Dealing with Joe Public

[ADGENTNC]

I take quite a bit of flak for wearing bow ties, which shows just what horrible shape men's fashion is in today as I live in NC in a coastal town...

 

[Zach R.]

Good to see another Coastal North Carolinian around! :cheers1:

 

[Royal]

Hello, everyone. I'm new as you can see. Nice to 'meet' you all. I would like to add my perspective to this topic.
I also feel that it's a shame that more people don't like to dress in modest yet attractive clothing just as some of you have expressed. But I also know that a lot of people feel that it's not worth their energy to do so ("can't be bothered"). And we already know that many don't like to stand apart from the crowd. Or if they do, probably not in the way that vintage dressers do. Or it could be that some folks feel that they cannot afford to have fine-looking wardrobes. I think a lot of families shop at Wal-Mart or the mall in general. I myself don't have a lot of nice clothes at the moment. I am starting to get off track, so I'll finish by saying that another point to keep in mind would be this: having a decent sense of style must be somewhat innate, or I'm sure way more individuals would be dressing up. It would be lovely if the people who don't think vintage style is cool could keep it to themselves, but I think everyone is guilty of thinking that others might look a bit....off. Plus, attractiveness is subjective anyway.

P.S. - I look forward to learning more about fashion myself. Good evening.

 

[Angelicious]

I guess it all depends on the circumstances. Times are a changin' folks; it's not entirely normal to go to EVERY evening show in formal wear. The "Sunday Dress" is still used very frequently, but in different areas. And the concept of formalwear is changing; its becoming more practical.

As much as I love suits, hats, and a nice dress on a girl, it was a fashion in the Golden Era. Fashions change. I don't like it, but at the same time I'm not terribly surprised to get the odd strange look if I go out all done up when it's deemed "unnessecary" for the event.

Specifically, I was referring to the fact that, locally at least, I get funny looks for dressing up at all. It doesn't matter if the dress is 1945 or 2005; if the hair is up and makeup on, Notice Is Taken, and it's not always good.

Bear in mind that I live in an area where men will "dress up" by swapping their black t-shirt and unbuttoned checked shirt for a white t-shirt and a buttoned checked shirt with their jeans and sneakers. Women will attend weddings in the same clothes they would wear to work or to the movies. I've seen girls at church weddings in hipster jeans, baby tees, and sneakers, with panda eyes and greasy hair in a messy ponytail-ish thing. (This was a church wedding with the bride in a full white gown, men in tuxes, mother of the bride in a gorgeous suit & hat, limos, the lot.)

I see dressing well as showing respect for myself and others around me. I'm sick of seeing waitresses with greasy hair and rolls of chub hanging over their hipster slacks. I'm sick of seeing 8-year old girls wearing miniskirts, midriff tops, and 3 tonnes of eyeliner. I'm sick of seeing young people walking down the street with t-shirts that read "Slut" or "Porn Star" (with [in]appropriate graphics), as small children say, "What does 'porn' mean Mummy? What are those people in the picture doing?".

I was exploring the fact that some people, when they see me dressed up - vintage or otherwise - feel compelled to make nasty comments, back-handed compliments, or envious mutterings, as though my being dressed up was a matter of showing off, or trying to prove myself better than them. Some start making excuses for themselves, as to why dressing up is a frivolous waste of time/money/energy, or an indication of low self esteem or something.

Once upon a time, dressing well was a matter of respect. True, it was also an indication of oppressive things like class, race, religion, and so on. Those distinctions were broken down over the last half of the 20th century, but now we seem to have swung to the other extreme, where people who dress well without an "excuse" (job, uniform, so on) are somehow "bucking the system" or have some kind of personal issue that means they can't or won't be the same as everyone else. It's just a pity that, to avoid bad comments, I'm expected to lower myself to a common denominator. [huh]

As for looking good needing lots of money - rubbish. I'm usually broke. I'm a single parent beneficiary, and a full-time student. I have friends who are in the same position, and still manage to look great. Amazing finds happen in thrift/opportunity shops. Sewing machines are neither hard to find nor use. People give or throw away great stuff every single day.

You need money to be fashionable. You don't need a lot of money to be stylish. Style just takes a little bit of thought and research.

 

[PADDY]

I almost cry everytime I go to a Theatre Production (Le Mis was the most recent) and see people coming in casual wear. wearing a Dress Shirt and shoes with Jeans does not make it formal!
(This is one of those things i get really upset about...i'll stop now.)

Me too! the shirt hanging out of the jeans just doesn't do it for me!! I recently went to see Cole Porter's "High Society" which is a London production touring the UK, and I dressed in DJ, wing collar, bow tie, tux..etc, and it felt GOOD!! Just wish I could have sneaked onto the stage too!! I always leave a good theatre production on a HIGH, thinking, "wish I could have been in that!!"

 

[Royal]

As for looking good needing lots of money - rubbish. I'm usually broke. I'm a single parent beneficiary, and a full-time student. I have friends who are in the same position, and still manage to look great. Amazing finds happen in thrift/opportunity shops. Sewing machines are neither hard to find nor use. People give or throw away great stuff every single day.

You need money to be fashionable. You don't need a lot of money to be stylish. Style just takes a little bit of thought and research.

I agree with what you are saying here. I'm certain that many of the members here are perfectly willing to shop in thrift stores. I myself do it, and have been doing it for around 10 years or so...mostly because my grandparents and mom introduced me to it. But some feel that wearing a complete strangers' clothing is a step down or something. That's unfortunate, 'cause all you really need to do is have them cleaned and there you are.
In high school I was casually acquainted with a young lady whose parents were somewhat well-off and I recall her telling me that her mother was very disappointed that she wore second-hand clothes because she "didn't have to". The friend just shrugged it off and kept shopping at the Salvation Army store anyway. I think a lot of people obviously just don't get it, you know? But that's alright by me...it means there's fewer people out there wearing what we like and making us look good, in a way.

 

[ADGENTNC]

Excellent Zach R!!! Where exactly are you from?

Regards,
AD

 

[Zach R.]

I'm in Southport.

 

[ADGENTNC]

Wow! great, Wilmington myself. I'm actually supposed to be heading your way some time in the next week or so...

 

[Zach R.]

BTW, which jewelry store do you work at in Wilmington?

 

[Mr. Rover]

I was in Manhattan the other day to see The Lion King with a few cousins and my family. I was pretty much in full vintage: a 1940's suit, a fresh brushed Akubra Federation tilted to the left. I got a lot of compliments, people telling me that I have a lot of style, etc., in a few stores (quiksilver and gap) that I went into (we were an hour early). A guy at the Gap was like "d*mn son, you look like a million bucks!"
I don't usually get negative comments for wearing a fedora. Most people actually tell me that they'd wish more people would dress like that. Especially older people and some of my teachers. People who give me any sass about wearing a fedora are usually just trying to be cool around their friends.

ray

 

[swinggal]

Yeah. It's funny. I think males pay more attention than females though. The girls just think we look 'conservative' but the guys are in awe. They just stare and I find it amazing that men in their 20's have never seen women dressed in vintage style before. It truly is a beautiful look, no one can deny that and I would rather step out with a sharp dressed man in vintage duds anytime.

Guys look at the seamed stockings and vintage suspenders if my skirt lifts a little when I dance particulary. You see half naked women on TV everyday, but the allure of a stockings and suspender shas never waned over time. And just the clean lines and natural look of the make-up is very feminine. As are vintage jackets that hug the curve of the waist tightly. From the back it's apparently very alluring...hehe.

I get annoyed when people say, "Oh look, it's a Grease night!" when I am clearly dressed in late 30s early 40's gear. People today just aren't exposed to old movies on TV like many of us were when we were kids. I could tell the difference in clothing eras when i was 10. Movies from the 30s and 40s were always on TV every week on the weekend when I grew up. Not you are lucky to see film made past the 60s. But I always say with a smile, "No, try early 1940s, wartime etc".

The other thing that is funny is when I wear my saddle shoes with vintage jeans or out dancing. If I had a $1 for every time someone has said to me, "Whats' with the bowling shoes? Are you going Bowling?" Inside I am screaming but I explain "No they are Saddle Shoes, a popular casual shoe worn in the 30s right through to today." Least they might learn something.

But mainly I get compliments and a lot of girls at dancing asking for advice, which is flattering.

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Zach, you and AD are about 2 hours away from me. I detect an east-coast Lounge get-together sometime in the future.