Do you wear vintage in your down time?

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

When I am at home lounging, I have not one but two pairs of Daniel Green red satin slippers, and a fabulous 40s Vanity Fair robe that I paid $4 for. Amazing! And a ton of vitnage slips. I have such good luck with slips at thrift stores. I have house dresses that I actually get tailored because even though they're supposed to be boxy it's just not flattering on me and I hate to be unfabulous.

To go out and about (ie shopping, groceries or otherwise) it's usually a combo - jeans and a vintage blouse, or maybe a skirt and flats, or a scarf and pedal pushers...always lipstick though.

I am currently wearing a vintage suit at the office. I guess I'm just all over the map.

 

[imoldfashioned]

I'm much more likely to wear vintage during my personal time--everything from day dresses to my great 1930s "William Powell" robe that I got for a song 20 years ago. I'm starting to wear some authentic vintage (rather than modern clothes with a vintage feel) to work though; my office is pretty stuffy but I think I'm ready to shake them up a bit.

 

[mysterygal]

I've just started buying vintage clothes, I absolutely love the look of them! Once I've gotten my wardrobe stocked up a little more I'll probably wear vintage most of the time

 

[LizzieMaine]

I tend to save my genuine vintage for special occasions, to minimize the wear and tear and spills and stains -- so for everyday, I'm pretty much always wearing something I've made from a vintage pattern. I usually wear early-forties-style short-sleeve cotton or rayon day dresses to work at the theatre (gets very hot in the booth!), although sometimes I'll mix it up with a blouse and skirt combo. For around-the-house, I've got a bunch of cotton utility/housedresses, usually in shirtwaist style with cap sleeves for easy motion. I hardly ever wear pants -- usually only during the coldest parts of winter.

Today, for example, is Spring Cleaning day -- so the outfit for housework is a cotton shirtwaist dress with a dirndl-style skirt, bobby sox, and my brown-and-white saddles. My hair -- is a mess, which is where a bandanna comes in handy!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I do--I own quite a few house dresses, which I love, as they are very comfortable and easy to wear. I also enjoy lounging about in playsuits and short sets. I do have a couple of worn day day dresses that I wear when I am hanging out and/or cleaning, and if I am not wearing vintage, I can be found in vintage-inspired ensembles.

 

[rubyredlocks]

I usually dress comfortably,but presentable and lean toward vintage-inspired ensembles.Though,not a precise vintage look.
I favor just below-the-knee pleated skirts with summer-weight cap sleeve sweaters and wedges or espadrailles,wide leg trousers worn with gauzy 40s style blouses and peep-toe heels,circle skirts,ballet flats and those little boatneck tees someone already mentioned.
My hair has been growing out from a very short cropped Audrey style cut and is pretty much a chin length layered bob. Most days it's left straight,or I set it overnight on sponge rollers.
I think it's pretty much a cute girl-next-door look,but I would love to pull off a bad girl look just once.

 

[LolitaHaze]

I try too... and I would like to get a bigger vintage wardrobe so I can more often, but I find that I dress mostly in 40's, 50's and 80's fashions.

 

[RetroModelSari]

I got to admit that I hang out at home mostly in my underwear than in a outfit... But I saw a cute housecoat that I wanna sew when I get my sewing maschine (well at least I want to try to sew it ;-) )

 

[CherryRed]

I do--I own quite a few house dresses, which I love, as they are very comfortable and easy to wear. I also enjoy lounging about in playsuits and short sets. I do have a couple of worn day day dresses that I wear when I am hanging out and/or cleaning, and if I am not wearing vintage, I can be found in vintage-inspired ensembles.

Jitterbugdoll, since you also wear the house dresses, let me ask you...do you wear stockings with them? I don't like wearing stockings around the house, but then I don't know what kind of shoe is appropriate with a house dress. Some type of flat? But then the stocking issue again....so what do you do?

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I don't always wear stockings if I am just going to be hanging around the house--it depends on what I am going to be doing. Usually I pair my house dresses with wedges, though Keds and saddles shoes also work well (you can even get away with ballet flats.) But I've been known to wear them with platforms as well when I head out of the house, and can tell you that no one has any clue that the dress I am wearing is "just a house dress"

 

[LizzieMaine]

My grandmother always wore stockings with housedresses, but she didn't wear them pulled all the way up -- she'd make round garters out of elastic webbing, roll them into her stocking tops, and then roll them down to below the knees. She never bothered to wear regular garters unless she was going out, and I guess this kept her cooler in the heat of the kitchen. (These were the days before elastic-top knee-highs were common.) I always figured it was a throwback to her carefree flapper days.

For shoes, I remember her usually wearing sturdy low-heeled brown leather oxfords -- not a real fashionable look, but she was on her feet all day. I've been known to wear shoes like that myself, especially when my sciatica is acting up -- but needless to say those shoes get changed if I'm going out anywhere!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I bought a couple of catalogs from 1937 and 1939 on eBay a while back, and was very surprised to see that lastex-topped stockings (the thigh highs of today) and knee highs were available at that time. They were marketed as a way to save money on foundation garments, and came with fully fashioned heels and seams, just like any other stocking. I found that to be very interesting.

I don't own any oxfords myself, but that is another good option for wear with house dresses. These are actually pretty cute:
http://www.shoetrader.com/pagebuilder/Item?item=46713&CATEGORY=SEARCHPAGE

 

[CherryRed]

Thank you Juitterbugdoll and Lizzie.
I saw those shoes on the other thread. Very cute. I guess then, if I didn't want to have a bare leg with a shoe, I could wear knee highs since they are technically vintage. I will have to look for some ballet flats, I think I like that idea. Come to think of it, Lucy always wore flats around the house on I Love Lucy.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I got a totally shapeless housedress made with very cute calico for $2, had it tailored to fit my waistline, and now it transitions very nicely out of the house thank you very much!

As for house SHOES, why not get some Daniel Green slippers? Even with these huge feet o'mine (9 1/2) I've been able to find 2 pairs.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hallreis/detail?.dir=b417&.dnm=303c.jpg&.src=ph

 

[Caledonia]

When I am at home lounging, I have not one but two pairs of Daniel Green red satin slippers, and a fabulous 40s Vanity Fair robe that I paid $4 for.

I am so envious. Every pair I've come across is completely out of my size, or just been reserved for somebody else. I think I've mentioned on another thread, my nightwear is homemade repro from original patterns, and I have vintage slips that I use. Practising sewing for the daywear. Vintage shoes and purses get used whenever appropriate to my still modern daywear wardrobe.

 

[Lady Day]

Yes

Does not matter to me, I am either in some genuine vintage, vintage inspired, or vintage made (God bless the sewing machine) pieces.

I dont have many 'down time' clothes on purpose. I got rid of them, cause I would always wear them, cause it was easy. Now I love looking in my closet and finding a 'costume' to wear, weather it be slacks (trying to diet from denim) a great vintage looking blouse, a head scarf or flower in my hair, or one of my mother's vintage brooches.

I went to art school too. My last class was printmaking, and Id show up in a vintage red black/ polka dot blouse, pearls, and black slacks with mary janes. Thats what smocks are for Its my style, and I cant turn it on and off. So I have my whole wardrobe reflect it.

I have some vintage inspired PJs. Not the real thing only cause I HAVE to sleep in cotton, or some breathable fabric. I cant do silk or polly.

I guess Im not afraid to get stains on stuff, I have one sweater that has oil based ink on the cuff. Its blue ink, and a white sweater. I was bummed, but Im still gonna wear it

LD

 

[Shimmy Sally]

No, I don't usually wear authentic vintage around the house to clean or whatever. For my down time I most often wear canvas Jantzen or Keds or repro saddle shoes, with capris/pedal-pushers, and a baby doll T or tank, hair in a pony-pomp. Sometimes I'll wear a playsuit, skort, or tap shorts I've made. I'm not going to scrub the floor or sweep the patio wearing a piece of history! I always have the glasses, hair-do, scary eyebrows, motifs, jewelry, etc that give me away. So my interest is always evident.

 

[AllaboutEve]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can tell me where I can get hold of the "sweat guards" that have been mentioned on the Powder Room before. I presume that these protect your vintage garments from perspiration and deodorant damage.
I have no idea what these look like or whether you have to sew them in or not.
I am keen to find out as I would like to be able to wear my vintage things more often in my "downtime" but I am concerned as to the general wear and tear they may suffer. I seem to remember that someone mentioned these "guards" before.
Can anyone help please??

 

[Lady Day]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can tell me where I can get hold of the "sweat guards" that have been mentioned on the Powder Room before. I presume that these protect your vintage garments from perspiration and deodorant damage.
I have no idea what these look like or whether you have to sew them in or not.
I am keen to find out as I would like to be able to wear my vintage things more often in my "downtime" but I am concerned as to the general wear and tear they may suffer. I seem to remember that someone mentioned these "guards" before.
Can anyone help please??

Fabric stores have them. Most I have been to carry them. Maybe even dry cleaners?

LD

 

[Rosie]

On my to do list, I want to recreate one of Lucy's great lounging suits, youknow the kind she would wear with the capris, ballet flats and that great big half circle like dress? (I hope I'm describing it properly) I REALLY REALLY REALLY want one of those. It's so darn glamorous