Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

[Bubble Cheeks]

MaryDeluxe, Cherry, Kitty, thank you for the nice compliment of liking my stories! When these things happen to me, my husband laughs and says "Only you, Lenore. Only you." But I don't think it's only me. Not after reading the stories here!

And Kadri, what I would give. What I would give to look like you! *sigh* You, my dear, are stunning! The color of your hair and skin, and eyes, and your entire look is darling and sweet and absolutely wonderful!

xoxo for all,
~Lenore

 

[exquisitebones]

there are a good 5 people in town that now completely refer to me as "40s girl" hahahaha, and they all tell me they were raised in the 40s and its fun to see a "blast from the past"

Old people are so awesome

 

[Kadri]

Bubble Cheeks
you are too sweet

 

[cherry lips]

Yesterday when I was out dancing a girl said I looked like Jackie Kennedy! I was very pleased since I've only heard that once before, from my mother (and mothers can be a bit biased ).

 

[BombshellBella]

^^ Thats the BEST compliment! Soak it up and enjoy.

 

[Elizabeth.F]

I got my first comment today! Normally people just stare, but today a nice old lady in Barnes & Noble told me that I looked lovely in my cloche (I dress 1920s style). That really made my day!

 

[CherryKrissy]

So far I have not had anybody comment, although when I dressed Vintage on Friday, I did see several older women smiling at me

 

[Emmaline]

I don't quite have the resources to dress vintage as much as I would like to, but I try to occasionally dress up in what I have for work. Usually I get the average complements but my favorite slightly dumb remark was when I was dressed very 1950s in a circle skirt with my hair pincurled and one of the girls that works with me asked if I was "totally dressed up like the 80s or what?" lol Some people are not quite as with it as others!

 

[Bunny]

I recently started working in an office for a major women's clothing retailer here in Canada. And I have to say it is so nice to finally work in a place where I can dress up every day and wear my great vintage clothes. The girls I work with are so sweet and always want to know where I bought my stuff. (A lot of them have fashion degrees, so they have a knowlegde of vintage fashion. It's fun to talk to some of them about the golden era!)
One of the girls I work with told me she wished she had the guts to wear what I wear and stand out like I do. I thought it was the nicest compliment!

I don't often get negative reactions to my appearance. The odd stare or two, but I just think it's because in a world where we've accepted baggy sweatpants tucked into UGGS as appropriate "going out clothes" it's sometimes a shock to see someone dressed in a classy put-together outfit.

As I see it, I'm just trying to bring a little beauty and class to the world!

 

[Miss RM]

I generally get a lot of odd stares, but no comments. I got my first one this week, though. I'm not sure if it was complimentary or not! I was told that I, "need elbow length red leather gloves to finish my outfit"??? I'm not really sure what era I'd have fitted into had I been wearing them, but the comment seemed to have been made in a positive light!

 

[Lillemor]

Uhm...it could've been someone's clumsy attempt at showing that they recognized the historical period of your style of dress.[huh] I try to assume it's positive when people say clumpsy things that can be interpreted one way or the other unless I sense an aggresiveness in which case I assume they have some insecurity issues that makes it hard for them to accept people whose appearance stands out from their own comfort zone.

I've been mixing 1920s and 1950s all Winter and wearing modern hiking boots but no one's pointed out my fashion faux pas' this past Winter.

 

[Lillemor]

I don't quite have the resources to dress vintage as much as I would like to, but I try to occasionally dress up in what I have for work. Usually I get the average complements but my favorite slightly dumb remark was when I was dressed very 1950s in a circle skirt with my hair pincurled and one of the girls that works with me asked if I was "totally dressed up like the 80s or what?" lol Some people are not quite as with it as others!

I'd have to take a deep breathe before explaining but in all fairness there was a 1950s revival in the 80s that even I remember (irritating pop medleys of old 50s hits anyone?! ) and perhaps that's why she "recognized" it as such though I never saw anyone in the 80s who dressed to immitate the 1950s but more to do their own in its time modern interpretation.

Fx. for New Year 1984 I was in that sort of Olivia Newton John black outfit with shiny black tights, black tulle crinoline petticoat, a black brocade corset I could fit because I'd slowly begun precocious puberty the year before, fake pearls, I had just had a vintage cut and perm, had someone older help me with make-up (I was only 8), tiger print shirt with MASSIVE shoulder pillows and suede/lamb moccasins! Erh...that wasn't a fashionable combination in any context but so typical me!lol I still do nice combinations until it gets to choice of footwear where I feel a need to disgrace myself. There were middle aged ladies at the party who all wanted to pose with me because this was the closest they'd dare to get to someone who looked like the really bad girls of their very early youth.

fftopic: We lived in a commune house. Mom was working a night shift. It was 20s somethings who are now middle aged who helped me get dressed up. It didn't look indecent or inappropriate for an 8 y.o. because I was swamped by the shirt and the crinoline. I just wanted to illustrate with an example from my own experience, how the 80s trends and 1950s inspiration was mixed.

 

[klara]

I'm staying in NYC for a couple of months and I must say that people here are really generous with compliments. I've actually had a man shouting across the other street that he loved my shoes - as a shoeholic it's the finest you can say to me . But the best must be when I joined my husband to a really cheap spot for a couple of beers, and the bartender just poured compliments over me, saying that he loved my style and that I looked like a 30s moviestar. I really didn't expect that walking into a place called cheap shot lol

 

[xitsvivx]

Ive gotten anything from .. you look like a pinup girl, bettie page, vixen, 50s girl, classy, rockabilly, fun ... to ... you look like Aunt Jemima! .. that one actually made me laugh though. I wore my hair up, curled, pomp up front and a black bandana covering the back with the curls peeking up top.
I dont tend to have many negative comments.. but I did notice getting evil stares when I went to a "ghetto" mall whilst wearing a pencil skirt, side rolls, hair curled and red lipstick. You know the feeling.. when you can just feel the eyes piercing at you... I didnt sense anything nice. More like a .. who the hell do you think you are.. vibe. =( oh well, that mall sucks anyways!

 

[Miss 1929]

Was it Hilltop or Southside?

I get a lot of odd looks in my neighborhood, which is the last vestige of "the hood" in north Oakland (almost Berkeley), except on Sundays when i guess they see the hat and assume I'm off to church!

 

[RebeccaMUA]

Today I went to the LA Makeup Show with a friend and she and other's were telling me how cute I looked, lol. I was 30's esque (someone mentioned "The Great Gatsby, lol) but I definitely didn't get any weird stares. Although...compared to some of the people there they wouldn't have any room to talk even if they did!

 

[Lauren]

I don't do head to toe vintage every day, but more "inspired". I do wear wide leg pants and button up shirts and sweaters with keds a lot and tend to get comments on those. Co-workers have given me great vintage trinkets and supplies! It's really nice when they recognize your passion and encourage it.
I did see one gal walking around downtown SD in full on 50s gear. Of course, it happened to be a day when I was more "modern" than vintage so felt embarrassed to start up a conversation with her. I did compliment her on her perfect outfit, however. I never see anyone vintage in SD, so it made my day!

 

[Miss 1929]

...
I did see one gal walking around downtown SD in full on 50s gear. Of course, it happened to be a day when I was more "modern" than vintage so felt embarrassed to start up a conversation with her. I did compliment her on her perfect outfit, however. I never see anyone vintage in SD, so it made my day!

The one and only time I was in San Diego, I thought people's eyes were going to fall out of their heads the way they stared. I was wearing a modern kind-of-30s-looking dress, a hat, and stockings - which in that climate probably freaked them out.

On the other hand, I hear the vintage shops there are great - maybe since no one is wearing it, it all stays in the shops?

 

[Lareesie Ladavi]

Anyone go to Corvettes Diner in San Diego? Totally 50s retro... A bit load (all the old music favs), if you can get passed that, it's worth checking out. The waitresses dress up in little waitress uniforms, some with fishnet stockings/tights. Very cute!

 

[Darhling]

I went to a new popular and very trendy club in Copenhagen this saturday, not my style though - think 'Blade' and the club in the beginning of the movie (sans blood). It is in an old meat packing plant or something and I was sticking out like a sore thumb stylewise (think guys dressed like yuppies gone boating and the girls with classic Ray Ban sunglasses with the lenses popped out, very messy bedhead hair and baggy shirts). BUT for some reason I got loads of great compliments and on several occasions guys and girls came up to me, just to say I looked positively lovely. I felt like I was treated more like a lady because of my outfit