Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

[exquisitebones]

we are in a small town, so i always get looks and stuff..
mostly old ladies tho, they always say how neat my rolls look in my hair..
that and my mother in law...

she is an avid collector of and antiques and old junk, and she LOVES my hair, every time I come over she is like..
oh Shayla, its like you are the 40s or something.
lol lol my mil, is so cute.

 

[Pink Dahlia]

The ladies at work just adore my clothes.

One of my higher ups even said "You've found your niche!"

 

[Honey Doll]

And once a co-worker asked me if I was European, which totally confused me. I thought she meant if I was of European descent, but she actually thought I was from Europe because I had such a "unique sense of style"! I guess she confused a slight Long Island accent with a French one!

I get that too! I was out to dinner recently with my husband and a waiter left his area to come over and ask if I was French. Totally threw me because I'm French by descent, but no he wanted to know if I was from France.

Honey Doll

 

[Helen Troy]

So Europe means style? That is so funny for a Norwegian to hear. In that case, I guess Norway is not at part of Europe!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

The other day, a six-year-old boy came up to me and told me that he thought I was pretty. His mother was shocked, as he had only been talking for a year and he was still very quiet most of the time (we were at Wendy's and his mother had sent him to the counter for napkins; he made a point to stop, look at me, and then come back to speak to me.)

When walking to my apartment this weekend, I passed the pool in my complex. A little girl of about that same age was playing there, and as she saw me pass by, she went over to her mother to say "Look at her! She's so pretty."

I think that children often give the most genuine compliments, and I always enjoy it when a child says something to me.

 

[Paul]

This sounds really sad and it is, but for me to pass on a complement face to face with a stranger would today be difficult because of the fear of it been taken the wrong way, a bad chat up line or as a sarcastic comment.

Unless your in the right surrounding i.e. vintage event or something like that , yes children can say more and also retired people that's slightly different.
For me in my mid 40's it's a different thing and I am more careful unless you know the lady personally
.
I think that's the sign of the times. I wish it is different.
I am certain that the ladies here can take a compliment as it intended in good faith, but you do not know the person it is so much easier just to think to yourself "oh she look nice" and walk on.

 

[thebadmamajama]

I currently go to school in a small college town. I decided to go to church on Sunday with my boyfriend (a fellow vintage-ite) and got so many stares. Perhaps it was the tiny size of the congregation or the fact that I was so dressed up, but it made me so uncomfortable that I went home and changed to less "dressy" vintage. Still vintage, but...

I usually get really intrigued or interested looks, but this time it was a bit more condescending and not-so-nice curiosity. Shame.

 

[Voodoo Kitten]

I get stares no matter what I wear. I usually am more of a "rockabilly chick" or 50's, but nothing too dressed up. But being 6'1", I could wear a potato sack and nobody would notice anything but my height. So mostly I get "do you play basketball?, (no), or "are you a model?", (I wish!!).

I get the most comments about my cars. Usually it's "neat car" or "what kind of car is that?". Sometimes it's "why would anybody drive an old beater like that?? or "that must be your husbands/boyfriends/dads car" (No, they are both mine and I've got the registration to prove it!!)

 

[timorous me]

One thing that has always stuck with me... I was MAYBE fifteen years old, walking through a store with my sister - we were both atypical young ladies even at that young age... some drab middle-aged lady walking past us looked at us with disdain and said "Oh, give it up!"

In high school (and a little in college), there were people who seemed to view my style with curious awe, or curious respect, or curious disdain. I had the respect or at least acceptance of almost everyone. I think we all experience that, the curious respect, the people who love that we're not afraid to do things a little differently, even if they're not quite at that point themselves. (I don't mean for that to sound vain, I swear!) There were a few who pretended to like my style to my face, and luckily fewer still who reacted with outright disgust.

Now that I'm in the real world, the reactions are much the same, though more than anything people respect that I do whatever I want and can get away with it! I still get weird looks on occasion, (walking down the sidewalk with a parasol?) but old ladies love me.

And then there are always these conversations:

THEM: You're awfully dolled up today? What's the occasion?
ME: I dress like this every day.
THEM: Oh. Yeah.

(But in their defense, these are the same people I've worked with for six months and still have this conversation with on a daily basis:

THEM: Stop dragging your feet when you walk!
ME: I'm not dragging my feet. I'm limping.
THEM: OMG! Why are you limping? Are you ok??
ME: I always walk with a limp. I've walked with a limp for as long as you've know me.
THEM: Oh.)

 

[Bubbles]

This is my first post, so please be patient with me! I am so glad to have found this place! I dress vintage every day, everywhere, and have gotten mostly positive responses from people (mostly older people). Usually something like "You look like you stepped out of an old movie". That always makes my day! Something interesting happened to me yesterday, though. I went to Sally to get some pincurl clips. I had my hair in 2 victory rolls at the front with a snood at the back, which is my everyday hairstyle. One of the women who worked there, who was probably in her 60s and was a professional stylist, said to me, "So, what are ya goin' for; 20s, 30s, 40s, or somethin'?" This story is better in person because of her accent; I mean, I don't live in a podunk town, but we have our share of hillbillies, and this was one of them! I feel a little bit guilty saying that, because she was very helpful (aside from her terrible attempt at swing dancing in the aisle, which will be forever burned into my retinas)!

 

[Lady Day]

Well, welcome Bubbles

LD

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

While shopping at Copley Place, a kind of high end mall here in Boston, the young guy who worked at Ralph Lauren said "Wow, you look like you just stepped off a Hollywood set". He said this with such glee and shock, utter bewilderment, it was really sweet. It was also the only nice comment I got all day. For some reason that day people in Boston weren't all that nice. I know I look different, hence I'm gonna get looked at. However on this day I was just treated down right rudely by people who worked in certain stores, and I also didn't get the usual occasional dirty look from someone, but actually got snickered at, right to my face. Thank goodness I was with Hemingway Jones, who "accidentally" bumped into a few people who were out right nasty and didn't even have the courtesy to wait til' I was out of earshot. Ugh, what a day Certain parts of this city can be tough. When I walked through that very same mall with a Burberry Trench coat and a Louis Vuitton bag, I get smile galore and doors opened/held for me. It's amazing to me that the people there are so closed minded that they actually treat someone differently depending on what they are wearing. I'm not even gonna tell you how awful these three chicks were to me in the Saks Shoe department. So awful that I actual said something quite rude to them, I usually walk away from these things, but these snobby bi&**^s deserved it!

 

[GoldLeaf]

I'm sorry, Daisy It is very frustrating. Its not like you had a mohawk and were wearing gaudy red plaid pants! You were dressed like a feminine lady.

I can relate to the experience, but from wearing said mohawk and red plaid pants I dressed outrageously in college, and I knew it. I also expected the stares and nasty comments, but it didn't mean I had to like it. I even had people that I thought were friends ridicule me in the middle of a large party because I could be so much more attractive if I just put on a nice sweater [huh] People are strange.

I won't forget the time that a little girl saw me in the mall and said, "Mommy, she's cool," and her mother replied, "Yes, honey, she is." That really warmed my heart. That was a pivotal moment in that girl's life where the mother's response had the potential to create an open-minded person, or one who was afraid of the unique looking folks. I remember when I was about 9 my mom responded similarly when I commented on a punk on a city bus in Germany. Wow the early 80's European punk style was outlandish and fabulous!

It never ceased to amaze me how many people would grab their children and try to enclose them in their arms. I'm not a zombie, I'm not going to eat their brains. I am also not a thief; I am not going to try to rob their candy money. Seriously, if I tried to follow their line of thinking, shouldn't the adults be trying to protect themselves and their pocketbooks? [huh]

Anyway, not a comment from dressing vintage, unless you consider dressing like the early 80's European punk scene vintage But I can totally relate to how you felt and were treated. I am sorry that it happened to you, you are a doll and a lovely person. None of us deserve it.

I guess it's a good lesson to ensure we don't cause someone else similar heartache. A couple months ago, I forgot myself and made a snide comment about a rather eccentric outfit a girl was wearing, and I know she heard me. I wanted to die, I couldn't belive that I had sunk to that level. This is a good reminder for me to watch my tongue, my attitude, and my thinking

 

[Helen Troy]

This sounds really sad and it is, but for me to pass on a complement face to face with a stranger would today be difficult because of the fear of it been taken the wrong way, a bad chat up line or as a sarcastic comment.

It`s a big difference between a nice "Excuse me, miss, I just have to compliment your dress" and a nasty "Nice top, missy" said while trying to look down my cleavage. We can tell the difference.

I was once dressed as a 30s inspired cabaret artist for a play, complete with fishnet stockings, tophat, corset etc, and walking to the event I got some comments. Most of them was sleazy, but I remember one young man who very politely asked me if he could interest me in some poetry and a nice glass of sherry. Of course politely declined, (I am not in the habit of hooking up with strangers on the street) but that polite, nice remark stood out from the "come here, baby"shouting I got that night.

 

[lindylady]

Usually, people just tell me that I look nice or ask if I have a job interview (which confuses me, because I thought that you're supposed to wear a suit to an interview; my, the times are a-changin' ).Today I got a few curious glances from my colleagues because I decided to curl my hair and do some forties type eye makeup. My outfit is vintage inspired (red cowl-neck sweater, black a-line skirt, kitten heels) but could easily be something that a modern lady would wear if she wanted to dress up. I think that people will continue to either look or make comments, no matter how many times they see you.

 

[beaucaillou]

The other day I was at the grocery check out and the clerk said, "...You look like you should be sitting on my desk, filing your nails and answering the phone, in black and white of course." It was pretty sweet. He then went on to tell me how much it all suited me and how successfully I pulled it off. It was a truly nice compliment.

 

[Elaina]

My son and I were out riding the bus (he wanted to) and this large woman came on the bus. My son got up, offered her his seat (it was full) and I stood up to be with him.

She kept looking at us weird for about 5 minutes, and my son complimented her on her ample backside. I wavered between trying not to laugh, and not being embarassed.

Be wary of the child compliments.

 

[Tough Cookie]

My son and I were out riding the bus (he wanted to) and this large woman came on the bus. My son got up, offered her his seat (it was full) and I stood up to be with him.

She kept looking at us weird for about 5 minutes, and my son complimented her on her ample backside. I wavered between trying not to laugh, and not being embarassed.

Be wary of the child compliments.

Oh my goodness! lol May I ask how he umm, complimented her?

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Daisy, the experience you describe is exactly the way it is at Scottsdale Fashion Square mall here; the people are often very rude and stare condescendingly at you when you dare to be different, rather than following the boring and generally unflattering trends of the moment. I always have to laugh, because everyone looks exactly the same and not really all that good either, and oftentimes the boyfriends of these catty gals look you up and down with real interest, which must kill their girlfriends even more. lol

 

[Elaina]

Oh my goodness! lol May I ask how he umm, complimented her?

"Your butt's bigger then my moms!" <lady blinks, uhs> "I like it!"