Glamour? Or Down To Earth Reality

[Miss Bunny]

Neat thread! Well, seeing as my grandparents were every day people and they were my source of inspiration that's the route I choose because I am more familiar with it. Even with that I still get the "wow, you're dressed up"! :eusa_doh:

 

[Paisley]

For daytime, I always fix my hair and put my makeup on, which takes 15 to 20 minutes. I don't wear eye shadow or fake lashes or polish on my fingernails. I put on some simple jewelry and decent clothes (no worn-out jeans, workout clothes, sweat shirts or hoodies or flip-flops). By 40s standards, I'd be casual; by today's standards, I'm dressed up. If I were in Nebraska, I'd be a glamor-puss.

 

[crazydaisy]

I like to take every opportunity to dress in a way that makes me happy.
I like to give myself this indulgence and embellish my ordinary life in a small way, the same way in which you brighten up a room by bringing in a nice flower bouquet.

Too often I put the "special" things aside, a habit I got from childhood, from my mother. Back then the "special occasions" never came fast enough and I outgrew the best clothing without giving it any wear. It has frustrated me greatly as a child. So when I catch myself doing this today, I make a point of correcting myself and getting the very nice stuff out. When the opportunities fail to rise, I sometimes create them.

So when I go out I am always overdressed - I have tried in the past to cut down on it, but doing so made me unhappy and angry with myself. And guess what? It didn't do the job either. I still was too glamorous! Nowadays it is taboo to look as if you put any effort or thought into it.

If this offends other people, and it seems to do, than I am saddened by it, but I'll carry on doing it, because I crave happiness more than I do acceptance.
And while I am not happy to be considered shallow, I'll take that risk. It will not make me less shallow trying to keep others happy/ safe over what I do or do not wear. Nor will it win me anything than pain. And there's enough of that in life. Gimme the frivolous pill!

 

[23SkidooWithYou]

I've been a hairdresser for 15 years. Glamour is nearly a job requirement. You're selling an image. I have friends who call me "Miss Glam" eventhough they've never seen me at my best.

Having spent most of my adult life in retail sales of some sort, I couldn't agree more. In my twenties, I worked as a "beauty advisor" for a Merle Norman studio. Cleanse, tone, moisturize, color corrector, foundation, under eye concealor, powder, eyeshadow base, 3 shades of shadow to highlight and contour, liner (sometimes two different colors for top and bottom), mascara, brow sealor, two blushers - contour and highlight, lip liner, lipstick, lipgloss and don't forget "layering" the studio's latest scent. We were over the top made up but it's what was expected. The first thing I did at night was wipe off all the paint!

Speaking for my budding vintage self...I'm in love with the 1950's and full skirts are my absolute favorite. I think that means I will be doomed to being viewed as overdressed no matter how everyday the fabric and design are. I don't think anyone will label me glamorous, but I am concerned that they may assume I'm prissy or stuck up or uptight and unaccepting of others who are dissimilar. The irony being, vintage fashions are nonconformist which makes me MORE accepting because I understand and respect the need to do what makes you happy.



Kamikat...I was watching an old Mad Men episode last night and the scene took place at a beauty salon. The stylists were in uniforms similar to pink polyester waitress smocks but baby, you should have seen the hairdos! Til this day, I won't go to a stylist whose hair is a hot mess...the assumption being that if she can't do her own, she's not going to get mine right! It may not be truthful, but, as you said, image sells.

 

[Miss Dizzy Dame]

I like to take every opportunity to dress in a way that makes me happy.
I like to give myself this indulgence and embellish my ordinary life in a small way, the same way in which you brighten up a room by bringing in a nice flower bouquet.

Too often I put the "special" things aside, a habit I got from childhood, from my mother. Back then the "special occasions" never came fast enough and I outgrew the best clothing without giving it any wear. It has frustrated me greatly as a child. So when I catch myself doing this today, I make a point of correcting myself and getting the very nice stuff out. When the opportunities fail to rise, I sometimes create them.

So when I go out I am always overdressed - I have tried in the past to cut down on it, but doing so made me unhappy and angry with myself. And guess what? It didn't do the job either. I still was too glamorous! Nowadays it is taboo to look as if you put any effort or thought into it.

If this offends other people, and it seems to do, than I am saddened by it, but I'll carry on doing it, because I crave happiness more than I do acceptance.
And while I am not happy to be considered shallow, I'll take that risk. It will not make me less shallow trying to keep others happy/ safe over what I do or do not wear. Nor will it win me anything than pain. And there's enough of that in life. Gimme the frivolous pill!

I could not agree more!!

 

[Lauren]

Too often I put the "special" things aside, a habit I got from childhood, from my mother. Back then the "special occasions" never came fast enough and I outgrew the best clothing without giving it any wear. It has frustrated me greatly as a child. So when I catch myself doing this today, I make a point of correcting myself and getting the very nice stuff out. When the opportunities fail to rise, I sometimes create them.

This is great advice, and something I need to work into my life more regularly. Thanks!

 

[RockabillyHolly]

I live in Denver where most people are wearing outdoor performance clothes. For those that don't know what that is, its hiking clothes, running clothes, ski clothes, biking clothes. Basically anything that you can wear to go do some sort of outdoor activity in. Its lots of hippy-ish sandals and earth tones. I kid you not, the accountant in my office wore a ski outfit to work for two days in a row when it snowed. The same outfit!!

No matter what I am doing I try to do it with style and creativity. I usually only go for the glamour on nights out or special occasions. But it really doesnt matter here because just that fact that I am wearing a color other than brown or forest green sets me apart. Not to mention that my boyfriend lives in hawaiian shirts and slacks. We stand out to say the least.

I agree that even wearing casual vintage is miles above todays formal wear. People today just don't try very hard. A simple house dress is pure glamour to the modern gal who goes out in public in her PJ's. Have you ever seen the pictures of women in the 40s working in factories? They look glamourous while welding planes together!! Its amazing!! I wish women today would try just a bit harder.

 

[Paisley]

Hello, fellow Denverite! I work downtown, where people dress up a little more than in the suburbs. I live in the old part of Englewood, where full-length mirrors seem to have been banned.

 

[SayCici]

My purchased/repro/sewn vintage wardrobe is my everyday wardrobe - I've never done any re-enacting or been to a fancy event. My style has always been more "girl than next door" than "vixen", so while I like the way red lipstick looks on me, it's pretty rare that I wear it or any other make-up besides a little mascara. I don't find anything wrong with glamour, it just isn't for me!

Of course, I love heels though.

EDIT: Like everyone else has pointed out, in today's culture just wearing a dress and having combed hair can have you called "dressed up", so I don't really seek to add any accoutrement that would have me stick out even more.

 

[Miss Sis]

I re-read this thread from the start, including my original post from some time ago and I still think the same:

It depends on what you're doing!

If you are doing 'Living History' or 'Re-enactment' then you need to be as accurate as possible to the period you are protraying. This means no swanning about in American fancy clothes if you are being a Wartime Brit. You look wrong and give people who come to see the event the wrong impression of what that time was like. Thus, you negate the purpose of what you are doing.

For those who dress in Vintage/Vintage style to please themselves, then you can do what you want. So you're happier in a cotton housedress than a crepe cocktail dress? Go for it! It's entirely up to you.

I like to dress in nice clothes that are my style and appropriate to where I'm going and what I'm doing. If I'm going to a 30s style dance then I always wear a long ballgown. If it's a 40s dance, then I might wear a nice knee length crepe dress. If I'm going up to town, I wear a smart dark suit. Out in the country, it's tweed.

I go by the standards of 'back in the day' - not by today's standards.

 

[kamikat]

My style has always been more "girl than next door" than "vixen", so while I like the way red lipstick looks on me, it's pretty rare that I wear it or any other make-up besides a little mascara. I don't find anything wrong with glamour, it just isn't for me!

I think this might be where the problem is. There is a HUGE difference between glamour and vixen. My vintage influence has always been my grandmothers. Both of them were wives of diplomats and ambassadors, with hostess duties and formal etiquitte procedures. Even after my grandfather retired (my other grandfather was assassinated less than a month before I was born), grandmother was elegant and glamourous. She stopped being glamourous when she developed macular degeneration and blindness. My other grandmother was glamourous until the day she died. If either had been a vixen, it would have ended their husbands' careers. Today's society doesn't see the difference.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Today's society doesn't see the difference.

Very well said. It's the same reason something as innocuous as the wearing of seamed stockings is given a whole different interpretation by most people today -- even if they're seamed support hose!

I imagine fifty years from now, keeping your pajama top buttoned when you go to the grocery store will be the difference between "everyday" and "vixen."

 

[Lauren]

VERY well said, Kamikat! :eusa_clap Entirely what I feel, but you have expressed it much more eloquently that I could.

Miss Sis, we're definitely on the same page in our view for ourselves.

 

[goldwyn girl]

Lizzie, love that photo !!!

 

[SayCici]

I think this might be where the problem is. There is a HUGE difference between glamour and vixen. ... Today's society doesn't see the difference.

I don't think they're one in the same.. I used "vixen" opposite of "girl next door" because I don't see "glamour" as the antithesis to "girl next door". Glamour, to me, definitely aligns with the descriptions of your relatives: being polished, a little reserved, classy and subtle, and I'm still none of that. I don't do fur, pearls, hats, and gloves.

 

[kamikat]

I don't do fur, pearls, hats, and gloves.

I don't do any of the others, but I do wear pearls almost every day of my life. Upon high school graduation, every female member of my family, for several generations, has received a string of high-end pearls and told to never take them off They were a sign of womanhood in our family. I even wore them when I was in my shaved head, combat boot phase.

 

[candy_noir]

I imagine fifty years from now, keeping your pajama top buttoned when you go to the grocery store will be the difference between "everyday" and "vixen."

For the life of me I cannot understand why people think it acceptable to go the grocery store in pajama bottoms or even house slippers!

As far as the differenece between between terms like "glamour, vixen, girl-next-door, bombshell" I think it all depends on the woman's personality, not so much the type of event you are attending.

I can do sultry vixen better than I can could ever pull off glamourous bombshell. If you are trying too hard to play a "role" you may end up looking and feeling uncomfortable and unsure fo yourself. As long as you feel confident, you will be radiant!!

 

[BoPeep]

Amen, kamikat!! I wear my pearls everday too. And do you mind if I borrow your family's tradition for my daughter?

And I agree with candy noir - there's no point in dressing like Ginger when you're really a MaryAnn. We're bombarded with the images of pin-ups and bombshells that we forget about the Every Woman of the 40s-50s who was equally gorgeous in her own right.

 

[jetgirl]

fftopic: but I love Lauren's photo too!

 

[jetgirl]

OK, it's a Gilmore Girls quote, but it made me laugh. Laura Gilmore says "I always tried to be sexy, but the best it came off was cute. I think I'll just go with that". lol

With me, it doesn't matter if I'm wearing stilettos and a wiggle dress, all I hear is, "Oh my gosh! You look so cute!". [huh] lol