Using vintage style to express your personality

[Louise Anne]

I just wondering how much you use vintage style to express your personality.?


OK I know it sounds stupid because your choosing to wear vintage which has to be something to do with it to start off.

Then there are dozens of ways to wear vintage even in one decade and to change something, no two ladies here wear the same look
so there must be something going on.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I don't go all-out vintage, but it is there and people notice it. All my tattoos are extremely 1920s-40s oriented, too. It's hard not to notice the huge "1932" on my left arm!

Of course I want people to notice my love of vintage. It is a big part of my personality. By wearing it I hope to either attract like minds or maybe even convert a like mind who doesn't know it yet

 

[Tatum]

I wear it because it makes me feel prettier. More attractive. Without showing a lot of skin.

Sometimes I don't love the attention, but usually it is so positive. If I am having a bad day but look great, a stranger telling me how delightful I look turns my mood right around.

I don't always go full-out accurate, and I like to add a modern edge to vintage and vice versa. I just never fit in anywhere, so I might as well dress and do my hair just as I want...

ETA: Paul, you've been getting pretty deep lately! Good ideas for conversing.

 

[Louise Anne]

I enjoy reading what every one has to say about fashion , becuse for me wearing ladies fashions is not about wanting to be female it about understanding how fashion or clothing style work and experience the look, (even if there are style mistake which I make it's all part of the learning process.
Looking like a women or trying to do is a sort of by product which has to be done to make the look work so I can experience it on the same level as the ladies do here and anywhere.
Now that's What I call pretty deep lol, do I understand that ? not really, then I do not undetand a lot of what I do.

 

[Miss Sis]

I understand what you say about wearing garments in order to fully understand them, Paul.

I am passionately fascinated by the 1930s. I want to know not just what garments were worn, but what was worn with them, the etiquette, the social setting in which one wore them and society of the time. This varies from country to country, which means there is a lot to explore. However, much as I can read all about these things, wearing the garments from the time takes it to a whole different level.

I do knit and sew from vintage patterns, for items that are hard to source, but holding a genuine vintage garment, being able to wear it, pour over how it is made, ponder where it came from, the person who perhaps made it, how they expressed themselves through their choice of clothing, fabric, trim - these things are what captivate me. It is not so much *who* owned it originally, but I wonder what they might think of *how* I choose to wear their garment now! That comes down to personal style, I suppose. Would they approve of *my* choice of accessories?

I do not wear vintage all the time - highly impractical in my line of work - but I do sometimes mix it up with more modern clothes, most of which seem to end up with a vintage flavour, regardless. When I 'do' vintage, I like to go all out for a complete period look. That comes partly from also being a Living Historian, I'd say. Having quite a strong personality, having a distinct look that is different from the 'norm' probably has something to do with why I like wearing vintage clothing, as opposed to *just* liking the style of the era and wanting to know the history.

 

[sheeplady]

Hmmm... this is interesting. It's actually something I really have to think about. I like certain vintage clothing, and I do have a "look" that I aspire to. That look is a mix of everything from the 30s until the 50s, although my big focus is what I would call "reminiscent" of late 40s early 50s. It's not really historically accurate, but that is the "style" I gravitate towards. I own some original vintage, some "repros," but mostly pieces that I love that reflect that style. Most people here would probably state that I don't dress that "vintage" or even "vintage inspired" (because the people here are connoisseurs) but to the outside world I am vintage looking.

I love polka dots. I love plaid. I love flannel plaid. I love cutesy stuff. I love rhinestone jewelry. I love hats. I like to look classy, but I also like to have a cute look too. I love bright red. I love scotty dog stuff. And I've come to realize that I don't mind getting stared at or making a statement, because this is who I am. I'm not going to be crushed by a rude comment or stare or conform to something I'm not. Lots of people think that I'm meek because I dress like "a 50s housewife" or something, and I'm anything but meek. A meek person couldn't dress the way I do. I've got enough personality to fill 5 people.

I think I have a definite style. A long time ago, when I was in college, I went shopping with a friend to Target (a large mid-range department store chain). She saw a skirt and said- "That is such a Sheeplady Skirt!" And it was my type of skirt! Now, when I think back on it, it was really a compliment that I already had a style and it was that well defined. And really, it's less about dressing vintage for me, and more about dressing the way I like. It just happens to have a vintage flair. It just fits me. I'm not sure if people come to associate the clothes with me or if they think they naturally fit my personality, but I often get comments that my outfits are just "so you."