Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

[Lillemor]

Kate O Potato, I love the dress and the color!

Lenora I wish I had that kind of pressure/excuse. Any attempts at looking my age in vintage gets odd looks. The sweet, innocent retro/vintage high school looks gets me loads of compliments, smiles and long looks from both genders and people of all ages and backgrounds.[huh]

So I've been sticking to a sweet high school aged home-from-school look of recent with modern jeans that are looser and cute retro tops, and carefully chosen vintage costume jewelry to match the tops and/or make-up and flats with socks. I'm lazy with my hair so I'm on a ponytail or scarf used as hairband routine.

My boys are environmentally damaged The other evening they kept complimenting my style and sense of coordination. They really like anything coral like faux coral cameos, coral sweater, coral lips and nails.lol Even hub complimented me on my ability to carefully coordinate quirky old things. It was so unexpected that it actually got a bit embarrassing and I lost my usual ability to take a compliment smiling and began to make a long winded excuse.

 

[Louise Anne]

This thread look to have been going for 4 year so do you thing over the time Comments or attitudes when you dress in vintage has changed over this time scale?

 

[Lillemor]

This thread look to have been going for 4 year so do you thing over the time Comments or attitudes when you dress in vintage has changed over this time scale?

Well, the main change has been from mainly receiving glares and a rude comment to indifference from people who regularly see me out and about to smiles and comments on specific details of my attire but no comments specifically vintage related perhaps because my style isn't authentic vintage and lacks the details that makes it decade and age specific for those in the know and therefor people who aren't in the know don't perceive me as "a living museum curiosity". I know plenty of people who are concerned that I'll eventually turn in to a full blown living museum curiosity.

"You don't need to do that/please don't do that because you are a smart young woman and should dress the part". Something along those lines is what people most frequently deploy in their attempt to discourage what they see as styles that belong in a museum. But I only get those words of discouragement from people who know that I over time intend to shift my entire wardrobe from retro with vintage pieces to reproductions and vintage. Strangers generally like my sweet, "propper" style.

People who are nearly strangers but who know my age do give me funny looks as if perhaps they think my style is inappropriate for my age or they simply wonder why I dress like their grandma.

Even though I don't dress head-to-toe vintage I must be doing something right when older women look insecure, adjust their clothes around me and check their reflection in windows.lol

 

[Deleted member 12480]

well it just topped my brilliant day with a brilliant remark made by a pair as they walked past me earlier.

'whats up with your hair?'

Wow thanks guys for boosting my confidence.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

Said to me by one of the Board of Directors of the Art Deco Society of Northern California as we stepped onto the dance floor together for a dance at the Art Deco Ball last Saturday night (5/8/2010) held at Bimbo's 365 Club in SF: "You look SPECTACULAR!"

 

[Puzzicato]

So he's not blind then? lol Spectacular that dress certainly is! That colour really suits you.

 

[Lillemor]

All I did was pull my hair up in a ponytail and curl the ends and tendrils around my face with mousse around my finger. It didn't hold but it's not poker straight either. I was just wearing mary-janes, black high waisted capris and a polo shirt plus a vintage pearl/gold/multi colored beads necklace and "gold" studs. A bit of purple eye shadow, winged eyeliner and purple/pinkish lipstick. Probably not very authentic. Sort of 60s retro I suppose because dad says that's when he first remembers polo shirts.

An elderly lady insisted on walking behind me every where for as long as she could keep up with me. She kept smiling and trying to get up close to me. I don't know if she wanted to talk, I just smiled and said: "Good morning!". I was in a terrible rush. On the way back for the second time (long story) an elderly man nearly crashed off his bike while checking me out. I'm not local to this area and I generally struggle to understand some of the older people. I could've asked him to repeat but I was in a hurry and just made sure he was okay and could get back on his bike.

At the school where I went to bring our middle son his lunch box and waterbottle, I was first told off for being in the lower classes building, the teacher barely believed that I was his mother and said: "well, then you can go and get his gym bag!". I was so furious with her tone and with my son whom I'd told four times to remember his stuff and I'd asked at least twice if he'd taken it out to our car so his dad could take him to school. I suppose it wasn't so much that she thought I looked young enough to be a student and I'm not sure if my clothes had much to do with her perception because I quite frankly don't see teenagers dress as nicely as I do, it was more the idea that she thought I was lying. The teacher could be younger than me for all I know and I hadn't interrupted class. I quietly walked in to the wardrobe area when she happened to step outside the class.

So I went from feeling really great about the way I look today, to questioning whether mary-janes, capris and polo shirts with ponytail is really acceptable for a 33 y.o. woman.

Most other 30+ y.o. mothers around here wear their hair in ponytails much more frequently than I do.

 

[Puzzicato]

Lillemor, I would be writing a letter to the head teacher! The teacher who spoke to you like that is very rude.

 

[December]

Lillemor, I would be writing a letter to the head teacher! The teacher who spoke to you like that is very rude.

I completely agree! That is an appalling way for anyone to behave- but for a teacher it is just unbelievable!

 

[SheBear74]

I wear flowers in my hair a lot and get lots of looks and some compliments. I was wearing the 50s dress I made out of a sheet yesterday and started to feel a little insecure until I walked past another mom in hip hugger jeans with her "vertical smile" hanging out, and a super tight tank top. I thought well if that's acceptable then I look just fine! To be honest most days I forget what I look like, I am to focused on my 2.5 year old son. I notice some folks staring then remember why lol.

 

[Lillemor]

I completely agree! That is an appalling way for anyone to behave- but for a teacher it is just unbelievable!

I behaved somewhat childishly when I came back with the gym bag, marched in to the classroom, and loudly said: "Some of my time has been taken so now I'm taking some of yours and then I reminded my son (Whispering but with dramatic facial expressions and wild gestures) of the morning, blah, blah, blah.....and in the future he'll just have to face angry teachers if he forgets his stuff because if they think I have time to play courier service just because I'm a homemaker, then they've got it all wrong!"

I tend to swing between completely passive to VERY vocal! So I'll let it rest at that.

I was wearing the 50s dress I made out of a sheet yesterday

:eusa_clap I can't sew but I love to show off homemade stuff in town. I've even bought homemade clothes in thrift shops.

 

[SleepyTimeGal]

I have loved reading all the comments you gals get about your looks!

I have to say, over the years I have never received anything other than compliments or admiration. Strangely though, Ive noticed in the last couple of years people are even more excited and enthusiastic and strangers have no problem asking how I have set my hair or where I get my outfits from.

Its always a bit amusing to have men cooing or complimenting over my appearance while their partners stand next to them in their baggy jeans and sweat suits. I wonder if the gals are then inspired to bring a bit of elegance and glamour into their day and dress a little more femininely?? It would be nice to think so.

 

[FountainPenGirl]

One thing I have noticed is that when I do my complete outfits (usually early 1950's) and really look put together is how nice and courteous people are. Men and Women. Just think if everyone cared about how they looked and put a little effort into it how nice everyone would be to each other.

 

[Scarlet Belle]

Oh Goodness Fountain! I totally agree!! It is uncanny how people treat you and act around you when dressed and groomed beautifully!

People are so much more polite and men act so much more gentlemanly around you. I LOVE it! Ive even noticed people who may be considered "rough" or young teenage boys act differently and try to act with chivalry and elegance around me.

Its wonderful and really does make a lady feel feminine and just a little bit cherished. :eusa_clap

 

[Puzzicato]

I was thinking that this morning actually - a car stopped and the driver waved me across the road. That only ever happens when I am dressed nicely!

 

[Lindabelle]

I'm under a lot of pressure now... someone in my husband's group told him last night, "I can't wait to see what your wife is wearing on Thursday! She's so cute!"

...I suppose I won't ever be able to show up in jeans and trainers...lol

I know what you mean Lenore! I feel under pressure at work myself. I wear my hair vintage style everyday and get comments from customers like "Where's your flower today?" when I decide not to wear one. Or comments on which style they prefer. I feel the pressure to make sure my hair looks good everyday. Though some of my best compliments have been on what I consider a bad hair day! My best compliment lately was from an older lady who seemed gruff, but when she saw my hair gave me a sweet smile and said how much my hairstyle reminded her of her mum when she was young. She said it was lovely and made her day. Of course that made mine!

 

[Black Dahlia]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been wearing vintage and vintage repro now for several years. The compliments, reactions and responses I’ve gotten have all been positive. At work I’ve been referred to as the ‘classy woman who looks like a 50s pin up.’ Flattering, but undeserved I feel. 40s, 50s and early 60s clothing shapes, definitely flatter us buxom/hour glass figure women. I can’t seem to fit in contemporary clothes (rarely).

People seem to flock to the vintage look on women, and feel it necessary to comment. I often have strangers approach on the street/in stores to comment on my clothes/look. I don’t mind, it’s a conversation starter.

X
Black Dahlia

 

[Miss 1929]

I was highly amused to get my first "hello Marilyn" yesterday. I am a brunette, and was dressed all 40s, nothing to do with MM!!! Oh well, I guess it's just a vintage catch-all for the ones who don't know. But as it was meant to be a compliment, I'll take it!

 

[Black Dahlia]

I was highly amused to get my first "hello Marilyn" yesterday. I am a brunette, and was dressed all 40s, nothing to do with MM!!! Oh well, I guess it's just a vintage catch-all for the ones who don't know. But as it was meant to be a compliment, I'll take it!

*lol* That is really cute. A lot of people can't seem to distinguish 40s from 50s, they just realize it's old. I got my first 'you look like Marilyn' just after I cut my hair (more of an Elizabeth Taylor hair do). Only, I too am brunette and look nothing like her! Funny, but sweet.

 

[Deleted member 12480]

i had a girl in the year above me come tap me on the shoulder and announcing 'your hair is gorgeous!'

and then walking off!

xxx