Don’t Know Your Babushka From Your Ushanka? Here’s Your Cheat Sheet to Russian Fashion Terminology Inline
Photo: AP Images1/5Shapka-pirozhok
A popular accessory for Soviet Union political leaders in the eighties, typically this triangular hat is made out of astrakhan or sheep fur. It received the name shapka-pirozhok, which literally translates to "hat-pie," because it resembles a traditional Russian baked good. In fall 2011, it made a comeback on the Rochas runway in pink, slate gray, rich burgundy, and of course, the traditional black.
Photo: Stefano Masse / Indigitalimages.com2/5Ushanka
Meet the ushanka, a fur hat that comes in handy if you live in a country that is constantly battling subzero temperatures. Literally translated as an "ear hat" and sometimes called a "trapper hat,” it’s traditionally worn by the military. Fast-forward decades later, the accessory was revamped in a larger-than-life version, seen most recently on the Ralph Lauren fall 2015 runway.
Photo: Filippo Fior/InDigitalteam / GoRunway.com3/5Kubanka
Sometimes confused with an ushanka, this circular, raised hat originally hails from the Caucasus region. It s also a staple accessory in the military and for fashionable Soviet women. But it reappeared once again on the Ralph Lauren fall 2013 runway in lush, black fur.
Photo: Yannis Vlamos / Indigital4/5Gzhel style
Gzhel, a style of blue and white pottery originating from the village Gzhel located southeast from Moscow, has also become a popular pattern in clothing and accessories. Valentino, who often references Eastern European motifs on the runway, translated the pattern onto a set of diaphanous frocks and ethereal gowns for fall 2013.
Photo: Adam Katz Sinding5/5Pavlovsky Posad shawl
The wool Pavlovsky Posad shawl is a staple winter-wear piece in Russia. Illustrated with vivid, Slavic-style floral prints, in the West it is typically referred to as a babushka, which is literally translated as “grandmother”—due largely to the accessory’s long life as an older woman’s essential. No grandmothers here, though: The Pavlovsky Posad has quickly become a street style staple, with fans including the much-lensed**Vika Gazinskaya** and Miroslava Duma.
