As with many Russian icons, the Telnyashka is borrowed from someone else–originally used by Breton sailors, the iconic stripey sailor shirt spread to France and Russia, eventually becoming an icon for Soviet forces and their descendants. You’ll find telnyashkas in a myriad of colors for different units and purposes, but the most iconic is the "VDV" sky blue with white base, which we’re stocking now. The telynashka’s alternating stripes are designed to catch eye and set its wearers apart–and it worked. German soldiers up against Soviet soldiers, referred to the telnyashka-clad soldiers as “striped death.” When combatants saw Russian forces wearing stripes, they knew they were in for a fight. The wide neckline makes the telnyashka quick to don and doff, and legend has it that it’s designed to show off the swole, oily traps of stronk (definitely not malnourished) Soviet sailors. The blue telnyashka is a badge of honor among VDV paratroopers, and we have to admit the contrast between the blue and white undershirt and the camo blouse is striking. Soviet uniform designers even created a different cut of the airborne’s military coat designed just to show off the telnyashka. Whether spo