Feeling like a fraud?

[carter]

I happen to wear a 50 regular suit and the likelyhood of finding vintage then is small, not impossible but (dare I say it?) SLIM!

John, You are not alone, my friend. SLIM as in nearly impossible. There weren't many men our size whose wardrobes have survived the ravages of time. Add a 7 5/8 hat size and there's an even SLIMMER chance of finding real vintage.
I fall gently into the population of those who appreciate many things from times past. I wear a hat, like suits and ties, wish it was easier to find a good three-piece suit, appreciate gentility, and the music of the Big Band era. In this community, there are kindred souls. That's why I tune in daily.

 

[ohairas]

Hmmm... don't recall having to take a "vintage" test when I joined up.
It's not about what we wear or what we have. It's about what we admire. And oh, there is SO much to admire here! :eusa_clap
Relax and enjoy.
Nikki

 

[Gary Crumrine]

But still I feel like a fraud because I don't dress vintage.

Vintage is an approach to life. Everything else is simply costume.

 

[Matt Noir]

Why I hear that Feraud put the FeRAUD in vintage! Sorry, couldn't resist.


I don't own any of the vintage clothes that I want to own - suits from the 30's and 40's - maybe even some 20's stuff. But I am a 48R with a 7.5 long oval head and I have not found anything yet.

I do have some Rockabilly wear as well as some authentic 1870's clothes that fit me - but for the most part I am going to be relegated to quality reproductions and I am ok with that.


I think Gary just said it best: "Vintage is an approach to life. Everything else is simply costume."

Regards,

Matt

 

[Diamondback]

Or, "It's the contents of the package, not the wrapper."

 

[Feraud]

Why I hear that Feraud put the FeRAUD in vintage! Sorry, couldn't resist.

C'mon, that was too easy!

 

[Dr Doran]

Plenty of good things here for those with a more HISTORICAL interest in the period and less of a deeply felt desire to personally emulate the style ...

(I study Roman and Greek history and I don't dress in togas or tunics. I have never even been to a "toga party" and the concept is so foreign to me that I cannot type it without quotation marks.)

No reason to feel foolish or "not vintage enough," everyone is polite here 98% of the time. Including me.

 

[ohairas]

ROFL! I was waiting for someone to raz Feraud about this, that was the first thing I thought of when I clicked on this thread!
Nikki

Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt Noir
Why I hear that Feraud put the FeRAUD in vintage! Sorry, couldn't resist.


C'mon, that was too easy!

 

[carter]

I am a 48R with a 7.5 long oval head and I have not found anything yet.

Can we start a Big Guys Without Vintage Threads thread?
So far today, I count two 50 Reg, a 48 Reg, two XL long ovals, and I haven't left this thread.

Matt, What's up with your avatar? I'm getting whiplash!

 

[BegintheBeguine]

To me vintage is a state of mind, rather than what you wear.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap You put my feelings into words. Even those of us who wear vintage can't wear it all the time , and I'm no fraud.

 

[Leading Edge]

I too sometimes feel like a fraud because of the many vintage conversations, Tintseltown. That's when I remind myself of what brought me to FL and what keeps me here.

I came here because of the expertise and discovered that here is a place where many share my other passion: a commitment to quality in every aspect of my life. Sure, some of those commitments are called "vintage" by some, but to me they are integral to my personal style. Collectively, they belong to a style rightly defined as classic. Classic style is a style of dress, tastes, customs, decorum, poise, etc that is marked by quality in fashioning, fabrication, construction, and detail; noticeable for its timeless beauty and enduring function; and treasured for its ability to enhance and support authentic relationships and civilized discourse. And, quality never goes out of style.

Classic style best characterizes my personal style as it does for many other FLers. Clothing and other artifacts from the '20s to the '50s are often called "vintage." Sometimes I confuse that term with classic style. That's when I start to feel like a fraud.

In general, FLers, however, do not seem to be distracted by that confusion. Instead they value the design, construction, attention to detail, and authenticity stylized during those times. Efforts are equally distributed among salvage, recreation, and reenactment as among redesigning, modifying, adjusting, and selectively searching out items that meet this very high standard of classic style.

There is still so much I want to know about things of importance to me like fountain pens, durable bags, leather, tailoring (which is one of those basics of clothing style that seems lost in contemporary women's fashion), pocket watches, pipes, fedoras, hats, hats, and oh, lest I forget hats. . . everything about hats. . .and here is where I learn and share what little I know.

That's when I realize I am not a fraud for being here.

 

[Mid-fogey]

You're in good company...

...as you can see many of the good folks here don't dress vintage every day, or some even at all. I think what brings us together is a vaguely defined sensibility that things of the past have a value that hasn't passed.

We have a few antiques around the house, but almost everything we have is new in a classic style. I appreciate the folks who buy vintage. I myself only buy vintage if what I want isn't made anymore. Amazingly, that hasn't happend much. I'm trying in my small way to encourage makers to keep making classic things.

 

[mikepara]

I'll tell you what feeling a fraud is:
Walking up the cold beach, with an ice cream cone head after hours of fun (attempting to ride) riding an excuse for a wave in the North Sea. Once at the car park, trying to peel the wetsuit off before freezing to death, (yes even in the summer) all the while chatting with the long haired tanned, surf god types, dressed in the height of surfing fashion. Looking the part but never been on a board in their lives.

Then you see the look of shock and horror on the faces as you pull on a pair of 501's, Ben Sherman and Docs and they see you're no longer a surfer, you're a fraud, your a gulp...Skinhead.

Who's the fraud?

Charlie don't surf.
Joe got cold...Surfer Joe

 

[Easy Money]

I was and still am somewhat intimidated in the Lounge. It took me a long time to start posting because I didn't feel I had anything worth saying, but the more I read the more I realize that this a site full of interesting people from all different walks of life with one passion, things vintage.

No post I have ever read was judgemental. I own nothing vintage, but I hope to start collecting and this is the place to learn how. You cannot be a fraud if you want to genuinely be a part of this wonderful site. If you could, then I guess I would be a fraud too.

 

[Dr Doran]

Leading Edge, that was very nicely put! Bravo!

 

[Dr Doran]

I'll tell you what feeling a fraud is:
Walking up the cold beach, with an ice cream cone head after hours of fun (attempting to ride) riding an excuse for a wave in the North Sea. Once at the car park, trying to peel the wetsuit off before freezing to death, (yes even in the summer) all the while chatting with the long haired tanned, surf god types, dressed in the height of surfing fashion. Looking the part but never been on a board in their lives.

Then you see the look of shock and horror on the faces as you pull on a pair of 501's, Ben Sherman and Docs and they see you're no longer a surfer, you're a fraud, your a gulp...Skinhead.

Who's the fraud?

Charlie don't surf.
Joe got cold...Surfer Joe

fftopic:

BORN TO FIGHT
BORN TO WIN
WE WERE ALL BORN TO BE SKINS
BORN WITH MARTENS ON OUR FEET
FACING TRUTH THERE'S NO RETREAT

-- The Oppressed

 

[Edward]

I feel like a complete fraud in a lot of areas (mostly work these days), but on here.... I've learned a hell of a lot in a very short space of time. I have very few vintage pieces myself - I'm another one of those who would as a general rule prefer vintage reproduction so as not to ruin an irreplaceable period original! I'm lucky enough that certain elements of vintage style I could wear regularly - I'd been wearing a cravat with a shirt and blazer in the office for a couple of years already when I found this place, and interested in hats too (always was, but baldness really kicked that into a higher gear). As with anything, it takes time to amass the wardrobe for those of us working stiffs without limitless resources. I intend over time to replace all my suits with vintage repro, and much else besides, but it does take a while. Four years on in another paret of my existence, I'm still working on getting all the right details for my Dr FranknFurter screen-accurate costumes. It just takes time.

And I feel as still a new member, that this place is a very wide community, from the complete vintage lifestylers to those who want to approximate vintage elements into something new, and all points in between. I'm currently saving up for my first A2 (oh oh, now there's a dangerous phrase.... I'm convinced I only want one A2, but the phrase "my first..." has entered into my diction!), and I've learned so much on here from folks who are collectors of those jackets - original and repro - those who just wear one, those who do re-enactment, those who don't.... I've not seen any one group look down on any other here, which is great.

 

[Bunno]

This thread has been awesome to see for me, the newbie, to all of this. I came here looking for hairstyles and how on earth ladies make those fab rolls in the hair.

Now I find myself catching vintage-inspired dresses out of the corner of my eye and seriously considering buying some foundation wear! Not to mention turning my powers of sewing towards more dresses and skirts and blouses and turning away from yet another logo t-shirt at the store.

I've never felt "not vintage enough" to be here and that's saying something for the internet. You're all amazingly good people who are willing to share what they know to help out people who just one day decided "golly, I really do love how it all looks, maybe there's something to living by example how things were and maybe my infallible crush on Gene Kelly isn't so crazy after all."

-Sarah

 

[RIOT]

I'll tell you what feeling a fraud is:
Walking up the cold beach, with an ice cream cone head after hours of fun (attempting to ride) riding an excuse for a wave in the North Sea. Once at the car park, trying to peel the wetsuit off before freezing to death, (yes even in the summer) all the while chatting with the long haired tanned, surf god types, dressed in the height of surfing fashion. Looking the part but never been on a board in their lives.

Then you see the look of shock and horror on the faces as you pull on a pair of 501's, Ben Sherman and Docs and they see you're no longer a surfer, you're a fraud, your a gulp...Skinhead.

Who's the fraud?

Charlie don't surf.
Joe got cold...Surfer Joe

LOL! Oi! Oi! to that!

Lucky for them you didn't throw em a bootparty!

Skinheads till the end!