All clothing is a form of costume (and all the world's a stage). But I agree that it may be difficult to pull off a look without appearing a little strained. Then there's the question of whether something is vintage or merely old-fashioned.
Although I will and have buy "pre-owned" clothing, mainly of certain brands like Filson, most stuff is bought new, if not necessarily brand-new from the store. Little of what I wear is what you would call stylish but after all, I'm 70 years old. I can't dress like I was in high school or college. I spend my work days wearing a shirt and tie and rarely need to wear a jacket or suit. So I can wear my mackinaw coat to the office and be happy. Only my boss and I wear a tie anyway. Even the owner never wears a tie, although he usually wears a suit. My boss, same age as I am, wears a dark blue suit every day. But it isn't old fashioned at all nor is he pretending to be something he isn't.
The trick, if you want to call it that, is to adopt a style and stick with it. That usually happens by the time you settle down. Then by and by it becomes dated but it's you and nobody cares anyway. Furthermore, because basic styles don't change much, nobody would even notice in the first place.
Well, to answer the question, I'd rather not do without modern socks. I don't want to start wearing garters. When I was little, socks wouldn't stay up. My father wore garters when he dressed up. The rest of the time he just rolled them down.
I also prefer permanent-press shirts, even though I'm not wearing one today. I do my own laundry and they're easier to iron. Few shirts are really wash and wear. When all men's dress shirts were plain cotton, they were more likely to be done professionally by a laundry. They would also more likely to have been white, too. As it happened, my father worked for a commercial laundry (second-largest employer in town) and for a "correct" appearance, shirts need to be professionally laundered and at least lightly starched. Army uniforms, both khakis and fatigues (from the mid-50s to the early 70s) were heavily starched. I doubt you could find a laundry to do a good job on khakis these days.
I also have to confess that I could easily do without fleece, yet I am wearing a fleece vest at the moment. Quality varies, naturally, but it is a high-friction fabric and when I pull off a fleece pullover, the static is loud and it doesn't come off easily. On the other hand, it's lightweight, quite warm and easily laundered. It may or may not pill but at least moths won't eat it.
Although I will and have buy "pre-owned" clothing, mainly of certain brands like Filson, most stuff is bought new, if not necessarily brand-new from the store. Little of what I wear is what you would call stylish but after all, I'm 70 years old. I can't dress like I was in high school or college. I spend my work days wearing a shirt and tie and rarely need to wear a jacket or suit. So I can wear my mackinaw coat to the office and be happy. Only my boss and I wear a tie anyway. Even the owner never wears a tie, although he usually wears a suit. My boss, same age as I am, wears a dark blue suit every day. But it isn't old fashioned at all nor is he pretending to be something he isn't.
The trick, if you want to call it that, is to adopt a style and stick with it. That usually happens by the time you settle down. Then by and by it becomes dated but it's you and nobody cares anyway. Furthermore, because basic styles don't change much, nobody would even notice in the first place.
Well, to answer the question, I'd rather not do without modern socks. I don't want to start wearing garters. When I was little, socks wouldn't stay up. My father wore garters when he dressed up. The rest of the time he just rolled them down.
I also prefer permanent-press shirts, even though I'm not wearing one today. I do my own laundry and they're easier to iron. Few shirts are really wash and wear. When all men's dress shirts were plain cotton, they were more likely to be done professionally by a laundry. They would also more likely to have been white, too. As it happened, my father worked for a commercial laundry (second-largest employer in town) and for a "correct" appearance, shirts need to be professionally laundered and at least lightly starched. Army uniforms, both khakis and fatigues (from the mid-50s to the early 70s) were heavily starched. I doubt you could find a laundry to do a good job on khakis these days.
I also have to confess that I could easily do without fleece, yet I am wearing a fleece vest at the moment. Quality varies, naturally, but it is a high-friction fabric and when I pull off a fleece pullover, the static is loud and it doesn't come off easily. On the other hand, it's lightweight, quite warm and easily laundered. It may or may not pill but at least moths won't eat it.
