Interesting Our Daughters in Vintage

[Ccc]

My daughter has expressed a strong interest in vintage dressing. We've been watching the old films on the Turner classic movie channel, I think that is the name of it, and she was enamored by some of the dresses that Esther Williams was wearing in a recent film.

Have your daughters expressed an interest, or do they think we're all crazy?

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[mysterygal]

My oldest daughter, (she's soon to be 10yrs old), loves vintage as well. She's always been the 'girly girl' type, so dressing up is pure pleasure for her! It's been a lot of fun taking her with me to local vintage stores and looking around together and discovering how good of taste my girl has!

 

[RetroMom]

My 9 year old daughter likes me to set her hair to give her that '40s Veronica Lake look and she will watch the '40s movies with me. She likes to see the stars looking glamourous as opposed to most of today's stars who look like slobs.

 

[skinnychik]

That's funny. The girls in my classes (urban 11 yr. olds) seem clueless regarding the "vintage" look. I heard one ask another why I'm the only teacher who dresses up for school. (She meant wears dresses...I think...not Halloween dressing up)

They need to learn more history.

 

[Lady Day]

Get em' young, ladies, get em' young


LD

 

[LizzieMaine]

No kids here -- which makes my heart ache terrribly when I find cute childrens' patterns -- but I do have two nieces, the elder of whom went thru a "vintage" stage a couple years ago where she was trying to dress as much like me as possible. She'd go to second-hand bookstores and buy 40's era college yearbooks and pore over the pictures for hours trying to figure out how to do her hair "like that," so I promised to show her how to pincurl and do rolls --but before I had a chance to do it, the stage had passed, and she had moved on to something else.

So not only is it important to get 'em young, you gotta also act quick when a spark of interest is shown!

 

[Amapola]

I didn't have trouble interesting my daughter in vintage--she saw what I was wearing and wanted to find dresses for herself as well. We also were on a cruise ship where the theme was vintage, so she got dresses for that. Now she has more dresses than I do!

She will be nine next month, and it is hard to find her size in dresses. I have found many tiny adult dresses (easier to find those than my size!), and I have taken one of those and tailored it for her. I had to bring the bust in, the shoulders down, and hem it, and it was perfect! The hard thing is that when we find something her size that was a child's dress, she usually does not like it, because it is so "childish" looking. Compared to the things girls wear these days, that's true.

My question for you all is hair styles for pre-teen girls in the 40's. Do any of you know some good links to pictures?

Lizzie Maine--would it do your heart good to hire out your sewing talent to make a girl's dress for someone else? You should think about it--I don't sew well enough, and maybe you've seen a pattern that would work for my little girl.

 

[ricki]

My question for you all is hair styles for pre-teen girls in the 40's. Do any of you know some good links to pictures?

Inspiration from Modern Beauty Shop, Sept 1941:

(Larger Image: http://static.flickr.com/89/225247969_7b284529c6_b.jpg)

(Larger Image: http://static.flickr.com/86/225247970_49adc32b27_b.jpg)

 

[Amapola]

Adorable! Thanks! I'd especially like to try the two on the bottom page.

 

[Snookie]

I love the hairstyle pictures! I like that it's broken down by age group. I'd wear all of them, personally.

I remember being a little girl and really liking the "B is for Betsy" series. I didn't realize at the time that it was an older series, but I liked the message and the drawings. I think it was written in the 30's and 40's. Have any of you or your daughters enjoyed those books?

 

[CherryRed]

I remember being a little girl and really liking the "B is for Betsy" series. I didn't realize at the time that it was an older series, but I liked the message and the drawings. I think it was written in the 30's and 40's. Have any of you or your daughters enjoyed those books?

I remember reading them when I was in elementary school too. I loved them! I have always been looking for them since but I just looked for "Betsy"....thanks for the correction on the title!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Lizzie Maine--would it do your heart good to hire out your sewing talent to make a girl's dress for someone else? You should think about it--I don't sew well enough, and maybe you've seen a pattern that would work for my little girl.

That's a swell idea -- I'll keep an eye out for patterns! Nine year olds run a bit bigger nowadays than they used to, so I'd think the styles made for young teens would probably be just about right?

 

[Irena]

I remember being a little girl and really liking the "B is for Betsy" series. I didn't realize at the time that it was an older series, but I liked the message and the drawings. I think it was written in the 30's and 40's. Have any of you or your daughters enjoyed those books?

I have a "Betsy" book! I saved it from the library discard piles at my elementary school years ago, be cause it looked cute (cute, old, and free, who could resist?). My mother read it as a child, and as her nick-name is Betsy, it has a special meaning.

 

[DancingSweetie]

I have 2 daughters, 13 and 8. They are not into vintage dressing, but do like dressing for renaissance faires. My 8 year old has shown interest in the music I listen to which is refreshing.

 

[Amapola]

That's a swell idea -- I'll keep an eye out for patterns! Nine year olds run a bit bigger nowadays than they used to, so I'd think the styles made for young teens would probably be just about right?

Yes, I think you're right. The dress I took in for her was a teen dress.
She likes that style a little better than the super girly ones anyhow.

I'll keep my eyes open for patterns, too!

 

[Viviene]

I have 2 daughters, 9 and almost 8. Since vintage clothing is my business they have become very interested in it. They can pick out a vintage dress as well as I can to the point that they will say, "Mommy, this robe is vintage. I don't know why but it just is" and sure enough, it is.

My girls have large frames so it has been a bit hard to find vintage things for them. When I do find something that will fit them I get it. My oldest likes to wear her things to school. My youngest wears hers when we go out somewhere special (she is a little tomboy at this stage).

We have a great time hunting for treasures together. I've been giving them an education in the different eras of vintage. There are times when I feel they don't listen but I did overhear a conversation my oldest was having with her friend and she was going on about her dress having a metal zipper and pinked seams so she must be listening.