Vintage Streetstyle Thread

[MissAmelina]

No, she's given up on trying to find well-fitting pants.

HA! Indeed...clever girl.

 

[Lauren]

Did that last gal forget her bottoms? lol

I see so many gals walking around downtown like that... it makes me wonder if they've forgotten clothes under their jackets? lol I must be quite old fashioned... it's rather shocking.

 

[goldwyn girl]

No, she's given up on trying to find well-fitting pants.

lol lol lol

 

[sixsexsix]

My hatred of 80's fashion is why I don't like 40s fashion. Unless you wear 40s fashion with 40s heels, hair, the whole look, it quickly turns into 80s fashion.

Feel the same way

 

[sixsexsix]

Also I'm sure the girl who looks like she is wearing no pants is actually wearing shorts with tights underneath, popular style right now.

 

[KittyT]

I don't think it's "purist" in my case. In my eye, so many of the "streetstyle" pics look like the worst of the 80s. High Fashion keeps trying to shove 80s fashion down our throats. It might look cool to younger people, but to anyone old enough to have worn it the first time around, it's awful. My hatred of 80's fashion is why I don't like 40s fashion. Unless you wear 40s fashion with 40s heels, hair, the whole look, it quickly turns into 80s fashion.

THAT'S what it is! I couldn't place my finger on it. Most of them look like the indie kids I see walking around that place together everything in such a way that it looks like the worst of the worst of the 80s.

 

[Lily Powers]

I don't think it's "purist" in my case. In my eye, so many of the "streetstyle" pics look like the worst of the 80s. High Fashion keeps trying to shove 80s fashion down our throats. It might look cool to younger people, but to anyone old enough to have worn it the first time around, it's awful. My hatred of 80's fashion is why I don't like 40s fashion. Unless you wear 40s fashion with 40s heels, hair, the whole look, it quickly turns into 80s fashion.

That describes it perfectly! I'm frequently disappointed to look at a "vintage" garment, supposedly from the "1940's/1950's" when to my eye, it's clearly a 1980's garment. I wonder if women in the 1930's thought that fashion from the 1860's was collectible? And if they think that the fascination some of us have with the Art Deco jewelry and clothing of their time is as silly as many of us think 1980's revival fashion is now.

 

[Esme]

LOL at Paisley!

I think some is just that it is street photography. They are not models, not all stick thin and with clothes either made or fitted to them and street angles, lighting, makeup, etc. People can look soooo different in still photos than walking, moving around, etc. I look godawful in most photos but I don't think I look anywhere near that bad in real life!
Anyway, I like these interpretations. That is the way I wear vintage. Touches here and there. Sometimes with vintage-y hair and makeup and sometimes with modern hair and makeup. Sometimes vintage accessories and modern clothes and sometimes just one vintage piece. I like to mix it up and I don't (currently) do any type of re-creation or living history stuff, so why deny today? Not that I don't have complete respect and admiration for those who can pull it off completely, but with limitations of being handicapped (can't wear heels, often use a cane, etc) AND being plus size AND being over 50 (don't want to look like I forgot what year it was!) I like to make nods to today, also.

 

[Laura Chase]

Simply cannot get this lovely girl out of my head, I thought she deserved to be posted again.

 

[volatile]

This guy was on Sartorialist recently... and it's inspired me to go grab some Packer boots. I love this take on vintage style; I know it's not to the taste of a few here, but I just think this guy's outfit works.

 

[Tigerlily]

I love the creativity...

 

[Paisley]

I think some is just that it is street photography. They are not models, not all stick thin and with clothes either made or fitted to them and street angles, lighting, makeup, etc. People can look soooo different in still photos than walking, moving around, etc. I look godawful in most photos but I don't think I look anywhere near that bad in real life!

As a former professional photographer, I respectfully disagree. The photographers have used good portrait lighting (the shadows are soft) and have shot at a low angle so that the feet don't look like they're 2" long. It's mostly the clothes.

Take the red, white and black outfit, for instance. The scarf makes the lady look like she doesn't have a neck. The skirt hits her at a wide part of her calf. The socks thicken her ankles and the white stockings make her legs stand out and look big. The overall result is that she looks thicker than she probably is. With a few changes, the outfit would look much better on her.

 

[Lillemor]

I love Sylvie's style and I admirer Alan's dedication to his particular style.

 

[cherry lips]

I thought the blonde in red, white, and black was dreamy. To me, looking thin does not equal looking beautiful. Style is much more important.

 

[Laura Chase]

I agree with cherry lips, essentially.

To me, the criterium for a successful outfit isn't that it's flattering. Rather, I want an outfit to be interesting and stylish. Because, what is "flattering"? In connection to this, where does the 20's silhouette stand? Would you call that "unflattering" and frumpy?

 

[kamikat]

In connection to this, where does the 20's silhouette stand? Would you call that "unflattering" and frumpy?

In my opinion, what is flattering varies from figure to figure. The 20's silhouette can be very flattering to a certain figure type but not EVERY figure type. This goes for just about every era's silhouette. The joy of wearing vintage today is that we get to pick what works for our figures.

 

[Laura Chase]

In my opinion, what is flattering varies from figure to figure. The 20's silhouette can be very flattering to a certain figure type but not EVERY figure type. This goes for just about every era's silhouette. The joy of wearing vintage today is that we get to pick what works for our figures.

I have to ask: Does it have to be flattering for our figure? And if so, why?

But I understand this is off topic, so just ignore me - I just wanted to point out that not everyone strives for the typical kind of attractiveness or beauty or whatever it is that the word "flattering" means. Maybe a certain outfit doesn't suit my figure, according whichever standard we are judging this by, but I might love it and might find it 100% in congruence with my person.

 

[Paisley]

I agree with cherry lips, essentially.

To me, the criterium for a successful outfit isn't that it's flattering. Rather, I want an outfit to be interesting and stylish. Because, what is "flattering"? In connection to this, where does the 20's silhouette stand? Would you call that "unflattering" and frumpy?

That's the challenge--an outfit that is interesting and stylish, and flattering. I love 40s and 50s looks, but they don't fit me. Mostly, I wear vintage inspired clothes; I find they look good and make me look and feel good as well.

 

[Laura Chase]

That's the challenge--an outfit that is interesting and stylish, and flattering. I love 40s and 50s looks, but they don't fit me. Mostly, I wear vintage inspired clothes; I find they look good and make me look and feel good as well.

I believe that the young girls today are really throwing flattering out the window - it's all about interesting. Maybe flattering becomes more important as you get older, I don't know, it seems like the younger trends often, whichever time you are looking at, are quite unflattering. Oh well, enough about that.

I thought this girl looked sweet and her coat is beautiful, and love how her stockings match:

We've seen her before, it's piksi from flickr:

I thought she looked very elegant and comfortable, in a kind of Hepburn-ish way, also because she has such a tiny stature:

We've also seen her before, va va voom vampy:

 

[kamikat]

I have to ask: Does it have to be flattering for our figure? And if so, why?

But I understand this is off topic, so just ignore me - I just wanted to point out that not everyone strives for the typical kind of attractiveness or beauty or whatever it is that the word "flattering" means. Maybe a certain outfit doesn't suit my figure, according whichever standard we are judging this by, but I might love it and might find it 100% in congruence with my person.

It depends on the personality of the wearer. If the person is confident and comfortable in their own skin, they probably don't care if something is flattering. On the other hand, someone who feels uncomfortable about carrying extra weight or big feet, or whatever, might care more about minimizing the thing that she's uncomfortable with.