Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

[Emblaze]

I've had two humourous comments lately, both from the same friend. (They may sound slightly cruel, but she means them as compliments. We have the same sense of humour, so it's ok. )

"Look at you! You look like a 1950s housewife! You make me sick! Why can't I be a 1950s housewife?!"
- I had my hair in rolls and was wearing a short-sleeved, roll-necked red jumper (not vintage or repro, but quite 50s-looking) and a black puffball knee-length skirt (not remotely vintagey).

"What are you going to wear when you're 40? Wait, I know, you're just going to wear the same things you wear now, so when the rest of us are all going "Eww, we're old and 40" we'll look at you and think "Wow, she hasn't changed a bit since she was 20!". I know your plan, you witch, you want to make us all jealous 20 years from now!"

I don't think I've had any comments from strangers, but I don't dress full-on vintagey.

 

[BettyValentine]

I've never gotten anything bad. I usually get "oh my god, that's *fabulous*!" or "Where did you *find* that? Is it real vintage?" Stuff like that.

Usually it comes from guys. Women sometimes look but they rarely approach or say anything unless they're also in vintage or a nearby guy does it first. Guys come over to ask about my clothes all the time. (I'm pretty confident that I'm not being hit on.)

 

[Paul]

Just wondering is it mainly ladies or men who pass comments on you vintage?
I guess it will be ladies.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Just wondering is it mainly ladies or men who pass comments on you vintage?
I guess it will be ladies.

I get a fairly even mix actually. When I went to the mall on Saturday to pick up some makeup, quite a few sales assistants/makeup artists (both male and female) commented positively on my outfit. I find that creative types will usually say something as they appreciate seeing another creative person's style. However, I also receive a lot of comments from people who either remember my favorite eras (either they lived then, or remember their mother or grandmother, etc. dressing the same way) or from people who simply appreciate the extra glamour of a vintage ensemble. Since I occasionally work at a vintage soda fountain, I find customers love seeing someone decked out in vintage, and will often take my picture or ask for that "1940s girl."

 

[pretty faythe]

I haven't dressed vintage, really, not yet. Still altering a dress and the only other out fit I have is too small. Something to work myself into. Kinda been 50's in my jeans with the folding them up, but thats jsut because its getting warmer, but not warm enough for shorts or coulattes (spelling,ick).

But I have been doing my hair vintage-ish stlye, almost every day. There was one day when I was just had no energy to do hair or make up and my mom (she and myself and my offspring are renting a house together to help her out financially) asked me if I cut my hair, cuz she was used to seeing it done. And she has also gotten into the habit of calling me retro girl.lol

 

[goldwyn girl]

When my hubby and I go up to the Strip we get lots of people stopping us to take our photo, we laugh when we think how many strangers have us in their photo albums. In general I get positive comments and one department store I go to get my make up from the girls will come around to look at what I'm wearing and always compliment me.

I did live for a short while in a midwest state, I won't mention which one, where the people were just awful to me. I could'nt even get served at the makeup departments so I ended up ordering my make up on line and on more than one occasion a child would comment on my lipstick, pretty colour, and the parent would pull them away and look at me with absolute horror. It's the only place I've been received so negatively.

Paul, to answer your question, yes it is mostly women but the occasional man will comment and they always seem to appreciate the look and style very much.

 

[Paul]

I cannot help to think when you receive a nice complement from a lady that there is a little part of her wishing she had the opportunity is courage the right word to dress like you.

 

[goldwyn girl]

Paul, you are most likely correct.

 

[Paisley]

"You look nice."

Me: "Thanks."

"I like your flower" (referring to silk flower pin).

Me: "Thanks."

 

[ohairas]

I haven't worn vintage in public that often yet, but the times I have I always get "love your hair!".. or I get a lot of little girls coming up to me and stare in awe, have had to take my picture with about 5 different little girls now. I love that! They ask if I'm a princess if I'm wearing my wedding dress or other bell shaped gown.

I get a lot of where are you going, where did you find that, smiles and looks.

To answer Paul's question, I usually get verbal questions and compliments from women and children, and smiles and oggling from men, lol!

I usually just say thank you, or ask any questions they have.

Nikki

 

[Brooksie]

Emblaze, I thought the comments your friend made were hysterical especially this one:

"What are you going to wear when you're 40? Wait, I know, you're just going to wear the same things you wear now, so when the rest of us are all going "Eww, we're old and 40" we'll look at you and think "Wow, she hasn't changed a bit since she was 20!". I know your plan, you witch, you want to make us all jealous 20 years from now!" [/QUOTE]

This is quite funny to me - considering I am going to be 39yrs. old in June and I have been wearing vintage off and on since i was 15 yrs. old.

Brooksie

 

[Cherriexo]

I get a couple of responses:

Men are usually in awe with the red hair,big blue eyes,and ruby red lips.I have this knock 'em dead MAC red lipstick/red lipgloss...makes them stop dead in their tracks.They're usually over 30 which would explain the age gaps in my xbfs and I.lol Im convinced only some men can appreciate a gal with our wardrobes

I get various responses from women:

'OMG You like look like that 'We Can do it!' chick...Omg,doesnt she?!?!?!' Hence when I tuck the hair under a bandana,red lips,and cuffed blue jeans with saddle shoes.

The best response I got while wearing a knee length plaid skirt,black sweater,pomped hair with a bandana,ruby red lips...was...'You know,You look like the kind of girls I went to high school with.You look like a Greaser'

'You look like Lucy.From I love Lucy'

Most people think its cute.Some guys get it.Since I run with mostly tattooed girls and guys who are very much into rockabilly and pinup art.You dont get much stares with them.But outside of that,its mostly 'oh what cute hair' or 'you look so adorable.'

Although,most hair stylists dont get the hair styles.I have to bring tons of pictures with me and they cant grasp I dont want cheap hussy over processed hair.

 

[GoldLeaf]

For Halloween this past year, I wore a 40's housewife kind of outfit to work. It was cheep, since I just had to pull from my own wardrobe So I had the bandana tied in the front with a curled fringe, red lips, full black skirt and a white button down blouse.

People told me I looked like Aunt Jamima? I kept hearing "you going to make me some pancakes?".

I have heard that I have great style, and that I look cute. Other times I just meet with some rather icy stares from very under-dressed gals. My hubby always walks so proudly with me on his arm when I am dressed vintage, he just adores it

 

[RetroModelSari]

I don´t know if it is another mentality in Europe but usually people try not to stare at me (at least those that don´t know me). If I get feedback it is nice such as "I like your hair" or "You look like a 40s movie star".

Once I went to work all dolled up in a Stop Staring dress. From that time on my co-worker calls me Sarah Jane all the time lol

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Just wondering is it mainly ladies or men who pass comments on you vintage?
I guess it will be ladies.

For me, it's the men who seem to think I'm French. Just last week at work I had a UPS delivery man tell me he thought I was French because I dress nice. And men are always nicer when I tell them of my love of the 20s and 30s. I usually get "Oh really? That's different! That's pretty cool that you're into such a thing! Not many young people are." Even if they aren't interested in it themselves, they never put me or my interest down.

Women, on the other hand, aren't so cordial. Just the other day I told a co-worker that I like the 20s and 30s and she laughed and rolled her eyes at me -- like I had just told her a load of Applesauce! She's not the only woman who has done that to me, either. I told another co-worker that I liked silent movies and the same thing happened. And it's mostly WOMEN who stare icily and/or laugh at me in public. When they do that I usually smile and wave and say "Hello." Every single time they look away embarrassed.

That's why I'm so glad I have found this forum!! We should all establish our own town or something.... :fedora:

 

[LizzieMaine]

Reading over some of these experiences makes me wonder if the remarks folks get might have as much to do with age as with fashion -- the idea that a younger woman who breaks the stereotype of how a younger woman is supposed to look and act nowadays is somehow an oddity. Not to generalize, but I get the feeling maybe the cultural tendency toward cattiness tends to peak somewhere around the mid-to-late twenties, and to swim against the cultural tide at that age becomes a real challenge. My sensible felt beret is off to all you who do it.

I can remember getting occasional odd looks when I was in my teens and 20s, but now that I'm past 40, I hardly ever get noticed at all, and when I do, it's always positive. (And yes, I've also gotten the "Gee you haven't changed a bit!" remarks from people who havent seen me in years!)

 

[Kim_B]

I did live for a short while in a midwest state, I won't mention which one, where the people were just awful to me. I could'nt even get served at the makeup departments so I ended up ordering my make up on line and on more than one occasion a child would comment on my lipstick, pretty colour, and the parent would pull them away and look at me with absolute horror. It's the only place I've been received so negatively.

I shudder to think which Midwest state this might be...I could see it coming from Indiana, though. People around here just don't seem to have any sense of fun or being unique (not everyone, but most people). The thing that bothers me most is that any one who tries to break away from the "norm" is always viewed in a negative light; they are troubled and depressed...grumble, grumble!!!!! :eusa_doh:

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I thought of another comment I've gotten quite a bit in the past:

"You're getting old before your time."

lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

 

[Babydoll]

Because I favor the 50s in my vintage clothing, I usually get the comment, "Are you in a production of Grease?" My response? "No, I dress like this all the time."

 

[Paul]

Reading over some of these experiences makes me wonder if the remarks folks get might have as much to do with age as with fashion -- the idea that a younger woman who breaks the stereotype of how a younger woman is supposed to look and act nowadays is somehow an oddity. Not to generalize, but I get the feeling maybe the cultural tendency toward cattiness tends to peak somewhere around the mid-to-late twenties, and to swim against the cultural tide at that age becomes a real challenge. My sensible felt beret is off to all you who do it.

I can remember getting occasional odd looks when I was in my teens and 20s, but now that I'm past 40, I hardly ever get noticed at all, and when I do, it's always positive. (And yes, I've also gotten the "Gee you haven't changed a bit!" remarks from people who havent seen me in years!)

Could be a lot of truth in that LizzieMaine