy a crimson jacket in any fashion department (fortunately, fashion is cyclical), but that era cannot be returned. The 90s are history.
