Esteban_cool Wrote:I thought EM aiguilettes were just plain white.
All standard-issue Soviet-era aiguillettes (akselbanti) are made of woven metallic threads, gold or silver color, woven around a cotton/polyester core. I have seen examples where tarnish has set in. They can be fairly stiff when new. The silver variety sport 2 unwoven strands, the gold ones 3 unwoven strands.
From what I have seen (I recently saw a documentary on the History Channel about the Russian navy; freshly-graduated naval officers were wearing gold aiguillettes on their parade uniforms), they have not changed in the transition to the Russian military.
willie777 Wrote:I read, officer is gold while em is silver. Still confused about the tassley variation.
From observation, when to wear gold or silver varied. Officers always wore gold ones, never silver.
Other ranks would wear silver or gold at the commander's direction. If the uniform was officer's cut, gold might be worn. I don't think I've ever seen gold aiguillette on a conscript's cut uniform.
"tassley variation" = invariably an improvised dembel embellishment. Dress uniforms can begin to appear bombastic, but never to the point where it looks like someone raided a good set of draperies!
