Does vintage make you look.... *older*?

[tempestbella42]

Kat, the wife of Baron Kurtz, whom many here will remember as one of our former posters, another Aussie but on e transplanted to England attributes her looking a good 18 years younger than she actually is to the maxim "don't smoke and stay the hell out of the sun." lol I think there's a lot to be said for that - I barely go outside in July and August if it's avoidable.

fftopic: SUN?? England???? lol

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

fftopic: SUN?? England???? lol

That's funny. lol Maybe two or three days in Devon?

 

[Edward]

fftopic: SUN?? England???? lol

A hell of a lot more than I was used to in Ireland, anyhow! Seriously, the temperature here most Summers nearly kills me - I find it hard to function at much over 21 degrees Celcius. [huh]

 

[NY_Confidential]

Well, you'd have to admit that "old people" are the ones who are mostly wearing this kind of stuff. Surely it's not "vintage" to them, but they are the ones with whom fedoras and DB suits are associated with, for the most part.

So someone may spot you in your vintage clothing, or even vintage-inspired clothing, and it reminds them of "grandpa".

Tell you what, though-- my grandfather is my biggest idol in life, and I don't mind looking like "grandpa" any day of the week. (at least, the days ending in Y)

 

[John in Covina]

Here we are a group of people that have an intrest in vintage discussing how vintage may make you appear older / younger and other possible effects.

In a few months it will be 2010.
The 1960's were 40-50 years ago
1950's were 60-50 years ago
40's -70-60
30's - 80-70
And so on.

These eras are now 'so long ago' that for many they were not even alive during these times and therefor have little or no understanding of those times or the value systems that were in place. The number of people that have that understanding that comes from living then continues to drop. (That's life.) Ordinary people saw some films (maybe) and in the elderly vestiges of those earlier times, but they cannot relate, they don't understand and they have no value of the past. It's seen in our youth worship, the need to be terminally hip, on the cutting edge of technology, and all out consumerism pursuing the next "IT" product.

Most people that have negative connotations to being fashionably dressed up are able to draw few if any concrete connections to the earlier eras. They have no concept of style, fashion and or "the Look" a vintage enthusiast is going after. The casual lifestyle makes some distain those that dress from business suits to semi to formal. They have no value concept of finding the right suspenders (braces) for a suit. They draw connections at the most superficial level so we hear Indy, pimp, gangster, Frenchman and all sorts of odd comments.

For those that are negative, you really don't need their opinion, let alone seek it out, it's as valid as asking a comatose person to estimate the value of a Babe Ruth Autographed baseball on the Antiques Roadshow.

For those that are positive be thankful.

For those that express an interest, be the person to invite them to join in and learn.

When you meet another vintage aficionado, congratulate them on their taste and be sure to introduce them to the Fedora Lounge!

 

[Feraud]

My mom is an actual vintage person - we have pix of a pretend fashion show she put on in 1949 - but is now thoroughly New York professional chic. I showed her pix of one of our highly stylish Loungers - a woman in her 40s - and her first comment was, "She looks awfully old for her age." She wouldn't elaborate.

It would be interesting to hear from someone who lived during the era what style mistakes we make in our quest for authenticity..

 

[Edward]

It would be interesting to hear from someone who lived during the era what style mistakes we make in our quest for authenticity..

Somtimes I suspect they'd be much less fussy than we are. From observation of the typical audience at gigs to which I've been on what might loosely be terms the 'rock and roll' circuit here in London, the folks interested in period dress tend to be those very much too young to have been around in the fifties; those who remember it all first time around are, almost without exception, dressed in modern clothing. [huh]

 

[jamespowers]

those who remember it all first time around are, almost without exception, dressed in modern clothing. [huh]

They got converted to polyester and sansabelts long ago I suppose. Now THAT makes you look old. :eusa_doh:

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I recently had a fellow lounger (anotehr lady) comment on my look one day that I looked like I've been aging 'backwards' and looking younger since I've been dressing vintage and posting pics regularly with joining FL in March 09! I'll take that Even before I got into vintage clothing people have for the last several years never think I'm as old as I actually am.

Edward, ah don't you believe it...Don't let 'em rattle you! On men in particular, I think the vintage look is such an attractive and 'youthful' look! Seeing lots of the guys in their vintage and V-I here, and in my local Deco circles, the men seem more 'young at heart' it seems. They really enjoy dressing like this and feel good about themselves when wearing the vintage garb. That young at heart attitude and assured sense of positive self esteem about themselves makes them look younger AND they are also happier and more content.

Slightly rattled at the weekend by a (n older) friend who was very obviously shocked at my age, as she had assumed me to be much older. She wouldn't say exactly what age, so I'm assuming it really must have been bad. Normally I wouldn't care, but women are usually fairly perceptive like that. Another female friend (who is sorta vintage, she's into the rockabilly thing) suggested that it's because "unless you go rockabilly" men's vintage clothing "will always make you look older". (Yet another female friend has in the past put the occasional person thinking I'm much oler own to an assumption brought on by my lack of hair rather than anything else). Is there anything in this, though? I mean, my mother has long given off about me dressing "like an old man", but I'm inclined to treating her opinion on the matter with the contempt it so richly deserves....

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I agree that that is a key to looking your age in vintage or non vintage in general. When wearing vintage clothes a 50 yo gal shouldn't be trying to wear what an 18 yo ingenue would wear back then and vice versa.

Which probably ties in with dressing in age-appropriate vintage - that is to say, do you dress as people your age really would have back then? Or younger, or older?

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I agree...

Modernly - oriented folks might call it "older" but Golden Era folks would simply have recognized you as being well dressed, "respectable" and quite handsome I might add.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

Bravo EB!!

I've got to the point already where I'm starting to pay less attention to my age and focus on who I am.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

BTW. I too used to get the odd comment from Mumsie when I first started going vintage.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

Lauren I think you look younger in your vintage with or without the eyeglasses, cause you always look so happy in your vintage, and very young at heart!

I think it depends!
I think I look younger than I am in everyday wear. When I wear vintage I think I actually look my age! But when I wear my vintage glasses it tacks on some years.
For example.
I'm nearly 29, for reference.
Normal, in vintage, in vintage with glasses.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

FG, you seemed youthful in appearance and spirit at the Gatsby, Sir!

Interesting question... Does vintage make you look *older*? Hmmmmm... well, when I started to wear suits, I used be told by a few that I looked more mature... that I liked.

Some people have said I dress like an old man... mostly people say I remind them of their father's when they were young... that's a compliment if you ask me!

I have shocked people when they find out my real age... they always thought that I was still in my early 20s... lol I wish!

 

[chanteuseCarey]

My sister who is three years younger tells me that I look younger then she does, because she goes out in the sun (alot) and knows I do not. I also use more lotions and potions than she does to protect and nourish my skin than she does too...

Having a few extra pounds on also plumps up the skin a bit they say, and so less wrinkling. Hey, its my story and I'm sticking with it...

Staying out of the sun helps an awful lot.

(Another antipodian who doesn't go in the sun much)

 

[Lenore]

Excellent thread.

To throw in my two cents, I'll have to agree that it's not so much what you wear, but how you wear it. I'm 27 as of last Monday, and usually only am noted for looking my age (or just slightly younger) when I'm dressed vintage inspired. When I'm stuck in the jean hell known as casual Friday, I've been told I look as young at 19. When I'm in more modern clothes, and not feeling overly comfortable in them, is when people mistake me for being older. I feel that if you're confidant in what you're wearing and you exude that confidence, you'll not be seen as being old. Timeless maybe, but never "old."

 

[Rathko]

I always wear at least a jacket and tie to work despite the prevailing trend for hipster-casual. One night I ran into a few of my colleagues during one of the rare periods in which I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. The first comments from every one of them were that I looked ten years younger. Fortunately, I've long considered youth highly overrated.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

There is one person who has made several observations to me about how my 40s look makes me look older - my best friend's soon-to-be-mother-in-law. She never comes out and says it but she makes comments like 'are you sure you're the same age (as the best friend)?' and when I wore 60s at a recent event she kept going on about how much younger I looked. It's odd because everyone else assumes I am younger than 28, perhaps because it is usually younger people who dress eccentrically... usually they grow out of it by 28! [huh] lol

However I find these comments to be especially annoying, because my best friend looks extremely *young*! So the only 28 year old she spends time with regularly is petite, baby-faced and high of voice. She also does dress in a typical girlish fashion with straight longish hair! *This* 28 year old is often in tailored clothing, is tall and broad and has intricate hairdos so that = old to the stbMIL!

 

[Scotus]

Flat caps make people look old here as many elderly people wear them.

Good observation. I personally think flat caps make me look even older than I am.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Flat caps make a man look either like Gu, my husband's Welsh grandfather, or like he's out of Madness.