Amusing quotes from people mis-dating you

[Fastuni]

Five years? I thought you were trying to resemble the 1940's look.

 

[Retro Spectator]

I try for a late 30's to late 40's look. But I do try for a 40's look more.

 

[Young fogey]

I've gotten "Eliot Ness." Funny since I'm flip-flopped from most of you stylewise. Circa 1960 but people see the hat and think "Prohibition era." It's in the ballpark, as with people pegging you as '50s. Better than being taken for '70s.

Made my day: while thrifting, a small boy walked up to me and said, "You look like a mystery guy."

I've gotten "Inspector Gadget" too.

 

[Retro Spectator]

Just yesterday, I went to the supermarket, and a worker there said that she loved my ties and hats I always wear. Not really misdating, but there isn't a comment thread for clothes to my knowledge.

 

[Fastuni]

There is always the search function.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?5445-Reactions-from-people

 

[Retro Spectator]

I actually did search, but I forgot all about the word reaction! :eusa_doh:

 

[The Good]

"Oh my! You're so beautiful tonight! You look like Marilyn Monroe, I just love that mad-men 20's thing you have going on!"

Err, yes, thanks a lot! ...Close enough.



What fun situations have you encountered?

That's a lot to get all at once! I've counted the 1950s with the Marilyn Monroe reference, the '60s because of Mad Men, and then the "'20s thing." It doesn't seem to have been meant as an insult at all, though. This person simply happened to appreciate your vintage attire without being able to place exactly when it would most fit in. In my experience, I have gotten mostly Mad Men and Don Draper, and occasionally Indiana Jones, or Boardwalk Empire references, usually when I am wearing a fedora with a suit or sports jacket and a tie (Usually vintage, from a broad range of decades). I am not insulted because of these, as I tend to regard them as well-intentioned, although I am amused above all.

 

[Nora]

There is always the search function.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?5445-Reactions-from-people

Oh my! I'm really sorry! I didn't encounter that one, but of course, I could have searched more thoroughly!

 

[Fastuni]

All is good. It wasn't directed at you, Nora.
I was responding to "Retro Specator", as he was looking for a thread about "reactions" in general.

 

[Edward]

I either get Mad Men or Bettie Page and it doesn't matter whether or not I'm wearing 30s, 40s or 50s. Not to mention that I don't have Bettie bangs.

Bettie's become a kind of go-to name for folks who don't really know what she is, but know that, you know, it's got something to do with that retro-vintage Fifties burlesque thing.... Over here, Dita's starting to become as much the name people reach for as anything.

Aubergine & Alaska White, the greatest color combination ever put on a Triumph!

Gorgeous! Yours?

When I lived in the USA, I got a few people commenting on my black fedora - asking me if I was Amish. But now in Vietnam, people either ask if I'm English or just say, "Sherlock Holmes!!". I suppose the pipe might have something to do with it. One of my bosses told me, "You're a 70 year old trapped in a 20 year old's body." I told her that I was flattered by that. It made me laugh.

Yeah, it'll be the pipe for sure... since the pipe's popularity as the smoking tool of choice was long ago supplanted by the cigarette, it sticks out, people notice is as different and, well... who's the most famous pipesmoker of all time (fictional or no)? If it were a cigar you could as easily have gotten Capone or Churchill. It's whatever pop-culture label comes to mind for folks. I get Poirot a lot. Don't look remotely like the guy (wish I had his wardrobe, though). Most commonly it's in the warmer months, on account of the co-respondents. Most folks can't tell the difference between those and spats (which Poirot did wear).

But honestly, if I'm going to look the way I do, I've got to be ready for that sort of stuff and take it with grace and aplomb.

Exactly. We stick out by choice... you've got to accept that people will notice the different. In all truth, I've rarely found it to be hostile.

At the Twinwood festival last year, Dusty Limits, a well known, openly gay, singer/MC/comic, asked if anyone wanted a request. My wife and I had seen Dusty sing an irreverent version of Ella Fitzgerald's "Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love." I walked up to the stage, dressed in the suit you see in the avatar, to ask him if he would sing that particular song. As I approached the stage, Dusty said I looked like an undertaker. I don't know if that was for a cheap laugh or whether he was mocking me.

Nah, if Dusty said that, it was all in good fun. Stick around and he'll make a similar crack about his own appearance in no time. Fantastic performer - one of the best male voices around these days. West End quality - if only the West End had the quality of show up to what he could bring to it!

A group of lads passing by muttering..."Inspector Gadget!"

Yeah, I've had that one too - normally in Belfast, typically from gangs of ill-dressed, sniggering, middle-aged man-children. Go go Gadget facepalm...

In NYC late at night walking the sidewalk, a HOBO from the shadows shouts
..."Who the 'F' do you 'think' you are! Eliot F'ing Ness?!!!"
(That had me smiling into the wee small hours that night!!)

Heh. Nice. One of our local winos once shouted at me "Hey, John Wayne - where's your horse?" So I removed my hat with a theatrical flourish and opined "Do you not think Yul Brynner is closer the mark?"

A kid in a tube station, round Easter 2013, said to me "Are you a spy?" Wish I'd thought to play along, but it came out of nowhere and caught me by surprise. A hilarious one was the sound, behind me, of a child who'd obviously clocked my co-respondents (at a time when a women's version was popular) - "Mummy, why is that man wearing ladyshoes?" Cue embarassed-parent-voice hissing "Shh!Shhh! No they're not! Shhh!" lol

The best one was a friend, of whom a kid on the tube said to the parent "Mummy, is that lady a ghost from the Olden Days?"

 

[jamespowers]

The best one was a friend, of whom a kid on the tube said to the parent "Mummy, is that lady a ghost from the Olden Days?"

This brings up and interesting story. On one of the Fedora Lounge events on the Queen Mary, a few of us were walking around the ship in 40s attire when we came across some maids cleaning at about 1 am. We were a ways down the hall from them and the light was not its best. We were amused to overhear them asking each other if they saw us and if we were real. lol lol I could of really had some fun if I played along with that one. Boooooooo!

 

[Retro Spectator]

The other day, I went to a church flea market and bought a vintage tie clip made by Swank. The seller first said that I looked like an actor from the 30's or 40's. After thinking for a bit, she said I looked like Hercule Poirot! I thanked her anyway, despite my outfit not resembling Poirot very much.

 

[Fastuni]

... and despite Poirot not being an actor from the 30's or 40's.
It may have been just the moustache.

 

[VisforVictory]

In my countless hours covering news at Manhattan Criminal Court, my mornings often consisted of comments from the people waiting to go inside, as I waited to photograph my perp du jour. I would often get "that's a REAL hat." And, both on one day, I was complimented on my "1920s" and "1960s" look. When Ja Rule was in court for his gun charge, he simply called me "Throwback."

Of course, while nobody means anything by it, I quickly tire of the "Al Capone" and "gangster" comments. I've taken to replying "no, I'm just a guy in a suit." When someone says "you look like something outta 'The Untouchables,'" my reflex response is "yeah, well, don't touch me."

Last night in Starbucks, some modern jazz/pop vocal song was playing, I don't know it was, but the barista said "you're dressed right for this music!" Huh?

In a Civil War context, it's just as bad. Mrs. H. can be wearing a grungy work dress at a rural farm program, and hear "oh, you look like Scarlett O'Hara."

And then, you have the casual visitor who nods in approval, and comments "very authentic," and moves on. I don't need your approval! </rant>

 

[HeyMoe]

You'd be surprised how much you can learn about someone from looking at their shoes. For those of us raised in the days before everyone was reduced to wearing sneakers, you could tell someone's social class, income stratum, occupation, and often how trustworthy or honest they were just by a fast glance at their feet. (If you ran into someone with a high-gloss shine on his shoes, but the heels were run over, watch out. He's all surface and no substance, and quite possibly is about to try to sell you something.)

To this day when I meet someone for the first time the first thing I do is look at their puppies.

Lizzie,

I always spitshine my shoes for work. It is a long standing habit that I got into when I was a civil air patrol cadet, and then after 12 years in the Army.

I used to own a property management business. When meeting potential tenants the first thing I always did was check out their shoes and their car. With almost 100% accuracy I was able to determine whom would care for the rental units I managed based on their shoes and their car.

 

[bbshriver]

Bettie's become a kind of go-to name for folks who don't really know what she is, but know that, you know, it's got something to do with that retro-vintage Fifties burlesque thing.... Over here, Dita's starting to become as much the name people reach for as anything.



Gorgeous! Yours?



Yeah, it'll be the pipe for sure... since the pipe's popularity as the smoking tool of choice was long ago supplanted by the cigarette, it sticks out, people notice is as different and, well... who's the most famous pipesmoker of all time (fictional or no)? If it were a cigar you could as easily have gotten Capone or Churchill. It's whatever pop-culture label comes to mind for folks. I get Poirot a lot. Don't look remotely like the guy (wish I had his wardrobe, though). Most commonly it's in the warmer months, on account of the co-respondents. Most folks can't tell the difference between those and spats (which Poirot did wear).

A kid in a tube station, round Easter 2013, said to me "Are you a spy?" Wish I'd thought to play along, but it came out of nowhere and caught me by surprise. A hilarious one was the sound, behind me, of a child who'd obviously clocked my co-respondents (at a time when a women's version was popular) - "Mummy, why is that man wearing ladyshoes?" Cue embarassed-parent-voice hissing "Shh!Shhh! No they're not! Shhh!" lol

The best one was a friend, of whom a kid on the tube said to the parent "Mummy, is that lady a ghost from the Olden Days?"

You mention twice, do tell what "co-respondents" are. I searched and just found it as a legal term, nothing to do with shoes.

As far as my own "mid dating" whilst I don't dress to a certain era, one (rainy) day I came into work wearing

1) Brown stetson fedora -"Indy" ish
2) Basic black rain/trench coat (modern london fog)
3) otherwise basic business casual... khakis, button down shirt and dress shoes.

IT guy sees me "Well if it isn't Mr. Sherlock Holmes!"

And I didn't even have a pipe!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

You mention twice, do tell what "co-respondents" are. I searched and just found it as a legal term, nothing to do with shoes.

As far as my own "mid dating" whilst I don't dress to a certain era, one (rainy) day I came into work wearing

1) Brown stetson fedora -"Indy" ish
2) Basic black rain/trench coat (modern london fog)
3) otherwise basic business casual... khakis, button down shirt and dress shoes.

IT guy sees me "Well if it isn't Mr. Sherlock Holmes!"

And I didn't even have a pipe!

Corespondents is another term for spectator shoes.

 

[LizzieMaine]

That phrase came to be associated in British slang with that particular type of shoe because they were imagined as the sort of thing which might be worn by a co-respondent in a divorce case -- in other words, the shoes of a "fancy man."

 

[hatsRme]

Misdated? Well here's one, and if it qualifies for the thread, it's a Doozy...

I have become the caregiver for my mother over the past couple of years. Somewhere in a doctor's office last winter, the twenty-something (her age, or possibly I.Q., that is) physician assistant asked me "how long have you two been together?"

I wanted to say "since birth."

I'm STILL speechless. Now THAT"S misdated!!!

 

[HeyMoe]

Not so much of a misdate issue but funny none the less.

I went to my eye doctor yesterday wearing spitshined half brogue shoes, vintigish herringbone wool pants with a windowpane pattern, orange shirt with a 1940s bold look tie and caring my brown royal stetson fedora. After waiting my eye doc comes out and as we were walking into the exam room she said "You have a real roaring twenty's thing going on, all you need is a tommy gun and an old car".

I responded "Well one of them is out in the parking lot" and her eyes got huge and she got a bit white. I chuckled and said," it's an old car, a 39 Dodge, not a tommy gun". The color slowly came back and she laughed that awkward laugh that people get when they have no idea how to respond because they are embarrassed or shocked.