Born in the wrong era.

[McPeppers]

I have always been intrigued about how many of my fellow loungers found out they had a sense of style that is lost upon the world these days.

What clued you in? Was it a bolt of lightning moment or did you always know?

I knew mine when I first saw Dick Tracy. That said i never fell into hats until i moved to New Orleans and had access to Meyer the Hatter.


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[Edward]

For me a combination of factors. Indiana Jones, the Godfather, getting too old and fat for bondage trousers and drainpipes, Bogart, an interest in rockabilly music and clothing, The Chap magazine, and a bunch of other things. I'm absolutely certain, however, that the one thing I never have been is born in the wrong era; I'm very keen to preserve what was good about the past, but I'm all too aware of the things about it that I would have found intolerable as compared to now.

 

[McPeppers]

For me a combination of factors. Indiana Jones, the Godfather, getting too old and fat for bondage trousers and drainpipes, Bogart, an interest in rockabilly music and clothing, The Chap magazine, and a bunch of other things. I'm absolutely certain, however, that the one thing I never have been is born in the wrong era; I'm very keen to preserve what was good about the past, but I'm all too aware of the things about it that I would have found intolerable as compared to now.

Oh i hear you there. I like my era too. Though I could probably go back to before my cellphone. I used to not care if I was rained on. Now I act like a vampire at the sight of a dark cloud. lol


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[HudsonHawk]

I like to think of my style as timeless, not of a particular era. I tuck my shirt in, I shave every day, I don't wear pajamas out in public, I don't wear gym clothes to someone's house for dinner, I tie my shoe laces, when the occasion calls for business casual, I wear business casual, NOT jeans and a bowling shirt, I wear a hat to keep the sun off of my head, not to make a social statement. In short, my style has nothing to do with any "era" and I have no particular use for anything "vintagy", I just try not to look like a hobo when I go out in public, which admittedly makes me stand out.

As for what clued me in, it was the army of unkempt slobs that I see every day out in the world.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

My mom says I've loved vintage since I could walk and talk. From the point I could get my point across, I wanted vintage clothes. I started collecting antiques at age 5.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I was born in the middle third of the twentieth century, and raised by and influenced by people and values of the first third of the twentieth century. That's all there is to it. The values and attitudes and way of life that I was raised with made sense, and I have seen nothing in the years since to convince me to abandon them.

I couldn't care less about fashion, to be honest. I'd rather deal with an honest workingman in a dirty T-shirt than with some white-collared leech in a well-tailored suit. And I despise the word "vintage" because it's been turned into nothing but another sleazy marketing gimmick in a century that so far doesn't seem to be anything *but* sleazy marketing gimmicks.

 

[McPeppers]

yeah, vintage has taken a bad turn. Antique is also often misapplied by my generation to anything older than the internet. And if it was before an apple ii.... relic


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[Zombie_61]

I've answered a similar question (sort of) in the What sparked your fascination with the "Golden Era"? thread, so I'll just copy that here: "My Dad and Mom were born in 1913 and 1915 respectively. As such, I gained an interest in vintage things simply by looking through their photo albums. Their clothing, cars and houses they posed in front of, etc., were all so different from what I saw every day growing up in the 60s, so they fascinated me."

However...except for my semi-recent interest in wearing felt hats and flat caps, my interest in previous eras has little or no effect on my personal "sense of style" (which some might say is non-existent). While I have a strong appreciation for the clothing from the Golden Era, I realize most of it would look like a costume if I were wearing it. I am most definitely a "blue collar, working class, jeans and tee shirt" kind of guy who rarely has the need to wear suits, and couldn't care less about "fashion" regardless of the era.

Hats and flat caps, on the other hand...well, let me put it this way. I bought my first fedora in 2008 because I've always liked them, and figured I was finally old enough (47 at the time) to wear them without looking like a young kid playing "dress up". I'd rarely worn any form of hat most of my life, but there was just something so "familiar" about handling and wearing that fedora, as though I'd been doing it my whole life (or, as some might say, perhaps in a past life). Now, after an extremely minor bout with skin cancer in January of this year, I wear my fedoras (and flat caps to a lesser degree) as a means of sun protection as well as an appreciation for their style.

 

[Shangas]

I've always been fascinated by the past. The events, the style, the culture, music, movies, products etc. And that fascination has only increased, the more that I find out about history. You could say it's a rebellion against modern society if you wish. And perhaps to a certain extent it is, I wouldn't deny that. But it's also about an appreciation for things which tell stories and which have played an important role in the development of mankind.

We live in a society where wearing pants is reserved for special occasions.

We live in a society where nothing is built to last.

We live in a society where music is trash.

We live in a society where you have to pay extra for quality. Or it comes as an "extra, added bonus if you call now".

We live in a society where mediocrity is applauded, true skill is seen as something akin to a religious experience, and the belief that cheaper is better.

I don't wanna live in that kind of society. That's why I do what I do.