Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

[Grant Fan]

I've had a few "who are you dressed as?" comments and they feel kind of sheepish when I laugh and explain that I am dressed as myself:eusa_doh:

I have to agree I get a lot of that, it just makes me smile and I continue. I don't wear a lot of dresses in the fall and winter months, but if I am in pants I get "so are you a bridesmaid or something" that one always gives me a good laugh. I however usually get looks like "doesn't she look nice" and comments along those lines and only on a very rare occasion do I get the "what was she smoking when she got dressed today?" kind of looks. I mean 1940's clothes are pretty modern as far as historical clothes go, so people are more likely to just sort of accept it and think that I am a bit unusual and keep going. I just have a sense of humor about people's comments it usually makes it easier on everyone. And more often then no people are just curious. My boyfriend is in the Navy and I find that all of his friends girlfriends, fiances and wives are totally cool wtih my style, they get that it is just me and are fine with it and from time to time ask for fashion advice. However the older wives of like the commanding officers won't even make eye contact with me. I mean come on ladies I am 22 and young enough to be your daughter (in some cases). But I think they don't like that I make them realize that with only a little bit of extra effort you can look fabulous. One of my favortie comments came from my boyfriend I sent him a picture of a new hair style and he called me from Japan to tell me how great it looked on me, he is great about my vintage stuff. But the best comment ever came from an elderly man it was over the summer I had on a white short sleeved collared wrap dress (my mom calls it the WW2 nurse dress) with yellow wedges and my hair was done in a vintage style. This man came up to me gently touched my arm and said, in the sweetest and most honest way "You remind me of my wife during the war, you make me feel young again." that was the best feeling ever, and if I had any doubts about vintage that made them all go away.

 

[hotrodmama0201]

I was doing an outdoor photo shoot last week in a fairly busy public area.....most people just looked and kept walking, then this one guy stops, and goes "Is this some kind of Betty Boop type thing or something??" Haha. Betty Boop

 

[miserabelle]

Someone told me that I looked like 'Berry Boop in color" the other week ^-^ xx

 

[carter]

May I make a comment?

This is an interesting point. I don't know exactly what you mean by "assisted," but I have found that people are more likely to open doors for me/pull out chairs/help me with a heavy shopping bag, etc. if I'm dressed in my vintage style.

Do we look more vulnerable and helpless in vintage, or does it just remind men of a more chivalrous time?I would be very interested to hear if anyone else has had similar experiences.

There is nothing more attractive than a charming. well-dressed, and stylish woman.

Hopefully it reminds men that chivalry is not dead. And...that romance is in the air.

While men may not be overly demonstrative or vocal in some things, we usually love it when women dress and act like ladies.

 

[Mary]

This is an interesting point. I don't know exactly what you mean by "assisted," but I have found that people are more likely to open doors for me/pull out chairs/help me with a heavy shopping bag, etc. if I'm dressed in my vintage style.

Do we look more vulnerable and helpless in vintage, or does it just remind men of a more chivalrous time?

I would be very interested to hear if anyone else has had similar experiences.

This is interesting. I rarely get other comments than that I look good or have a goodlooking dress. But one fridaynight some weeks ago I came to a bar late and my friend commented on how good I looked. (I was wearing forties pants a manly shirt and big curly 50's hair and make-up.) And this guy who I know just a little got me a chair. It took him half a minute to get it and when he arrived we talked about it. He normally wouldn't have fetched a chair for anyone without them asking. And we agreed that it could have been the way I looked. Most peculiar in equalitarian Sweden!

I liked it of course! But I wouldn't like being helped with this and that all the time. I simply find strong women hot!

 

[deadpandiva]

Last week a lady sad I remined her of Ella Fitzgerald. I which I sang like her.

 

[exquisitebones]

i usually get nice comments, last night my niece told me I looked like "an old fashioned movie"



My hubby on the other hand.. I was lamenting about having to sell a bunch of dresses to pay bills. and he tells me , he never really liked any of them anyway. and they didnt "do anything" for me.
Now I am Extremely self concious about dressing vintage

 

[ScotchWhisky]

ExquisiteBones, don't feel bad, and especially don't feel self-conscious. My boyfriend is not a fan of my vintage look. He wishes I would wear "normal" clothes and thinks I look cutest when I wear glasses, a sweater and some jeans. I didn't know all that until recently, and it made me feel awful for weeks.

But then I started really paying attention to the compliments I get from all the people who aren't my boyfriend, and I know that I feel 100% better about myself when I dress nicely, and that the vintage clothes are part of my personality. My boyfriend wasn't making an ultimatum, he was expressing his opinion. For that matter, I wish he would wear suits and pocket silks and fedoras every day, but the fact that I think he could dress nicer doesn't mean I don't love him or that I want to change his personality.

It would be great if we had the same aesthetic on this point, but we don't. Take heart in all the people who think you look fabulous! But most of all, remember that you dress the way you do for you, not anybody else.

 

[OldSoul]

I' not sure if I've ever been complimented... I get a lot of "why do you dress like that?" kinda questions, not anything really negative...but not positive, either [huh]

When I had my flat-top, my father would bug me constantly and when I got rid of it he asked why "I liked your hair" (can't please the man, I tell ya!) My grandmother (on my moms side) loved it, because it's what her husband had and she was a little upset when I grew my hair out again.

The only stranger who caught me off guard was a man in his 60's @ a gas station is Washington wehn we were on our way back from a car show. We were sitting on the hood of our cars ('57 Edsel, '48 Ford coupe and a 30 Model A Sedan hotrod) waiting from my (then) girlfriend to come out of the store. He walks up, stands there for a second and then announces "You all look like the older teens who would hang out in the parking lot when I was in school!" and walks away before we could even come up with something to say. :eusa_doh:

 

[Miss 1929]

... My boyfriend is in the Navy and I find that all of his friends girlfriends, fiances and wives are totally cool with my style, they get that it is just me and are fine with it and from time to time ask for fashion advice. However the older wives of like the commanding officers won't even make eye contact with me. I mean come on ladies I am 22 and young enough to be your daughter (in some cases). ...

See, the youngsters who dress modern look like kids. You're a younger woman who still registers as a woman to her eye, and so a threat.

... But the best comment ever came from an elderly man it was over the summer I had on a white short sleeved collared wrap dress (my mom calls it the WW2 nurse dress) with yellow wedges and my hair was done in a vintage style. This man came up to me gently touched my arm and said, in the sweetest and most honest way "You remind me of my wife during the war, you make me feel young again." that was the best feeling ever, and if I had any doubts about vintage that made them all go away.

Uh huh. See?

Keep doing it, anyway!

 

[Tigerlily]

The other day a girl in my choir class, about 4 years younger than me told me how much she LOVED my "old-style 50s look." I was very flattered! I smiled and said thank you.

 

[Vintage Verve]

But the best comment ever came from an elderly man it was over the summer I had on a white short sleeved collared wrap dress (my mom calls it the WW2 nurse dress) with yellow wedges and my hair was done in a vintage style. This man came up to me gently touched my arm and said, in the sweetest and most honest way "You remind me of my wife during the war, you make me feel young again." that was the best feeling ever, and if I had any doubts about vintage that made them all go away.

What a great story! It gave me a little shiver!

 

[MissJeanavive]

Vintage Encounters

What I really love about vintage is the chance encounters of finding kindred spirits unexpectedly! It makes me feel good about life; knowing there are generations of people out there who truly get it. I dress for those moments.

Was out at the Royal Crown Revue show last night at the Uptown in Oakland and I was dancing the night away and everyone was complimenting my hair and dancing. I had another girl come out of the crowd to ask if I danced at the Broadway Studios years ago and that I was amazing dancer. I said no I have never studied but 'thank you'.

My dear friend Bernie (80 yr old former Marine) was chatting to a young gent; I noticed his 'cover' on the ground and picked it up. Turns out he wasn't dressed vintage but was a real West Point Cadet; a fly boy...in our conversation he said that apart of why he joined the military was because of the family pictures from WWII; he loved the uniforms, style and ladies of the day. Saying Victory Rolls is the sexiest hair ever. I said well a doll needs to have a man in uniform to complete the picture so we grabbed some snaps. He was a swing troupe dancer as well. We had people taking photos of us dancing.

I also love it when people who actually lived the times come up and tell me I got it right. That is truly flattering.

 

[exquisitebones]

cute./

I dont know if this counts or not.

But the other day we were watching "white christmas" and when My 2 year old son saw Rosemary Clooney, he yelled out really loud, "LOOOK!! Dada LOOOK Mama is on the TV!" lol

 

[RebeccaMUA]

But the best comment ever came from an elderly man it was over the summer I had on a white short sleeved collared wrap dress (my mom calls it the WW2 nurse dress) with yellow wedges and my hair was done in a vintage style. This man came up to me gently touched my arm and said, in the sweetest and most honest way "You remind me of my wife during the war, you make me feel young again." that was the best feeling ever, and if I had any doubts about vintage that made them all go away.

That's so sweet!

 

[Vintage Betty]

I dont know if this counts or not.

But the other day we were watching "white christmas" and when My 2 year old son saw Rosemary Clooney, he yelled out really loud, "LOOOK!! Dada LOOOK Mama is on the TV!" lol

That's absolutely priceless.

 

[StaceFace]

Oh boy, I've had too many to count these past few days! lol

I'm a volunteer at the Soda Fountain in a beautiful, Art Deco museum, so people have been asking me if I'm just playing a part, or if I always dress "this way". On my way to the ladies' room, I overheard an older lady speaking to a young girl of maybe five, saying, "people used to dress just like her back when this was a train station." That one made me blush.

Today I was just visiting the museum, and there are train cars that can be toured in the basement. I stepped onto this one:

(disregard the people, I just Googled for a picture ) and was met by a group of people. Of the two older ladies, one was celebrating her 90th birthday with her younger sister of 88. Upon seeing me, they just lit up and started going into detail about growing up during the 30s and 40s, and how they used to dress just like me; and then some other interesting stuff about FDR and the WPA! That really made my day, hearing I got the look "dead on" from two women that lived back then.

Another woman exclaimed rather loudly as I was exiting the antique store, "she wearing the REAL things," referring to my stockings. She told me how her mom has some just like them, but they had little velveteen bows and rhinestones near the ankles!

 

[Lillemor]

Wow StaceFace! I wish I had experiences like that. I actually had an experience back in 1994 while in sort of a late 50s early 60s look which was typical for me back the and I was in a salon getting my hair cut by a male hairdresser who told me about being on leave in Bangkok back in the 60s and all the antics he got up to with ladies who looked like me. Erh...*cough!*. I wish I actually reminded someone of a positive vintage experience.

I did have some elderly South Asian ladies cry once because I was wearing a hunter green and gold Indian outfit that reminded them of their favorite late Bollywood starlet whom they referred to as "la tragedienne Chinoise" or something like that. She was Indian though, late 1950s-mid 70s I think that was around the same time too.

 

[kamikat]

I got an odd remark yesterday. I posted a new picture on my flickr stream and a friend commented that I looked so ladylike. I struck me as odd because it was just a face shot. I guess having my hair and make-up done says "lady".

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

(disregard the people, I just Googled for a picture ) and was met by a group of people. Of the two older ladies, one was celebrating her 90th birthday with her younger sister of 88. Upon seeing me, they just lit up and started going into detail about growing up during the 30s and 40s, and how they used to dress just like me; and then some other interesting stuff about FDR and the WPA! That really made my day, hearing I got the look "dead on" from two women that lived back then.

Those are some sweet stories! I bet you made those ladies' day.