What gives you that vintage feeling?

[Weston]

If we all love the era, the clothes, movies, etc, there must exist (or at least there does for me) a moment of perfection - when we do something we think of as quintessentially of the time, or that reminds us of "back then."

One for me, an actuality, the second a dream.

1. Cotton men's pajama sets from out of my drawers in my 50's Russel Wright furniture. The smell of the pajamas and drawers is exactly that of my Grandfather. When I wear the cotton pajama sets I look like him and feel like him too. Very nice.

2. The dream would be walking out of a rainy NY day into an Automat for a hot lunch while wearing a fedora and raincoat. Hope some day I can actually visit anything close to an automat!

Anyone else, the height of that vintage feeling? What we all long for in experience?

 

[Heater]

For me its a fedora, My WWI 1911 pistol, and my semi auto Thompson, all those put me in a 1930s frame of mind....

 

[GHT]

There's a nightclub in London that recreates the 1930's Cotton Club of Chicago. It's only on once a month, but that's enough to live a fantasy for a few hours. Zoot suit, two tone brogues, fedora and a wonderful necktie imprinted with images of Toulouse Lautrec's sketches of 19th century cancan scenes.

 

[vitanola]

Saturday night. Dismuke playing on the Radiola, the the cool evening breeze wafting through the screens, the dull whine of the electric fan, inturrupted by the explosive banging and gurgling of the side-arm water heater, ready to blow!

 

[LolitaHaze]

What a fun question! For me it's simply styling my hair. I can wear vintage, but if my hair isn't so, I don't feel it. Yet when it is styled I can slum in my clothes and still feel like a movie star!

 

[Shangas]

The thing that gives me a vintage feeling is using stuff that most people don't anymore...

Fedora hats.
Pocketwatches.
Fountain pens.
Straight-razors.
Waistcoats.

On the subject of automats, the closest thing I could think of, is the chain Pret A Manger, in London. Not really the same thing, but I fail to find anything else in today's world that really comes close.

 

[Louise Anne]

This must be the shallowest answer possible :-
Seeing other ladies wearing there vintage style.

I said it's shallow

 

[LizzieMaine]

Splicing film.

 

[Flicka]

Cooking and baking period recipes, preferably to period music. Also reading old, half-forgotten novels

 

[Steven180]

Listening to broadcasts and music of the 30s and 40s during the normal day.

M.

 

[St. Louis]

Ditto novels and baking. Flicka, have you ever read anything by Monica Dickens? Wonderful, funny books. Check out A Pair of Hands.

Also:

--knitting while listening to KDHX's Old Time Music program on my cathedral radio, wearing a vintage dress, perfume & hairstyle

--playing my 78s and attempting to teach myself to fox trot

--all the tiny little corners in my house that are slowly becoming more and more vintage: the top of my dressing table with vintage perfumes and makeup; my desk with its phones and office supplies; a drawer full of gloves and handkerchiefs ... that kind of thing.

There are lots of 1930s streets in my neighborhood; if I squint my eyes and pretend not to see the modern cars parked there, I can definitely get that vintage feeling (assuming I'm dressed to match the houses.)

 

[flat-top]

Cool and dark Autumn days and evenings. The right music playing in the background while getting ready to go out. The smell of Sweet Georgia Brown pomade. Hearing the sound of the train through my open window as it goes though my town.

There's much more. I'll be back.
Great idea for a thread!

 

[Espee]

Fred Allen made reference to the position of "lettuce bender in an automat."
The guy who makes sure the salads and sandwiches fit into the little compartments...

 

[randooch]

Kneading bread (again??) with some scratchy jazz in the background.

 

[HadleyH]

For me.... anything that is not electronic.... no cell phone ...no electronic books... no Ipad no thing like that.


Books...paper books give me the vintage feeling.


Yes, reading paper books make me feel in the past!

 

[scottyrocks]

Yes, especially after trying a Kindle for a while. Didn't care for it at all.

And for me what makes a book feel even more from the past is when I borrow it from the library. Takes me right back to my childhood no matter how many times I do it.

 

[1930artdeco]

I have two things that bring me into the past, one to the 30's and the other to the 50's.

1) When I moved my Model A from my parents house in Oregon to Ca. I got off of I-5 and onto 99W and was able to cruise with nobody else on the road at 45 mph with the window down and the windshield open! It was just like being back in the 30's.

2) Going to the drive in movie with my speakers. Invariably someone will ask about them and the kids/adults nowadays don't even know what they are. But it is nice to sit there in my chair with a soad and some snacks and listen to the movie the way they should be.

Mike

 

[kampkatz]

Going to the local airport and watching the vintage biplanes take off and land.

 

[Mid-fogey]

Going to work on bow tie Friday in my 1932 office building.

 

[Miss Stella]

Listening to broadcasts and music of the 30s and 40s during the normal day.

M.

Most definetly