Do you wear vintage in your down time?

[JustJen]

Hi Ladies!
I'm new to the forum but I've been collecting vintage for about 3 years now. I have a question I'd like to pose to everyone:

Do you wear vintage when you get home from work or when you're 'just hanging out'?

I have two young boys (ages 6 and 2) and I waver daily about wearing my vintage around them. Typically, I change into capris and a crew t-shirt the minute I get home but I'd love to hear what everyone else does!

Just curious.

Thanks loads!
Jen

[magneto]

Hi JustJen, welcome!
Gosh, I would be terrified to wear any vintage around a two year old :)
I think capris or clamdiggers can look quite vintage depending what you wear them with. If I'm working at home I usually just wear cuffed dungarees and a washable blouse or shirt, myself. I wish I had more casual day-dresses (that I wasn't afraid of destroying for hanging around purposes).

I admit I spent a long time looking for a proper vintage wrapper/"kimona" (sic) as they used to call 'em...

[mandolynn]

Ha, I can't wear vintage all the time, really. I only have a couple dresses and I go to an art school, so wearing vintage all the time would be very bad for my clothes!

[Miss Neecerie]

I barely manage to wear anything vintage at all, although that is changing somewhat thanks to the evils of ebay.

I pretty much came on to the Lounge as a collecter of objects as opposed to a vintage dresser type....

But definatly not an everyday thing for me at all.

[Naama]

Ha, I can't wear vintage all the time, really. I only have a couple dresses and I go to an art school, so wearing vintage all the time would be very bad for my clothes!

I go to art school as well! But since I studie conceptula art I don't really have to do much [huh] But no, I don't wear vintage all the time as well, actually, when I'm home, I wear the most uglyiest things I have in my closet since I have a 6month old dog, who is really terrible..... And, another reason, my vintage wardrobe is rather limited and very fragile :/ I'm always afraid when I'm in vintage :eek:

Naama

[Lauren]

Nope! I usually just wear head to toe vintage if I'm going out with friends who I know are going vintage as well. I will mix in vintage pieces with modern pieces on a very consistant basis for daily wear, though- like 50's sweaters, vintage purses, vintage jewelry, skirt... but I'm hesistant of wearing anything pre 1950 with frequency.

[BettyValentine]

Not me. I mix in vintage pieces when I go out - usually sweaters or jackets - but I don't usually go head-to-toe for a normal day; I don't tend to wear all vintage unless the hair, shoes & make-up go with it, and that is time that could go towards sleep in the mornings. (Besides, I live in a cubicle. I could be naked in here and no one would know. I know they say that ladies don't dress for men, they dress for other ladies... but in my case I'd be dressing for the action figures on my computer, and I really don't think they'd properly appreciate my clothes.)

At home ... well... I am certainly not the type to vacuum in pearls.

BV

[JustJen]

lol......I also work in a cubicle and my director is located in Atlanta. I do wear vintage almost daily but as most of you say, only mixed in with modern pieces.

I curl my hair every day. It's getting to my shoulders and driving me nuts but it usually comes out a la Ava Gardner. That and my makeup. Shocking red lipstick pretty much on a daily basis....lol. I only work with a few women so I think I do it so that I can make them envious.....but really, isn't that a great enough reason?

[Barbigirl]

I really haven't pursued wearing any vintage regularly. I have a few retro look new things that I try to pair up for flair and when we go out I have a couple of dresses that look late 40s/50s. Because of my job I dressed professionally every day in business suits, skirts, dresses but I always work toward elegent style versus fashion or trendy.

I am planning on ordering a couple of suits with skirts from baronboutique.com for work, unfortunatley, not vintage inspired at all.

I absolutely agree JustJen about dressing for other women. I am admittedly a compliment monger and enjoy dressing well when everyone else looks like they picked up whatever off the floor or are wearing scrubs.

At home I am very often in camisoles and pj (lounge wear) pants. I like to be cozy at home.

[decodoll]

When I go out in public I'm almost always in vintage, vintage inspired or things made from vintage patterns. Around the house, almost never. I'm usually in baby T's and yoga pants. I have two cats and they always want to be in my lap the moment I sit down in something nice! I do however have every intention of someday making cute vintage around-the-house outfits. One of my next projects is going to be the Decades of Style 1930 Kitchenette Pajama (http://www.decadesofstyle.com/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=5), and I'm almost done with the trousers from that pattern I got recently in a cotton twill.

[Lauren]

Ooh! I have been meaning to try that one. Let me know how it turns out! They were at Costume College last year and I've been curious to see what changes they made to the original patterns.

[decodoll]

I will. :) I took a class with them recently at the Costume Academy given by the GBACG. If I remember correctly, all they do is grade them and maybe add some additional instruction. The fit should be the same as the original.

[Lauren]

Horray! I bet that was a cool class :)

Oh yeah, around the house it's basically pjs for me, but I have some period lounging pjs and housedresses topping my "to do" list. It's all about being comfy!

[ladyk]

Out of the house, I'm vintage head to toe (or repro vintage mixed in with) but once I step through my front door I'm straight in to my round the house wear -PJ's. I have a white cat who sheds like crazy and her fur is like velcro. I'd spend half my life picking fur off my clothes if I wore them in the house!

I do have an ever growing collection of house dresses though... I just can't help myself!

Wxx

[CherryRed]

I have several vintage house dresses and I do wear them at home since they are pretty much the extent of my vintage wardrobe right now.

[JustJen]

It's nice to hear what everyone does!

Barbigirl~ funny you should mention baronboutique.....Baron is my 6 year old's name.....LOL.

Jen

[MoxieGrl]

I rarely wear vintage around the house, to many pets, but if I am going someplace of any importance, I will wear either all vintage, part vintage, vintage inspired, depending on my mood. My first year of college I wore vintage head-to-toe everyday, but it does'nt seem practical anymore. I would go back to wearing vintage all the time if my life style ever changes to fit accordingly. *sigh* I do love my vintage peices so though.
-Stormi

[Barbigirl]

It's nice to hear what everyone does!

Barbigirl~ funny you should mention baronboutique.....Baron is my 6 year old's name.....LOL.

Jen

Is that a family name or did you just like it? Hey, perhaps a topic for a new thread....old fashioned names.

[JustJen]

Is that a family name or did you just like it? Hey, perhaps a topic for a new thread....old fashioned names.


No, my husband's family line is all full blooded German so he picked it to sort of go with our last name (Lasher). I wanted Dresden but he said it was 'inflammatory'....lol. So, we settled for Baron Cole. I chose Cole because if he didn't end up liking Baron, he had a safety net. But the name fits the little blue eyed blond.

Our 2 year old's name is Blaize Holden. I got to pick it this time (I wanted Berlin, but again too inflammatory). Holden is a reference to Holden Caulfield, one of my all time favorite characters.

I'm half hispanic so my side of the family didn't really get anything (strangely, they inherited my olive skin) but they are both definitely northern European children.

You're right, perhaps a thread for old fashioned names?

Jen

[Sid Rogers]

Ha, I can't wear vintage all the time, really. I only have a couple dresses and I go to an art school, so wearing vintage all the time would be very bad for my clothes!

No kiddin'. I go to an art school, too, and it's just too much work. My favorite things to wear in down time are gingham button-downs (like in my avatar) and nautical, striped t-shirts. A boatneck tee can be suprisingly vintage looking. The one vintage thing I do wear all the time is my Grandpa's Army jacket (avatar), but it stands up well, as most military things do.

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

When I am at home lounging, I have not one but two pairs of Daniel Green red satin slippers, and a fabulous 40s Vanity Fair robe that I paid $4 for. Amazing! And a ton of vitnage slips. I have such good luck with slips at thrift stores. I have house dresses that I actually get tailored because even though they're supposed to be boxy it's just not flattering on me and I hate to be unfabulous.

To go out and about (ie shopping, groceries or otherwise) it's usually a combo - jeans and a vintage blouse, or maybe a skirt and flats, or a scarf and pedal pushers...always lipstick though.

I am currently wearing a vintage suit at the office. I guess I'm just all over the map.

[imoldfashioned]

I'm much more likely to wear vintage during my personal time--everything from day dresses to my great 1930s "William Powell" robe that I got for a song 20 years ago. I'm starting to wear some authentic vintage (rather than modern clothes with a vintage feel) to work though; my office is pretty stuffy but I think I'm ready to shake them up a bit.

[mysterygal]

I've just started buying vintage clothes, I absolutely love the look of them! Once I've gotten my wardrobe stocked up a little more I'll probably wear vintage most of the time

[LizzieMaine]

I tend to save my genuine vintage for special occasions, to minimize the wear and tear and spills and stains -- so for everyday, I'm pretty much always wearing something I've made from a vintage pattern. I usually wear early-forties-style short-sleeve cotton or rayon day dresses to work at the theatre (gets very hot in the booth!), although sometimes I'll mix it up with a blouse and skirt combo. For around-the-house, I've got a bunch of cotton utility/housedresses, usually in shirtwaist style with cap sleeves for easy motion. I hardly ever wear pants -- usually only during the coldest parts of winter.

Today, for example, is Spring Cleaning day -- so the outfit for housework is a cotton shirtwaist dress with a dirndl-style skirt, bobby sox, and my brown-and-white saddles. My hair -- is a mess, which is where a bandanna comes in handy!

[jitterbugdoll]

I do--I own quite a few house dresses, which I love, as they are very comfortable and easy to wear. I also enjoy lounging about in playsuits and short sets. I do have a couple of worn day day dresses that I wear when I am hanging out and/or cleaning, and if I am not wearing vintage, I can be found in vintage-inspired ensembles.

[rubyredlocks]

I usually dress comfortably,but presentable and lean toward vintage-inspired ensembles.Though,not a precise vintage look.
I favor just below-the-knee pleated skirts with summer-weight cap sleeve sweaters and wedges or espadrailles,wide leg trousers worn with gauzy 40s style blouses and peep-toe heels,circle skirts,ballet flats and those little boatneck tees someone already mentioned.
My hair has been growing out from a very short cropped Audrey style cut and is pretty much a chin length layered bob. Most days it's left straight,or I set it overnight on sponge rollers.
I think it's pretty much a cute girl-next-door look,but I would love to pull off a bad girl look just once.

[LolitaHaze]

I try too... and I would like to get a bigger vintage wardrobe so I can more often, but I find that I dress mostly in 40's, 50's and 80's fashions.

[RetroModelSari]

I got to admit that I hang out at home mostly in my underwear than in a outfit... But I saw a cute housecoat that I wanna sew when I get my sewing maschine (well at least I want to try to sew it ;-) )

[CherryRed]

I do--I own quite a few house dresses, which I love, as they are very comfortable and easy to wear. I also enjoy lounging about in playsuits and short sets. I do have a couple of worn day day dresses that I wear when I am hanging out and/or cleaning, and if I am not wearing vintage, I can be found in vintage-inspired ensembles.

Jitterbugdoll, since you also wear the house dresses, let me ask you...do you wear stockings with them? I don't like wearing stockings around the house, but then I don't know what kind of shoe is appropriate with a house dress. Some type of flat? But then the stocking issue again....so what do you do?

[jitterbugdoll]

I don't always wear stockings if I am just going to be hanging around the house--it depends on what I am going to be doing. Usually I pair my house dresses with wedges, though Keds and saddles shoes also work well (you can even get away with ballet flats.) But I've been known to wear them with platforms as well when I head out of the house, and can tell you that no one has any clue that the dress I am wearing is "just a house dress" ;)

[LizzieMaine]

My grandmother always wore stockings with housedresses, but she didn't wear them pulled all the way up -- she'd make round garters out of elastic webbing, roll them into her stocking tops, and then roll them down to below the knees. She never bothered to wear regular garters unless she was going out, and I guess this kept her cooler in the heat of the kitchen. (These were the days before elastic-top knee-highs were common.) I always figured it was a throwback to her carefree flapper days.

For shoes, I remember her usually wearing sturdy low-heeled brown leather oxfords -- not a real fashionable look, but she was on her feet all day. I've been known to wear shoes like that myself, especially when my sciatica is acting up -- but needless to say those shoes get changed if I'm going out anywhere!

[jitterbugdoll]

I bought a couple of catalogs from 1937 and 1939 on eBay a while back, and was very surprised to see that lastex-topped stockings (the thigh highs of today) and knee highs were available at that time. They were marketed as a way to save money on foundation garments, and came with fully fashioned heels and seams, just like any other stocking. I found that to be very interesting.

I don't own any oxfords myself, but that is another good option for wear with house dresses. These are actually pretty cute:
http://www.shoetrader.com/pagebuilder/Item?item=46713&CATEGORY=SEARCHPAGE

[CherryRed]

Thank you Juitterbugdoll and Lizzie.
I saw those shoes on the other thread. Very cute. I guess then, if I didn't want to have a bare leg with a shoe, I could wear knee highs since they are technically vintage. I will have to look for some ballet flats, I think I like that idea. Come to think of it, Lucy always wore flats around the house on I Love Lucy.:D

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I got a totally shapeless housedress made with very cute calico for $2, had it tailored to fit my waistline, and now it transitions very nicely out of the house thank you very much!

As for house SHOES, why not get some Daniel Green slippers? Even with these huge feet o'mine (9 1/2) I've been able to find 2 pairs.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hallreis/detail?.dir=b417&.dnm=303c.jpg&.src=ph

[Caledonia]

When I am at home lounging, I have not one but two pairs of Daniel Green red satin slippers, and a fabulous 40s Vanity Fair robe that I paid $4 for.

I am so envious. Every pair I've come across is completely out of my size, or just been reserved for somebody else. I think I've mentioned on another thread, my nightwear is homemade repro from original patterns, and I have vintage slips that I use. Practising sewing for the daywear. Vintage shoes and purses get used whenever appropriate to my still modern daywear wardrobe.

[Lady Day]

Does not matter to me, I am either in some genuine vintage, vintage inspired, or vintage made (God bless the sewing machine) pieces.

I dont have many 'down time' clothes on purpose. I got rid of them, cause I would always wear them, cause it was easy. Now I love looking in my closet and finding a 'costume' to wear, weather it be slacks (trying to diet from denim) a great vintage looking blouse, a head scarf or flower in my hair, or one of my mother's vintage brooches.

I went to art school too. My last class was printmaking, and Id show up in a vintage red black/ polka dot blouse, pearls, and black slacks with mary janes. Thats what smocks are for :) Its my style, and I cant turn it on and off. So I have my whole wardrobe reflect it.

I have some vintage inspired PJs. Not the real thing only cause I HAVE to sleep in cotton, or some breathable fabric. I cant do silk or polly.

I guess Im not afraid to get stains on stuff, I have one sweater that has oil based ink on the cuff. Its blue ink, and a white sweater. I was bummed, but Im still gonna wear it :)

LD

[Shimmy Sally]

No, I don't usually wear authentic vintage around the house to clean or whatever. For my down time I most often wear canvas Jantzen or Keds or repro saddle shoes, with capris/pedal-pushers, and a baby doll T or tank, hair in a pony-pomp. Sometimes I'll wear a playsuit, skort, or tap shorts I've made. I'm not going to scrub the floor or sweep the patio wearing a piece of history! I always have the glasses, hair-do, scary eyebrows, motifs, jewelry, etc that give me away. So my interest is always evident.

[AllaboutEve]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can tell me where I can get hold of the "sweat guards" that have been mentioned on the Powder Room before. I presume that these protect your vintage garments from perspiration and deodorant damage.
I have no idea what these look like or whether you have to sew them in or not.
I am keen to find out as I would like to be able to wear my vintage things more often in my "downtime" but I am concerned as to the general wear and tear they may suffer. I seem to remember that someone mentioned these "guards" before.
Can anyone help please??:)

[Lady Day]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can tell me where I can get hold of the "sweat guards" that have been mentioned on the Powder Room before. I presume that these protect your vintage garments from perspiration and deodorant damage.
I have no idea what these look like or whether you have to sew them in or not.
I am keen to find out as I would like to be able to wear my vintage things more often in my "downtime" but I am concerned as to the general wear and tear they may suffer. I seem to remember that someone mentioned these "guards" before.
Can anyone help please??:)


Fabric stores have them. Most I have been to carry them. Maybe even dry cleaners?

LD

[Rosie]

On my to do list, I want to recreate one of Lucy's great lounging suits, youknow the kind she would wear with the capris, ballet flats and that great big half circle like dress? (I hope I'm describing it properly) I REALLY REALLY REALLY want one of those. It's so darn glamorous http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/5563/battingeyelashes6pt.gif

[magneto]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can tell me where I can get hold of the "sweat guards" that have been mentioned on the Powder Room before. I presume that these protect your vintage garments from perspiration and deodorant damage.
I have no idea what these look like or whether you have to sew them in or not.
...


Hi AllAboutEve,
Since you are in the UK...I searched and found 2 UK vendors of the item (also called "dress shields"):
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Meerkats-Manor
http://www.dryday.co.uk/

Hope this helps.

[AllaboutEve]

Hi AllAboutEve,
Since you are in the UK...I searched and found 2 UK vendors of the item (also called "dress shields"):
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Meerkats-Manor
http://www.dryday.co.uk/

Hope this helps.

Thats great, thanks Magneto. I'll be buying some right away.:) :) :)