What Sort of Vintage Enthusiast Are You?

[Nathan Flowers]

In regard to Hong Kong Tailors... they are some of the best tailors on the planet (they learned from the English tailors when they were the best and kept the skills). Next time I have the cash for a 5,000 suit, i'm flying to H/K and getting 5 $600 3-piece suits and saving the rest of the cash for shoes. I was at the Argyle Hotel one evening and ran into a man wearing a belted back suit. The fit was stunningly perfect. Root will concur. We were arguing over weather or not it was vintage... we kept going back and forth on the subject until I asked.

Did you get the name of the tailor? If you did, maybe someone in the area (Ray maybe?) can make the jump from Taiwan to HK and see if it's the real deal.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I would not intentionally try to recreate that image- but much of my clothing and the way I combine it would probably be seen as an attempt.
A leather jacket and a hat has become somewhat of a cliche...

B
T

BT, Have I ever told you about the time, early on a Sunday morning, when I went out to the park to walk my dog in complete Indy kit, minus the bag, holster, and whip, and a gentleman walked up and asked, politely, "Who are you? Elliot Ness?"

It has become a cliche' indeed. Beside this certain person.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

with a little creativity, anyone can get what they want as well ... As for the Indiana Jones look, I have done it, as many here have and its fun. I'll go no deeper than that, for I fear that no answer would really satisfy you, my friend. You question is more of provocation than inquisition and I respect that, often playing the agent provocateur myself ... Personally, I respect anyone who tries something out of the norm

I like your attitude, Hemingway Jones. (You have a way with words, too.)

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I like your attitude, Hemingway Jones. (You have a way with words, too.)

Thank you, Marc. That was very kind of you to say.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

I guess I am probably a #3. I love some vintage things from the Golden Era, mainly fedoras and some women's hats. I love old western things: cowboy hats and boots.

From the 30's and 40's, I also have some vintage jewelry -- mostly rhinestone pins and earrings. Some I got from Ebay, some I got from my family. Problem is, I am loathe to wear some of it for fear I will lose it.

I am drawn to old vintage cars and guns, too, but do not collect them.

As for other collectibles, I have purchased some toys off ebay that I recall playing with when I was a child: cowboys and horses, farm animals, and both old and new military miniatures, especially Napoleonic war soldiers and knights from the high middle ages. I even have a military miniature of Joan of Arc.

I think I am more of a collector than I am a vintage buff. But, I do love my fedoras and newsboy caps.

karol

 

[Braxton36]

Most definitely I'm...

Inspired.

The only vintage clothes I can bring myself to wear have to have come from someone I knew, preferrably a family member. Since no one in recent centuries in my family seems to have thrown anything away, I have a decent array to pick through. As an example of this hoarding mentality - in cleaning out my grandmother's house several years ago, I came across a box tucked away in an upstairs closet. The outside was succintly labeled "Pieces of String Too Small to Use." And the contents were exactly that! Now, really...

 

[Mycroft]

I beleve I am vintage inspired, since I am not at the point of whering all vintage (or even close). I wear clothing that has a vintage flair as Hemingway said, and I enjoy antiques and older items other then clothes (war stuff, toy solders). Anyway, Hemingway go to Paris they have tons of 1st edtion books on the street!! (If you can).

 

[Siirous]

I definitely fall into a vintage accessorist category. The reason is both financial, and the fact that I don't want to wear a suit around campus everyday. That would get very hot and uncomfortable for me. I mainly enjoy the hats of the era. It's nice to wear something other than a baseball cap. I don't like the idea of wearing someone else's clothes, so if I had the money I would certainly have vintage suit copies made for my "Sunday Best" kind of attire. Other than that I never feel more at home than with my vintage stetson, leather jacket and some kind of collared shirt be it polo or a nice button down shirt. That's only during the winter though (Dec. - Feb.), by early march it's back to khakis, a nice beach going styled shirt and when I get the money a panama hat.

Sincerely,
Rob

 

[Hemingway Jones]

K.D. Lightner, that sounds like a wonderful collection. You should post some pictures. I would especially like to see the vintage soldiers. They really are quite beautiful.

Inspired.
The only vintage clothes I can bring myself to wear have to have come from someone I knew, preferrably a family member. Since no one in recent centuries in my family seems to have thrown anything away, I have a decent array to pick through. As an example of this hoarding mentality - in cleaning out my grandmother's house several years ago, I came across a box tucked away in an upstairs closet. The outside was succintly labeled "Pieces of String Too Small to Use." And the contents were exactly that! Now, really...

Braxton,
You?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re fortunate to have a treasure trove of your family?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s items. I only wish my family had saved some things. My family tends to purge everything when someone dies; they get rid of all of it, then never talk about them again unless pushed. It reminds me of old Norse culture burning their dead. I wish I had some of my father?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s and grandfather?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s fedoras.

Anyway, Hemingway go to Paris they have tons of 1st edtion books on the street!! (If you can).

I have been to the booksellers along the Seine and I bought a very nice watercolor print there. However, most of the books were in French and Arabic, understandably. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m sure I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll be back there sooner or later.

I definitely fall into a vintage accessorist category. The reason is both financial, and the fact that I don't want to wear a suit around campus everyday. That would get very hot and uncomfortable for me. I mainly enjoy the hats of the era. It's nice to wear something other than a baseball cap. I don't like the idea of wearing someone else's clothes, so if I had the money I would certainly have vintage suit copies made for my "Sunday Best" kind of attire. Other than that I never feel more at home than with my vintage stetson, leather jacket and some kind of collared shirt be it polo or a nice button down shirt. That's only during the winter though (Dec. - Feb.), by early march it's back to khakis, a nice beach going styled shirt and when I get the money a panama hat.

Sincerely,
Rob

Rob,
That sounds like a sensible way to go about it. In college, I only had two suits because that was all I needed for a nice date, a formal, or for formal dinners during the holidays. Plus, I had the all-purpose Navy blazer, which I still wear to this day. Nothing beats a Navy blazer for versatility.

 

[Mycroft]

I have been to the booksellers along the Seine and I bought a very nice watercolor print there. However, most of the books were in French and Arabic, understandably. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m sure I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll be back there sooner or later.

True, have you tried Amazon.com.

 

[The Wolf]

I'll take a little from column A and a little from column B

I usually dress in '30s/'40s style. I use a mix of vintage and "vintage reminiscient" clothes and accesories. Sometimes I wear modern clothes and people get thrown off.
I try to avoid dressing like a certain actor or character; just like me but from then.

The Wolf

 

[Bogie1943]

I am an authentic, if it's not real, pure, vintage, why fool with imitation.

 

[IndianaGuybrush]

Because we like the style but aren't a size 38 so we can't find clothes in our size?

 

[Undertow]

I'm somewhere around a #2:
2) Vintage Inspired: This person wears modern clothing that seems vintage or has a vintage flair based on how it is put together. This person probably wears a lot of Ralph Lauren suits and leafs through the J. Peterman catalogue hoping that he will copy Cary Grant's gray suit from "N by NW" one day. This person keeps his tailor busy with vintage recreations. If a time machine were to materialize, this person would beg the pilot to go back to 1939 and to buy a select list of stocks, so that they could pay their tailor with the earnings.

btw, I actually liked how Hitchcock dirtied old Grant up in N NW!

 

[Miss Sis]

Both Authentic and The Authenitc Reproducer.

I mix both of these categories.

For collecting purposes, Authentic, for wearing purposes Authentic Reproducer. And with my reproduction I wear mostly authenic accessories and jewelry.

I'm very like Lauren in that if I make something, it's from vintage fabric or pattern or both. It's like Lauren is my American Twin or something.
And always vintage accessories to go with it.

However, I do also wear original vintage. I usually make things that I'm having trouble finding to complete an outfit or if a find a great piece of fabric or a really awesome sewing or knitting pattern I just can't live without! He he.

I *don't*, however, wear all vintage all the time. It's not practical for my everyday life, unfortunately. But when I do, everything has to be just so or I'm not happy.

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

I consider myself more of a vintage inspired type.

 

[Land-O-LakesGal]

Mix it all up

Ok I like to mix and match not eras as such but a bit of vintage and a bit of reproduction but unfortunately I am no Lauren I have sewn a few pieces of clothing but it has been a long and painful process, I hope to get better but I have little spare time to practice. Everyday isn't very practical for me to dress vintage as I have a Messy Messy job I try to were things that look respectable but could be disposable if trashed. I also have small children who still think of me as a napkin grr.....

 

[RockyHorror]

If I could, I would wear all vintage all the time, but I wouldn't fit into the authentic category because I don't care about mixing eras. I'd also fit into the authentic reproducer category, but I'm just getting started. I mix and match vintage/vintage inspired and decidedly modern things, because it would be boring to limit myself to one thing. So I suppose I'd be vintage inspired.

 

[Viola]

I'm an Accessorist by budgetary constraint, (small pieces affordable at thrift stores, etc.) with lots of small authentic doo-dads and bits and pieces layered on top of vintage inspired things.

I have the most admiration for Reproducers, but while I can do a bit for home decor and cooking and so on, the ability just isn't there for clothes.

I am one of those strange not-clothes-centric vintage people - I came here originally for decorating ideas, actually. I guess I'm a bit of an Accessorist there, too - buy new drapes, re-paint the walls, and add in authentic chairs and lamps.

I do hope to segue to Reproducing some day, or at least making more of my own vintage-inspired things.

Good thread. :eusa_clap

 

[Shangas]

I'm a combination of 1, 3 and 4. I love vintage stuff, but if I can't get it, I'm happy to go for (authetically styled) modern reproductions.

BUT...If I find a vintage item, it will immediately replace the modern reproduction.