Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

[lareine]

It's so interesting to read this thread. I'm sure you all do look nice! It's such a pleasant change to see people who are actually making an effort.

I don't dress vintage but I do love the look and have made a few pieces of clothing from reissued or vintage patterns -- vintage suits my hair and face, apparently, and I do get compliments on the old patterns. But I've taken more care with my appearance in general, and worn more dresses, since I started visiting this forum. And I get many more compliments. People seem to respond positively when they see that somebody has taken care with how they present themselves rather than slobbing about in pyjamas or a tracksuit with an unwashed face, or even just jeans and a t-shirt.

The other night I was at a party and was repeatedly referred to as glamorous. I was wearing a plain black shift and red lipstick, with my hair pulled back in combs. Apparently that counts as glamour these days!

 

[Miss sofia]

That sounds rather glamorous to me! Very Audrey.

 

[Bluebird Marsha]

It's amazing the effect that nice clothes and thoughtfully done hair and makeup have on people. Just the power of the red lipstick surprised me.

I usually only go vintage on the hair and makeup, with a hat for good measure. Just pressed jeans and a sweater for work, all of which has added up to make me the glamorous member of my department- which I think says more about the overall look of my coworkers and friends than any real fashion accomplishment on my part. But I may have found one downside to all of my sartorial goodness.

Last week I was complaining to friends and family about the apparent theft of my smart phone at work, and the unhappy realization that a coworker was probably the one that grabbed it of my desk. My mom and my best friend from work essentially said the same thing. That the way I dress gives the impression that I have money and am "theft worthy", and that I should tone it down before something worse happens. So, as far as work goes, I'm losing the hats

 

[W-D Forties]

It's amazing the effect that nice clothes and thoughtfully done hair and makeup have on people. Just the power of the red lipstick surprised me.

I usually only go vintage on the hair and makeup, with a hat for good measure. Just pressed jeans and a sweater for work, all of which has added up to make me the glamorous member of my department- which I think says more about the overall look of my coworkers and friends than any real fashion accomplishment on my part. But I may have found one downside to all of my sartorial goodness.

Last week I was complaining to friends and family about the apparent theft of my smart phone at work, and the unhappy realization that a coworker was probably the one that grabbed it of my desk. My mom and my best friend from work essentially said the same thing. That the way I dress gives the impression that I have money and am "theft worthy", and that I should tone it down before something worse happens. So, as far as work goes, I'm losing the hats

Oh, that's rather sad! And it says a lot about society these days that looking like you care about what you wear (without huge labels everywhere) means that you have 'money to spare'. Time was, everyone did that, regardless of income.

 

[Puzzicato]

The other night I was at a party and was repeatedly referred to as glamorous. I was wearing a plain black shift and red lipstick, with my hair pulled back in combs. Apparently that counts as glamour these days!

It sounds extremely chic!

I think there is something about a dress. For some reason a dress + cardi gets a lot more comments than skirt + blouse + cardi.

 

[Penny Dreadful]

That's so true. I was lounging with movies and a friend in a super cheap halter swing dress, which is pretty much my version of the sweats everybody these days goes out in. The pizza guy was dumbfounded when he asked where I was going and I told him nowhere. He couldn't get over it, he kept asking the same question in different ways almost expecting me to change my answer. You'd think I'd just walked out in a ball gown and told him I was about to do yard work. It was really amusing. I hate to say it, but it really makes me wonder how his girlfriend dresses.

 

[K.McG]

I don't really own any vintage clothing(i do have hats, and other accessories, and a beautiful winter coat), but I try to make/ buy vintage inspired pieces, and always do vintage hair and make up. Yesterday was my schools annual student fashion show, I wore a red shirt, navy skirt with red piping and buttons that I made, my red Chelsea Crew shoes and my Schiaparelli hat(which my father refers to as my 'Boy George hat' because and I quote 'he wore one on the back of his head like that when he was starting out. Rather unimpressed by that one!), and my roommates dad kept telling her today how much he likes the way I dress, something about how it 'really gets him going', which I guess is a good thing? She said it's not anything creepy


I most often get comments on my hair, everyone thinks that it is super hard and takes an exorbitant amount of time to do... but it doesn't really, its just that many people(especially a lot of college girls) aren't willing to spend time other than frying their hair with flat irons and what not.

It is really fun to gauge peoples reactions, mostly they don't know what to think and the expressions are priceless!

Addition 10th May

Today someone said to me 'You look like you should be kissing a sailor!'

 

[Katinka von K.]

I had a good day yesterday. We had a party and I got quite a few "You look kinda like a pin-up." comments and even a "reminds me of nose art" one. How nice is that?

 

[Miss Golightly]

I was in a pub after being out for dinner - was wearing a black vintage Hattie Carnegie dress (it's the most incredible shape) with some rhinestone scatter pins and black suede kitten heels and this lady stopped me and said "Fabulous dress! Fabulous dress!" which was lovely.

 

[Miss Retro Chic]

Today an old man came to me and said how much I looked like women did in the 1930s. He said he was a young man then and he still thinks that women were so pretty back then. "Much prettier than women do now," he said. I was so very flattered. Who'd think a compliment from an old man could make me so happy?

 

[LittleMissToniJo]

Today someone said to me 'You look like you should be kissing a sailor!'

This is the best!!

 

[K.McG]

This is the best!!

that made my whole day!

 

[RodeoRose]

I most often get comments on my hair, everyone thinks that it is super hard and takes an exorbitant amount of time to do... but it doesn't really, its just that many people(especially a lot of college girls) aren't willing to spend time other than frying their hair with flat irons and what not.

Augh, I get those sorts of comments all the time from girls my age, it's a bit annoying. Especially when you start to explain pincurls and the concept of setting your hair at night, and you see their eyes start to glaze over lol.

Oh, and I love the sailor comment, how sweet!

 

[Miss Moonlight]

It's been a while since I looked right out of another era, but at that time, someone told me I reminded him of a time when you could trust your government. lol (No comment... but don't SO many come to mind?)

 

[BettyMaraschino]

I think I got a kind of compliment from a girl at work the other day. She said she thought I was 30 something. (I'm 23) To try and save herself she went on to say its because I always look so smart, I dress nice and always do my hair and makeup.
It's sad that a girl 5years my junior thinks that you must be older than 30 to be presentable and not care what others think of how I dress.
It's also a good job I'm a nice assistant manager who doesnt take offence to being called ten years older than I am.

 

[LittleMissToniJo]

It is really nice to go back through this thread and read the comments

I get pretty down sometimes! I know what I love and what I think is elegant and beautiful... but I don't think I ever set out to be a caricature or to stand out quite so much. I'm almost always embarrassed when I get comments, flattering or not.

But can you imagine if more girls were into dressing this way? The prices on eBay would get ridiculous!

 

[Tatum]

I was told (very kindly, like it was a compliment) that I looked like a '40s airline stewardess yesterday. This was by a server in a restaurant that I know quite well. His boss (a close friend) laughed like a hyena when i told him, and said no, I just looked like "lovely little" me, and maybe the server is just used to me looking a bit more dressed up. I wish I had a photo from yesterday....

 

[Gracie Lee]

^ She looked great! I'm still jealous of the grey dress she was wearing

 

[Tatum]

^ She looked great! I'm still jealous of the grey dress she was wearing

Aw! Thanks Gracie. Pics?? You have them all! I think you'd look better in it than me, I would be happy to let you borrow it!

I got a really awful look today, it was the first time I have ever had a negative reaction when dressed vintage. It was by a salesgirl in the Ann Taylor outlet. She looked me up and down with disgust. Hubby and I were out shopping for shoes (we both needed sandals) and I was wearing a cream sleeveless sweater and a red and white polka dot skirt along with HUGE v-rolls. I wanted to crawl under a rock. Hubby said to heck with it, and to consider where we were... The girl behind the counter at Bass, however, gushed and quizzed me on how I did my hair! That helped a lot. So did the three pairs of shoes Hubby bought me...

 

[MarieAnne]

Tatum - How old was the Ann Taylor salesgirl?