Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

[Bubbles]

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.

You're so right about that, Helen! Last week I was at a shoe store, wearing a vintage red and white polka-dot dress, and one of the salesgirls said to me, "That's such a cute dress!" I thanked her, and then a guy standing behind her said, "Heh heh, she's right; great 'dress'" (read: "great chest")! My husband was none too pleased!

 

[Pink Dahlia]

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

Scottsdale girls...cringe. You're right they are all carbon copies of each other.

 

[Bubbles]

I had a funny experience tonight at Target. I walked by a lady pushing a 5- or 6-year old little girl in a cart, when the little girl pointed at me and said, "Mommy, she looks wei..." Before the little girl could finish the word "weird", her mother screamed out "Pretty!!" hoping to drown her out. Of course, I said "Thank you!" to the mother and waved at the little girl, who, luckily for her poor mother, just waved back at me. It was hilarious!

 

[Shearer]

The ethnic/European stuff cracks me up

This week I got these two gems:

In reference to my hat... "Ohhhh, it's German!" [huh] I can't explain that. It's a 50s women's fur felt black Fedora, with one side's brim swept up.

In reference to... just me, I guess: "You look like you were in Edward Scissorhands." I'm hoping they were talking about Winona Rider or Diane Wiest and not Johnny Depp.

 

[goldwyn girl]

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

Thats the most hilarious thing I have ever heard lol . He will be quite the lady killer.

 

[TaxiGirl]

I had an older woman come up to me in the grocery store today, while I'm dressed fairly 1930s... she complimented me, but seemed quite confused, and eventually decided that I was up from the city (New York). It would be lying to say that I wasn't extremely amused by the response.

 

[Cheesecakecutie]

I had an old man run up to me as i was waiting to cross a road today, he looked at me with a huge grin on his face and said "we almost met" how sweet....i must have reminded him of ladies from his youth!

 

[CanadaDoll]

So tuesday I had a kind of self-reinvention, I got my hair chopped off to just below my shoulders, dyed, and then I got taught exactly how to do rolls(I can't believe it's taken me so bloody long, for something so simple )

And of course the stylist used my hair, so I wrapped it up, slept on it, and went to school the next day in vinatge mode (It was all either repro vintage or actual vintage) top to toe. I was alittle uncomfortabe about the stares so I ducked into the bathroom to collect myself, when a girl wandered in, and her eyes were glued to me the whole time.

I was bracing myself for a rude remark or a joke, when she asked me how I'd gotten my hair "that way" I told her I was at a salon the other day, and hadn't wanted to wash it out, and she proceeded to say how nice it looked and how long did it take, where was I going? to which I explained that I was really just this "wierd" she asked a couple more questions about how to do the style and said I looked nice, and I went to class



Today I was in the grocer's with my mum, and I had one of the staff members there come up to me and ask me where I'd found my stockings(plain biege with black seams), I said the internet, and she explained that when she was in her 20's she wore them in Holland when she wanted to look 'spiffy' and she didn't know they were back in style, I told her they weren't really and was getting set to tell her I just liked the 40's when she said, "They're not?.... but you follow what suits you! good! you look lovely!" (she had the most gorgeous Dutch accent)

After these two days, I think my head might explode from all the ego boostinglol
I can get a little sensitive about people's opinions, and they can come up with some pretty nasty comments sometimes so I was sooooo happy though that I've recieved only good comments so far.

 

[Miss Sis]

Reading this I was reminded of a while ago I was up London visiting Alfies Antique Market. It is a really wonderful place with lots of stalls and nice people who run them.

That night I was going to a dance and I had set my hair. Not wanting to brush it out before the evening (it droops too much) I tucked it all under a snood and wrapped a little scarf round and knotted it on top. Real War-time style. Although I wasn't wearing vintage with it, all the stall owners were really sweet, saying, 'Oh wow, great hair do!' and another even asked me if I was a model! I am quite tall and slim but not nearly skinny enough to be a model. The lady who asked me that said 'You just have such style, I thought you must be a model'. I took it as a great compliment but I don't think most standard models have much style themselves, that's what they have stylists for!!!

 

[Trixie]

Love this thread! Some of the comments are hysterical!

I mostly get compliments. But I live in a very small town and am definitely an outsider. There are some people who run up and ask me questions about my clothes and hair and want to know if my house is decorated 50s. I get lots of stares. Based on what I’ve overheard, women have decided I think I’m better than them because I’m dressed up. One lady calls me snow white with a sneer on her face and a sarcastic tone in her voice. Her daughter loves me though. Mostly they just seem pissed that I haven’t bought into the whole stay at home mom mantra they have going - I’m too busy to dress up! I do try to tone it down when I go pick my son up from school. I stand out enough just showing up in a dress in the sea of sweatpants and khaki’s there. I’ll take off the vintage shoes and put on flat mary janes. When I work in the classroom I don’t wear red lipstick. The people at the post office are the most complimentary although they all seem to be confused as to what era I’m dressing from. Men hold doors for me much more often when I’m dressed in vintage. Women slam doors shut on me more often. Sad.

 

[Shearer]

I think red lipstick is the biggest man trap I get hit on noticeably more when I have it on, and a few years ago a guy at a concert said to me, "I just had to talk to a girl who wears lipstick like that." Hee!

 

[TheKitschGoth]

My favourite one was when I used to get the bus to and from uni, I was sitting in the bustation all wrapped up in my full length (faux) fur coat, and this lovely lady came and sat down next to me and we talked for ages about how she used to wear coats just like it when she was the same age as me.

 

[Adelaidey]

I agree Shearer... I swear, half of what gets attention about my outfits is either the red lipstick or hairstyle.

Sweetest thing the other day... I got on a bus going down State St., wearing my favorite lavender 40's spring dress, hair in v-rolls and makeup (red lippy!), and sat down across from two boys who looked about 14-15. A few seconds later, I hear one of them hiss to his friend "Dude, come on... don't be rude!" Out of curiosity I sneak a peak from the corner of my eye, and the one who had whispered had taken off his baseball cap and was elbowing his friend to do the same! The first gave me a sweet smile and a nod, while his friend looked sheepish and blushed at me lol . I smiled at them and said "Good afternoon" and they both just grinned.

And here's the kicker... a few blocks later, I stood to get off the bus, and the first boy stood up and the second popped up with him, and both gave me a blushing "Have a nice day." I smiled and returned the goodbye and left, and walked laughing all the way down the block! Stares and maybe catcalls across the street are the two kinds of treatment I usually get from boys that age, but it was so amazing to finally meet a boy or two who was raised well! And doffing the caps and standing as I left was just above and beyond! Of course, it made my week!!

 

[CanadaDoll]

That is such a cute story Adelaidey! just greatlol lol

 

[beaucaillou]

Today I was speaking with afriend and I noticed him studying my face kinda closely. I thought something was wrong so I stopped mid sentence,
Me: "Is something wrong...?"
He: "No. It's just... it's like looking at someone from another era, but not in an obvious way... just...classic."

Very sweet of him.

 

[TheKitschGoth]

I agree Shearer... I swear, half of what gets attention about my outfits is either the red lipstick or hairstyle.

Sweetest thing the other day... I got on a bus going down State St., wearing my favorite lavender 40's spring dress, hair in v-rolls and makeup (red lippy!), and sat down across from two boys who looked about 14-15. A few seconds later, I hear one of them hiss to his friend "Dude, come on... don't be rude!" Out of curiosity I sneak a peak from the corner of my eye, and the one who had whispered had taken off his baseball cap and was elbowing his friend to do the same! The first gave me a sweet smile and a nod, while his friend looked sheepish and blushed at me lol . I smiled at them and said "Good afternoon" and they both just grinned.

And here's the kicker... a few blocks later, I stood to get off the bus, and the first boy stood up and the second popped up with him, and both gave me a blushing "Have a nice day." I smiled and returned the goodbye and left, and walked laughing all the way down the block! Stares and maybe catcalls across the street are the two kinds of treatment I usually get from boys that age, but it was so amazing to finally meet a boy or two who was raised well! And doffing the caps and standing as I left was just above and beyond! Of course, it made my week!!

Awwww!!! That's so sweet, especially nowadays!

 

[Flora]

I have more of a confusing style, so I always get the "what the hell are you trying to look like" comments. lol

 

[LizzieMaine]

A guy at the theatre last night was looking me over, and finally came up to me and said "Hey, you look like you just stepped out of the past!" Ordinarily I just smile and say thank you, but it was the fourth time in an hour's time that somebody's said that to me, and I guess I was feeling kind of punchy, because I just nodded and said, with wide eyes, "It was the strangest thing. I was walking down Main Street here, one day in 1941, and suddenly it got all foggy. And when the fog lifted, I was -- here. It's terrible! Everything's so expensive -- and everybody dresses funny! And I don't know how to get home!" I punctuated that last with a little sob for added effect.

The look on his face was priceless as he backed slowly away...

 

[jonniangel]

Oh, you're evil.......how fun!! :eusa_clap

 

[CanadaDoll]

*Cackles maniacally* Lizzie that's priceless!!!!lol lol

I'll need to remeber that one