2009-07-29

Нас мало, но мы в тельняшках!




Let me explain to you how much love I have for this one shirt.
Aside from being obsessed with all things Russian (including but not limited to men, vodka, borscht, Vladimir Putin, and all-around fierceness), this telnyashka I got back in May is one of my favorite all-time pieces. Why?

1: A telnyashka (ru. Тельняшка) is a dark blue blue and white striped, sleeveless or not, undershirt worn by sailors of the Russian Navy, the Soviet and Russian Airborne Forces (the VDV) and the Russian Naval Infantry (Marines). It is a symbol of great pride for its bearers, perhaps best exemplified by the famed Soviet sniper Vassili Zaitsev. Zaitsev was a sailor in the Soviet Pacific Fleet who volunteered for army duty in the Battle of Stalingrad, but despite transfer to the army he refused to give up his Navy telnyashka because of the pride it engendered. General Margelov who was later to modernise the Soviet airborne forces had served with a Naval Infantry unit in the Great Patriotic War and procured telnyashkas for the airborne forces as a mark of their elite status. There is a popular saying that ironically presents telnyashkas as an attribute of "real men": "Нас мало, но мы в тельняшках!" (Nas malo, no my v telnyashkakh — We are few in number, but we wear telnyashkas!).
(Source: Wikipedia)

2: It works with everything from pj bottoms to pvc pants. I'm hard pressed to think of any shirt that looks better with a studded belt...and let's not forget red lipstick...
3: It's nautical. Works excellent with swimsuits.
4: The material is perfect. Not too thick, not to thin. Soft but not flimsy.
5: There is no front and no back to this shirt. No worries about putting it on the wrong way during those times of mental haziness.
6: It's Russian Military. Just try and get more badass than that. I dare you.

You will be seeing alot more of this shirt, guaranteed. I got mine here for only $10.50. The shipping was around $8, and coming straight from Russia with love, that's not so bad. Worth every penny. They make them in a few different shades of stripes, but I chose navy. I'm going to look for a smaller, more fitting one when I have some extra change to spare. I could buy fifty of these and never regret it.



3 comments:

  1. So how do you feel about Lithuanian men, as Lithuania was part of the former Soviet Union?

    -"Iron" Kurt N.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hm, I'd have to think about that. Might take some history homework.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This will get you started.



    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuania


    I'm also available for tutoring on line or in person.

    -"Iorn" Kurt N.

    ReplyDelete