How hair bows became a symbol of school in the USSR (PHOTOS)

All Soviet schoolchildren were obliged to wear the same uniform - according to the idea of the educational system, no one should stand out, so as not to upset others.

Boys wore blue and gray suits, girls wore brown dresses with black or white aprons. 

No jewelry or accessories were allowed, except for bows in hairstyles. It was not allowed to walk with loose hair.

High school girls often cut their hair shorter or made “adult” hairstyles, but younger girls almost all wore braids, fastened with bows.

Just imagine the intricate braids they used to weave - ‘Spikes’, ‘lambs’, ‘baskets’… 

Until the end of the 1960s, bow ribbons were made out of satin and had to be constantly ironed.

Then came nylon ribbons, which no longer required special care. They could also be used to make big fancy bows. 

Girls wore braids with bows during class, during physical education and on special occasions.

On weekdays, they would use brown or black bows, with white ones reserved for the abovementioned official events. 

Dear readers,

Our website and social media accounts are under threat of being restricted or banned, due to the current circumstances. So, to keep up with our latest content, simply do the following:

• Subscribe to our Telegram channel
• Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter
• Enable push notifications on our website
• Install a VPN service on your computer and/or phone to have access to our website, even if it is blocked in your country