Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

[C-dot]

I mean, I don't mind other people not liking my clothes, but it was just so HOSTILE and it was literally about twenty people in a half-hour journey. Have any of you ladies ever had an experience like this?

Oh yeah. In college, I had a 90 minute commute one-way on the bus, so I got the stares four times daily at two large bus terminals. Here's how you stop them: Sit up very straight with your shoulders back, and look them straight in the eye with a confident, slightly flirtatious gaze a la Imelda May:

...And they will either look away fast or smile nicely back at you. This can get tiring, so when you're sick of it, just pretend you are sitting in an empty room. It will reflect in your appearance, and eventually, you'll believe it.

 

[Louise Anne]

great advice C-Dot

 

[Louise Anne]

I want to explore another area do you ever come across people who your vintage yle stseam to just go over their head, they do not comment either negative or a posive way,
it's like you not wearing vintage.

 

[Miss sofia]

Oh yeah. In college, I had a 90 minute commute one-way on the bus, so I got the stares four times daily at two large bus terminals. Here's how you stop them: Sit up very straight with your shoulders back, and look them straight in the eye with a confident, slightly flirtatious gaze a la Imelda May:

I will initially smile if i catch someones' eye, then do me Garbo - haughty, yet pensive, if they don't smile back!

I like the idea of pretending to sit in an empty room though, i must remember that!

Paul - i find the majority of people don"t comment on my appearance.

 

[C-dot]

I want to explore another area do you ever come across people who your vintage yle stseam to just go over their head, they do not comment either negative or a posive way,
it's like you not wearing vintage.

It depends on how done up I am. If I'm wearing a suit for work or an interview, someone might comment on how "classic" I look, but mostly they don't say anything, and that doesn't bother me. I'd feel less professional if they made any specific comments (depending on the person. During my internship, an appeals lawyer asked me how I do my eyebrows, and we went into a girly chat about it. I was a little embarrassed when an older, male lawyer walked in with an odd expression, but the appeals lawyer and I became more friendly after that.)

My usual every-day look is still quite vintage, but many people will still react - they smile brightly and pay a little more attention to me. Girls will usually comment on the bow in my hair or my shoes or something.

When I'm wearing something really fetching to go out in, I don't run across one person who doesn't react in some way, whether it's a big smile or someone gushing about how retro my look is. The boyfriend is amused by people who stare blankly at me as I walk by - Those who don't, he says, are engrossed in their gadgets.

 

[RodeoRose]

Have any of you ladies ever had an experience like this?

That's just a normal day for me at my extremely conservative (but affordable, sigh) state university. Usually I don the disinterested Garbo gaze, like Miss sofia said, but C-Dot's tactic seems much more affable! Frankly, I'm mostly just tempted to give them the Wanda Woodward snarl lol.

I had a horrible run-in yesterday. I wear vintage fur quite often, and while I am disgusted by the modern fur industry and would never support it, my school is a magnet for naive pseudo-bohemian types who can't seem to tell the difference between a '40s mink stole and a modern creation. Some awful cad actually spit at me as I was walking to class, and gave me and my minky a nasty glare. Honestly, I think there are much more mature ways to voice your objection, but apparently this lad doesn't think twice about treating other humans with cruelty.

However, I've been getting many kind compliments from strangers, too, which cheers me up. An older lady visiting the gallery where I work told me she just loved my look; "it's so... my era!", she said! That about made my week.

 

[rue]

I can't believe someone spit on you! I know it happens, but no matter what anyone thinks.... no one should ever do something like that to another human being. I'm sorry you had to deal with that

 

[Miss sofia]

I can't believe someone spit on you! I know it happens, but no matter what anyone thinks.... no one should ever do something like that to another human being. I'm sorry you had to deal with that

I agree, i'm very sorry to hear that too, for me that's on a par with someone giving me a slap. Disgusting behaviour. We all think you're ace btw. xx

 

[Lenore]

Aww today someone told me that I should be a pin up girl. Made my day, as I'm feeling pretty poorly getting over a sinus infection.

 

[sheeplady]

That's just a normal day for me at my extremely conservative (but affordable, sigh) state university. Usually I don the disinterested Garbo gaze, like Miss sofia said, but C-Dot's tactic seems much more affable!

Some people just stare, and I've learned that it's ok. There are three types of starers (based upon my extensive research ;p), depending upon how they react to eye contact with you: the ones that look away, the ones that smile or start a nice conversation, and the ones that keep staring. Rarely have I ever had any starer make a bad comment following a period of staring, people who are that rude start out with the rude comments. My reaction to a starer is to smile brightly at them, which normally makes them comfortable (to smile back or start a conversation) or uncomfortable (makes them look away) depending upon why they are staring.

However, I get nasty looks all the time, normally from other women. As in really, really, uncomfortable nasty looks that suggest they must think I'm trashy scum. Yesterday, my husband bought me a lovely brown velvet hat to match my new fall jacket, which I put on immediately (of course!). I was walking through the indoor mall and got 3 nasty looks, all from women. I call it the "rotten peach" look, because these women twist their faces as if they have just eaten a rotten piece of fruit. And I, as the vintage dresser, happen to be the peach that they are reacting to.

I smile at these people too, which sometimes embarrasses them enough to stop. Or at least let's them know that I'm onto their little game and not going to let them intimidate me. That's not to say that it doesn't hurt my feelings, it does. But like heck I'm going to let those little bullies get a high off of intimidating other women.

 

[C-dot]

Frankly, I'm mostly just tempted to give them the Wanda Woodward snarl lol. ...Some awful cad actually spit at me as I was walking to class, and gave me and my minky a nasty glare. Honestly, I think there are much more mature ways to voice your objection, but apparently this lad doesn't think twice about treating other humans with cruelty.

Hooray for the Woodward snarl lol Next time I'm feeling mean, I'm going to test it out.

What a nasty, ignorant little man. I'm sorry you were affected by it - Ignorance doesn't often manifest in a graceful way. People are trained by the media to go into a frenzy whenever they see fur, and although I loathe the modern fur industry as well, people really need to maintain their open mind when they see it. I blame the PETA terrorists - I don't deny they've done good things, but their crazy antics don't allow for their opponents to take them seriously.

Someone once told me I was a jerk for wearing a vintage mink hat, and because I had the luxury, I went into a tirade about re-using existing vintage furs instead of supporting the creation of new ones. He sure shut up in a hurry.

 

[Miss Golightly]

I can't believe someone spit on you! I know it happens, but no matter what anyone thinks.... no one should ever do something like that to another human being. I'm sorry you had to deal with that

I firmly agree with you - I am horrified that someone spat at someone simply for their choice of clothing - that's revolting and beyond low rent. I don't care if it's vintage fur or new fur I am completely against people being shouted at/having paint thrown at them/being harrassed for wearing fur (particularly vintage fur).

 

[Miss sofia]

:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[RodeoRose]

Thank you, ladies . I didn't take it too personally; I mean, it's probably a compliment I don't meet with that neanderthal's approval lol. However, it always stings to be called out like that. Let's hope he was an undersocialized freshman and will learn some manners soon.

Oh, and to clarify, he didn't spit on me, but at me... if he'd actually gotten his saliva on my precious furs I'd have given him a piece of my mind (or a slap in the face ...). At the time I was so shocked I just sort of walked on in confusion.

Sheeplady, that's terrible all those women were giving you that awful look in the mall. No doubt you looked stunning and they were green with envy! I like that you took the high road by smiling back, though; it certainly takes courage to smile in the face of that sort of cattiness.

 

[DJH]

.... my school is a magnet for naive pseudo-bohemian types who can't seem to tell the difference between a '40s mink stole and a modern creation.

I wouldn't be able to tell the difference either, but I don't think I'm pseudo-bohemian

I often think it strange that ladies get aggravation for wearing parts of dead animals, but I don't see any grief for guys wearing hats made of dead beavers, bunnies etc. Is it because people just equate felt with wool?

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I often think it strange that ladies get aggravation for wearing parts of dead animals, but I don't see any grief for guys wearing hats made of dead beavers, bunnies etc. Is it because people just equate felt with wool?

Either that or it's because a fur coat generally looks a little more like the dead critter than a hat does. But then what do I know? I only went to publik skul.

 

[sheeplady]

Oh, and to clarify, he didn't spit on me, but at me... if he'd actually gotten his saliva on my precious furs I'd have given him a piece of my mind (or a slap in the face ...). At the time I was so shocked I just sort of walked on in confusion.

Sheeplady, that's terrible all those women were giving you that awful look in the mall. No doubt you looked stunning and they were green with envy! I like that you took the high road by smiling back, though; it certainly takes courage to smile in the face of that sort of cattiness.

I'm really sorry you got spit at. Even "at" is very very very bad. You have to wonder what that kid's homelife was/is like. I don't think that young men learn to spit at women unless they see it at home. I don't think I'd handle being spit at well. I'd be speechless too.

One of the many blessings of wearing vintage is that I have seen how others who are different get treated sometimes, and often it is not very nice. It's really been an eye opener for me about how others can be made to feel very awful, just by a look. I know it's probably wishful thinking, but I just think to myself that maybe if they don't get the reward they are looking for when they do it to me, perhaps they'll think twice next time before they go after someone else.

 

[FraeuleinBerlin]

My dilemma seems so stupid compared to that - I can't believe that someone SPAT at you! I can't stand it when people can't keep their negative opinions to themselves - if you don't like fur, fine. If you want to protest and take some kind of action politically, fine. But what is to be gained from treating an individual who wears fur so badly?

...And they will either look away fast or smile nicely back at you. This can get tiring, so when you're sick of it, just pretend you are sitting in an empty room. It will reflect in your appearance, and eventually, you'll believe it.

Maybe in the West! Unfortunately Russians stare right back at you, and do NOT smile, whether or not you smile. *Sigh* I completely agree with you about the shoulders back though. I am trying to tell myself it’s probably just because I look so glamorous they’re wondering who I could possibly be, hahaha!

 

[sheeplady]

I can't stand it when people can't keep their negative opinions to themselves - if you don't like fur, fine. If you want to protest and take some kind of action politically, fine. But what is to be gained from treating an individual who wears fur so badly?

Taking political action takes effort. Giving somebody a nasty look or a comment makes them feel like they are doing something. Without actually having to do anything that is work.

 

[Miss sofia]

Couldn't have put it better myself Sheeplady!