Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

[LizzieMaine]

I don't know about others, but whenever I'm having an "off" day and don't feel like putting any effort into my appearance, I generally feel miserable and defeated while in that state. And if I just so happen to run out for milk or something and I see a well-dressed woman, I'll admit I get a bit envious I couldn't live my life being envious every single day!!

You know, there's a lot to be said for the idea that how you present yourself to the world relates directly to how you feel -- and one can directly affect the other, for better or worse. I have problems with depression -- and knowing that, I make a point of not letting myself leave the house in a broken-down condition, no matter how down on myself I'm feeling. And it really does help.

 

[Renee]

Of course I meant to dress this way, smarty! You think I stumbled into all of this 1940s garb on accident?

lol lol lol

 

[Tough Cookie]

Last week I wore a Stop Staring (The schoolgirl dress, I believe it's called) dress to work, as I had a going-away luncheon to attend for one of my co-workers/friends. I garnered tons of compliments from guys only all day long. Nothing much from the ladies.

Then last weekend I attended a regular party, mostly work folks there who I didn't know real well, but I wore a fitted peasant top and a tulip skirt from Mode Merr, with the cutest red Mary Janes, and the ladies were All Over that! Especially the shoes. lol I had a retro hair class just before the party, and I left it up in the rolls (kinda jitterbuggal style), and as it was a New Mexico-themed party (don't ask), I wore tiny strands of glass chili peppers in my hair. The guys remarked favorably on my hair, and the whole "Pin Up Factor". Hubby wore a shirt with pin ups on it, so we were a rather obvious couple, although it was completely unplanned, lol!

 

[goldwyn girl]

But that leads me to my question, what is the deal with negetive comments? I mean its not like anyone here is dressed offensively.

I guess the reason could be that "mainstream" is safe, you look like everyone else, you fit in with the crowd and you are judged as normal. And it makes some people feel good to put others down, insecurity must have a lot to do with it too.

 

[pretty faythe]

I had been off work for two weeks and went back to day. Cant dress vintage being construction type work, maybe after I slim down a bit more, I'll start going with a more Rosie look. But I had my hair done is small rolls and the back curled (been playing with the curlers alot lately seeing what my hair will do) and one of the guys I work with told me he really dug the 50's hairs, I had it really going on.
First time some one outta the family said anything, besides my teenage daughters friends!

 

[epr25]

My fiances daughter got married this weekend. I got a nice complement from a 6 year old girl there. She was staring at me so I was talking to her grandmother. After I walked away she to her grandma that I looked like an old movies star. I thought that was really nice not to mention that a 6 year old knew what an old movie star looked like. Good parents I guess.

 

[KittyT]

the best one i got was one year on halloween - i don't usually dress up on halloween and i was going to a rockabilly show, so i just put on a nice 40s day dress i have and did my hair in side rolls. walking down a street in downtown providence a girl commented, "i love your costume!" i smiled and thanked her and said "it's not a costume, i dress like this all the time".

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Yesterday I was told I was the "Dita von Teese" of my law school. That's quite the compliment!

(Actually, the girl who said it to me was like, "you're like...Greta...um....Dita von..." I was like, "Von Teese?" lol)

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

Yesterday I was told I was the "Dita von Teese" of my law school. That's quite the compliment!

(Actually, the girl who said it to me was like, "you're like...Greta...um....Dita von..." I was like, "Von Teese?" lol)

I once had "You look like...What's her name, Vita? Vita don Tess?" lol

 

[CanadaDoll]

It's totally true though Bella! you do resemble her.


I got the best complement yesterday, my outfit was vintage inspired but not vintage vintage, and my shoes were entirely modern bright red, patent leasther-look stilettos. I was wiating for my class to start and two girls were coming out of another class, one of them glanced down, did a double take at my feet and whispered to her friend "ohhh I love her shoes" her friend looks over and goes "yeah, her entire outfit is so nice" After the week that I've been having, it made my day!
I was just standing there going *squee! seriously? you think so? * They were both lovely looking ladies themselves, not vintage-y but very classily dressed as well.

 

[Sunny]

I got my first real compliment yesterday.

I was running five minutes behind, driving from work to school, and I stopped at my grandmother's. The underside of her front doormat is the drop point for the parking permit that my brother and I share. lol

Grandmother happened to be home and came out to see me. I was in a tearing hurry, but I saw her jaw drop as I jogged up the steps. "What are you wearing?" She just couldn't believe it. (It was a light blue knit dress I recently won.) And THEN when I was going back down she saw my seamed stockings. She couldn't have been more astonished, she hadn't seen them in years and wanted to know where I found them. And she told me I looked like her mother, my great-grandmother, when Grandmother was little! That would've been late 1930s and WWII. I really needed that pick-me-up on a stressful day!

Of course, it was also nice on Sunday when I got a reaction from my mother. As a rule she doesn't comment on what I wear, vintage or not, although she does let me know when I take leave of my senses and something really looks weird. (Yay for mothers with eagle eyes!) That morning I was wearing a green sweater set. I wasn't sure about it, since although the color was good, the sleeves were a lot looser (more batwing) than I like and the skirt was (I thought) a little long. But when Mumsie saw it, she was in a hurry but still expressed admiration. I think it was how very well the bust to waist line looked. That and the color. It did wonders, because instead of thinking I looked a little strange, I knew I looked good.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

It's totally true though Bella! you do resemble her.

Eek! Whatever you want, it's yours She's significantly more tiny than me of course.

 

[CanadaDoll]

Eek! Whatever you want, it's yours She's significantly more tiny than me of course.

How 'bout a castle in the clouds? lol

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I like to hear of all the nice comments. That sweater set is too cute, Sunny. I want to see the red shoes, CanadaDoll! Last week I was at the Austin Carriage Museum in Weirsdale, Florida waering a long Hawaiian dress my mom picked up for me. A docent scurrying by went out of her way to tell me how nice my dress was.

 

[Adelaidey]

I was wearing my favorite 50's secretary dress, dark navy with cream checks and as tailored-hourglass-fit as can be, and some peep-toes, hair all done up the other day, when my sister wanted to go get some food at Portillo's, a local chain here in the Chicago area.
The thing is, each Portillo's has a vintage-y theme to it, some 20's gangster, 40's War era, 50's nostalgia, etc. The one we stopped by was the latter, and I realized how contrived I might look there, but I took her anyways. I just loved the looks I got-- it caused such a stir, even in the super-busy restaurant, that it was so hard to keep a straight face! lol

A few middle school girls there whispered behind my back "She looks like she lives here!" I mostly got just looks, but by far my favorite was from one little old grandmother who was helped in by her family. She saw me standing there waiting for our hot dogs and malts, looked me up and down from head to toe, and broke into the biggest smile ever! She was adorable!

But when I'm hanginig out with my friends, I generally don't dress too vintage, and when I do, I can tell that they don't like it too much. They love the clothes, compliment me and all, they think its neat that I dress that way, but I can tell they don't like how different I appear, the attention I get from others... maybe I make them feel underdressed/plain or something. My one friend especially seems to get annoyed when I go vintage in public with her... oh well. That's just me!

 

[goldwyn girl]

I was in the post office today, wearing a vintage hawaiian dress and my hair in rolls when this woman came in and instead of lining up behind me she stood for a moment in front of me and then said, "what a cute dress and hair, very 40's"

 

[pigeon toe]

I got a somewhat strange compliment from an older gentleman at the Goodwill this weekend. We started talking about some antique trunks they were selling. He then asked me if I wanted to act in movies, but I thought he just was asking if I liked movies, so I said yes.

He said I would be perfect in old movies, I had perfect hair for them and I should go over to MGM, get a job and someday some director might see me and put me in a picture! And he told me to pray to the good Lord and it might happen someday! All the advice he was giving me sounded like something someone would have said to a pretty small town girl back in the early days of Hollywood.

The strange thing is though, I wasn't even really wearing vintage! I guess I just EXUDE it now!

 

[Snookie]

I didn't used to get many comments from strangers, but since I've started curling my hair more when I go dancing, I get told frequently that I look like Judy Garland. And my husband always gets told he looks like Fred Astaire. Too bad Easter Parade wasn't set in the 30's-40's.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

A woman just walked into where I work and said I looked like Lucy!! I haven't heard that one in a while....

I thanked her because she was going on about how "beautiful" she thought Lucy was. I think she might have thought she offended me. [huh]

 

[NicolettaRose]

I love when little girls are facisinated by my vintage clothing. I went to pick up some stuff from my tailor, and her two daughters where they, probably aged 4 and 6, I was dressed in full out vintage, with gloves and hat and dress. They were so facinated by everything I had on, its like I as playing dress up. I guess because women don't dress like this anymore.