can't hack it

[Miss 1929]

I used to be a vintage fashion Nazi...

but I got over myself, due to the combination of A; not working in a vintage store anymore, and B; not being a size 2!

I still love to dress up and will every chance I get, but there's no reason to for the day job (where no one sees me but the boss and the dog), so my vintage will last longer!

I say, don't throw it all out - maybe save a few outfits for special occasions and be comfortable and happy the rest of the time in modern clothes.

It's just clothes!

We have a lot of members here who never dress at all, and still bring so much to the table in discussion and like tastes.

 

[Wil Tam]

I've been trying for years to achieve this vintage look and spending alot of time, money and energy on it only to either look like an old man or a character. I enjoyed comments from people liking my hat or my watch chain but day to day things just got so hard to pull off, things didn't fit right or shirts not staying tucked in or having people expect zany or amazing things to come out of my mouth based on how I dressed.

Being looked at and talked about and asked "why?" everyday. I have to look like someone and I'm expected to act like someone. Today I went to church and I dressed normal: no hat, no suit, no tie just a short-sleeved shirt, jeans and sneakers. No one looked at me. I found that strange.

I went out and bought a bunch of normal clothes today: t-shirts, shorts, a hoodie, and a plain crewneck sweater. I got bigger sizes and contemporary styles. I suppose I'm just venting but I just can't do it anymore. I feel pretentious and sometimes it feels like people don't take me very seriously, y'know?

I don't feel like the inside is being represented by my outside. I'll still wear hats but from now on I don't think it's going to be like it used to be.

First off & not to be rude but how old are you & what category best describes you & can you post some pics of yourself in your vintage attire that you don't think you can 'pull off' for assessment

You said that you felt strange that no one commented on your attire when you dressed 'normal' .. were you expecting someone to ask "why are you in normal clothes...." do you feel the need to fit in & be part of a particular lifestyle?

Dress for yourself not for others, unless you are dressing up for a function that requires you to stand out. Try to mix & match your vintage with the contemporary, that always worked for me ... I can pull off a pseudo vintage look without making a clown of myself but if I try to go full on vintage :eusa_doh: ... I always speak normally & always have a lid.

I like my jeans .. vans .. chucks .. leathers .. hoodies .. iphone .. modern dodads as well as my vintage hats .. jackets .. waistcoats .. fitted slacked .. watches .. pens .. eyewear .. I try to find my own particular look/style that suits me best .... good luck ... and I do know where you're at because I'm kinda there too

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Now playing: Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part II)
via FoxyTunes

 

[Solid Citizen]

ARROWcm

I've been trying for years to achieve this vintage look and spending alot of time, money and energy on it only to either look like an old man or a character. I enjoyed comments from people liking my hat or my watch chain but day to day things just got so hard to pull off, things didn't fit right or shirts not staying tucked in or having people expect zany or amazing things to come out of my mouth based on how I dressed.

Being looked at and talked about and asked "why?" everyday. I have to look like someone and I'm expected to act like someone. Today I went to church and I dressed normal: no hat, no suit, no tie just a short-sleeved shirt, jeans and sneakers. No one looked at me. I found that strange.

I went out and bought a bunch of normal clothes today: t-shirts, shorts, a hoodie, and a plain crewneck sweater. I got bigger sizes and contemporary styles. I suppose I'm just venting but I just can't do it anymore. I feel pretentious and sometimes it feels like people don't take me very seriously, y'know?

I don't feel like the inside is being represented by my outside. I'll still wear hats but from now on I don't think it's going to be like it used to be.

I hear you LOUD & CLEAR Solid Citizen

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I say, don't throw it all out - maybe save a few [vintage] outfits for special occasions and be comfortable and happy the rest of the time in modern clothes.

I recall that ArrowCollarMan has practically no vintage items per se, but some vintage-inspired pieces instead. Nothing wrong with that, of course.

.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

First off & not to be rude but how old are you & what category best describes you & can you post some pics of yourself in your vintage attire that you don't think you can 'pull off' for assessment.

ArrowCollarMan is now about 18 years old, and over the past two years has already posted many pics of himself in vintage-inspired attire. A frank assessment of his "vintage look"? It has improved over time, while still having a way to go.


ArrowCollarMan has also posted several photos of himself in more contemporary attire. I do prefer the way he puts his contemporary outfits together: I think they suit him better and are more becoming on him. Just an opinion, of course, and it should be taken as such ... no more, no less.


.

 

[PADDY]

'You' know what suits 'you' best.

You've made a decision that 'you' feel comfortable with. That's a 'really' positive step

 

[Wil Tam]

ArrowCollarMan is now about 18 years old, and over the past two years has already posted many pics of himself in vintage-inspired attire. A frank assessment of his "vintage look"? It has improved over time, while still having a way to go.


ArrowCollarMan has also posted several photos of himself in more contemporary attire. I do prefer the way he puts his contemporary outfits together: I think they suit him better and are more becoming on him. Just an opinion, of course, and it should be taken as such ... no more, no less.


.

okie dokie then .... I didn't know that... I don't know everything everyone posts on this forum... I was taking the time to comment late last night & thought geez it sure would be great if I had a picture of this person to go by....

so I went & searched his posts just now, which is kinda a creepy thing for me to do, so as to find a pic of him in vintage garb...

​

I dig this look on him ... reminds me of episodes of Abbott & Costello or the Bowery Boys when I was growing up on Saturday morning TV... it would be difficult to maintain that look day in & day out without a few of them in different colors and a bunch of ties to match ... but once in a while would be fine ... but there are alternatives to suits ... what about 'vintage casual' ... or do you already have some and doesn't work?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I don't know everything everyone posts on this forum...

Nor are you expected to. That's a job for the collective many.

.

 

[John in Covina]

Balance

This is related to the
"Do you dress vintage all the time?"
and
"Are you vintage enough?"
type threads.

The concepts of these threads are there is an IDEAL answer. Then the IDEAL becomes the GOAL. Sometimes the goal or ideal is not achievable to attempt to do so becomes a great burden and self conflict comes in.

In life often many things take hard work to achieve, but sometimes they aren't really achieveable like when a blind person wants to be an airline pilot, sorry we can't do that just yet.

The thing is for achieving the vintage lifestyle, is it 100% or nothing? I live in Southern California and I am a larger sized guy, when it gets hot here, I sweat profusely. As a nod to comfort I tend to live in shorts when possible and I give my clothes the Adventurer's Gear type of twist, or as my fiend Matt Deckard says; "You look like the Crocodile Hunter!" Not exactly the look I am trying for but it's OK, I am happy and relatively comfortable as to how I look. I may wear khakis with a dress shirt & tie which are not vintage. It's not too off base to join in with the vintage crowd, mix in a vintage tie and a fedora and it's fine.

I think that what I am driving at is you should look to be comfortable with a balance as to what your ideals and goals are and what actual life holds.

Sincere best regards,

 

[Feraud]

Overdressing for the occasion will lead to burnout.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

My contribution to this topic is

Marshall: They just pay me to drive the limo, sir. I'm not here to tell you who you are.
Joe: I didn't ask you to tell me who I am.
Marshall: You were hinting around about clothes. That happens to be a very important topic to me, sir. Clothes, Mr...
Joe: Banks.
Marshall: Banks. Clothes make the man. I believe that. You say to me you want to go shopping, you want to buy clothes, but you don't know what kind. You leave that hanging in the air, like I'm going to fill in the blank. That to me is like asking me who you are, and I don't know who you are. I don't want to know. It's taken me my whole life to find out who I am, and I'm tired now. You hear what I'm saying?


You are young, and still learning about who you are. Decide -who- you are...and the clothes will follow. Until then...phases are a part of life, a part of discovering who you are.

 

[Paisley]

I've been trying for years to achieve this vintage look and spending alot of time, money and energy on it only to either look like an old man or a character. I enjoyed comments from people liking my hat or my watch chain but day to day things just got so hard to pull off, things didn't fit right or shirts not staying tucked in or having people expect zany or amazing things to come out of my mouth based on how I dressed.

Being looked at and talked about and asked "why?" everyday. I have to look like someone and I'm expected to act like someone. Today I went to church and I dressed normal: no hat, no suit, no tie just a short-sleeved shirt, jeans and sneakers. No one looked at me. I found that strange.

I went out and bought a bunch of normal clothes today: t-shirts, shorts, a hoodie, and a plain crewneck sweater. I got bigger sizes and contemporary styles. I suppose I'm just venting but I just can't do it anymore. I feel pretentious and sometimes it feels like people don't take me very seriously, y'know?

I don't feel like the inside is being represented by my outside. I'll still wear hats but from now on I don't think it's going to be like it used to be.

One of the tenets of my employer is "When in doubt, don't." Long ago, Emily Post advised her readers not to attract attention with their clothes or manner. And as many FLers remarked in the costume thread, people just seem to know when clothes don't reflect the person wearing them.

It can be hard to be an old soul in a young body. A classic look that transcends eras might work well for you.

Your decision to rethink your look sounds like a good one--and I think we'd all like to see some photos of your new look.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

--and I think we'd all like to see some photos of your new look.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

.

 

[Feraud]

On re-reading the first post I feel this comment speaks volumes.

I don't feel like the inside is being represented by my outside.

Being comfortable with yourself starts from the inside. Once you've overcome that hurdle a lot of things in life fall into place.

 

[irb]

I can sure identify with the feeling, even if for me the style in question was different. There came a moment a number of years ago when I felt the same way about the band T-shirt look. I had a feeling all at once that I should be waiting for the school bus. It was time to start, you know, wearing real shirts and such-like. Now, years later, I feel pretty comfortable with myself--a feeling I think will be made even more satisfying when my Montecristi Super Fino shows up from PanamaBob!

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Overdressing for the occasion will lead to burnout.

Agreed. That's why I go shopping in the nude, at times, just to shake it up a little.
Rob

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Agreed. That's why I go shopping in the nude, at times, just to shake it up a little.
Rob

Is that why you live in Starke, FL? On second thought, forget I asked.

Too much information :kick:

 

[Wil Tam]

you need to be comfortable in your own skin before you start shedding it


just be yourself
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Now playing: Weezer - Pardon Me
via FoxyTunes

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Is that why you live in Starke, FL? On second thought, forget I asked.

Too much information :kick:

Just joking, CB.....
Rob

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Meanwhile, ArrowCollarMan is M.I.A.

.