Vintage Lifestyle VS Re-Enacting VS Cosplay

[Miss 1929]

I guess it's lifestyle for me, although certainly not in every area, or on every day. I got into vintage clothing because it was cheap and available, and MUCH more interesting than the clothes at the time - the dreaded 70s. Collecting the clothes led me to events where I could wear them, then that led to dancing, then that led me to start playing the music of the Golden Era exclusively.
Although my home is almost entirely furnished with old stuff, there are some modern bits. I couldn't do it all 24/7 - I like my internet!

 

[Stray Cat]

Yes, exactly!
We can't live a 1940s life (although I would love to). Firstly, there's the job thing: I need my PC for practically everything, from applying for a new job, writing a CV, finding out have I been selected.. no one will call you on your house phone for those things.
And, a question:
have you noticed how today everything is being RUSHED? Running here, quickly doing this (even the food is "one minute meal"). Do you run along today, or do you take it slow like they did in the '40?
I guess that's also a difference between lifestyle and acting it..

 

[deco_droid]

I don't buy vintage clothing for various reasons, but I am always looking for clothes that fit with my general vintage style. Levi's made some nice triple stitch vintage look pants under their "workwear" label years ago that I still have. Also, Fossil USED TO (i'm still mad at them I guess) sell some really nice 40s/50s clothing that I wish I had bought more of, but now all they seem to stock is 1970s pearl button cowboy shirts -- it's sad...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Re-Enacting: You go out dressed as your grandmother.

Cosplay: You go out dressed as Mary Marvel.

Vintage Lifestyle: You go out dressed as yourself.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Funny, on the rare occasions that I've worn T-shirt and jeans I felt like I was wearing a costume.

 

[Juliet]

Well said. I sure wouldn't consider what I'm doing to be any part of a re-enactment. I've always loved vintage styles whether in my house or on my back, so that's what I do. Much of my clothes are new, just not what you'd see on the typical 20 year old, because, frankly, I just find most modern-styled clothes to be too informal. Same with modern styles in general, furniture, electronics, appliances, everything just is cold and unfriendly. It's just my taste.

I don't think I could say it better.
It's just... who I am.

Most (and I stress, most) cosplayers that I've come across, have an air of escapism about them. But if it makes them happy, well, why not?

 

[SGT Rocket]

This is such an interesting thread. I almost don't know where to start. I'm not sure where I fit into all of this to be honest. I like the “style” and some of the mores and values of the Golden Era. Before I found the fedora lounge and realized there was a name to “liking old stuff,” as I would have called it before discovering this place, I was into, well, liking old stuff. I was into “old fashioned”/vintage shaving (like at Badger and Blade) and that lead me here when I was looking for a hat.
Now, that being said, I don't wear vintage per-se (spelling?), but a lot of my clothing is vintage inspired. I’m 75 inches tall and weigh 250 lbs. Not many people like me during the Golden Era. I like khaki’s and button down shirts, long and short sleeve, and hats. I like the way the older suites are cut and drape on a body (from the mid to late 1930’s). Many of my aunts say I dress like my grandfather, which I consider a complement because he was such a kind person and a gentleman.
Also, most of the clothes I wear are fairly simple. I don’t know if this is intentional or not. I try to live my life as simple as possible. This means keeping relationship drama to a minimum. Also, treating people with respect and manners and what not—all the things I think were better in the Golden Era. I also try to keep my shoes shined (I shine mine almost every day) and my clothes mended—which I also consider a Golden Era value. I want to take care of my stuff and keep it in good working order because if you take care of your equipment, your equipment will take care of you.
I would rather cook in an oven or with an iron skillet than with a microwave, and would rather make/eat simple food from scratch than from a frozen box.
I like opening up a door for a lady, saying “hi” to my neighbors, and I wave when someone lets me merge on the road. I also let people merge in front of me as often as possible.
I just like being nicer and less rude and jaded than I feel most people are today. I want to be honest and keep my word.
It just seems like everything moves so fast these days. I just want to sit on the front porch sometimes and have a mint julep, smoke a cigar, and just hang out with friends and family. Just talking, either small talk, book talk, philosophy, talking about G-d, or just playing dominos.
So, I guess I try to make my clothes an outward expression of who I am on the inside. Part of my rational in this is because I want to be a “what you see is what you get” type of person.

Cosplay:
I don’t think I cosplay, because I don’t really hang out with other people who dress like me. Not out of being snobbish or something, I just don’t find anyone like me around the circles I hang out with. The people who I hang out with come from three different places: 1) synagogue, 2) the community college where I go to school (I’m 44 btw), 3) from my job at the community college (Veterans Resource Office). I’m also still in the National Guard where I’m a junior enlisted. My Guard buddies are great guys, but I have nothing in common with them outside of Guard weekends and deployments. Many are into “hip-hop” and that sort of thing. It just isn’t my thing; it seems to move too fast for me.

Reenactment
Ok, now here is something I can get into. Not so much Golden Era reenacting, but U.S. Civil War reenacting. I don’t have the time now with a new baby, a toddler and a little boy (plus a wife, dog, and cat). But if I did have time, I would like to get into that.
There are many reasons I would like to do this type of reenacting, most are selfish. I’ve been doing a lot of genealogy lately, and I have Confederate soldiers just falling out of my family tree like they are going out of style (I’m still hoping to find a Yankee ancestor). So, it is kind of a way to connect to my past. Plus, I think it would be fun to go camping with a nice bunch of guys like that.
Also, I’m interested in Civil War reenacting because the soldiers on both sides, the North and the South, were very brave. I can’t imagine standing in a like with a smooth bore or a rifled musket and shooting at another line of people shooting at me. What were these guys thinking? I’m very curious to get into their heads—in a safe way! I spent a year in Iraq with body armor and all the accoutrements of the modern soldier, and there were times that I was so scared I didn’t know which way was up. I can’t imagine how it was with a bayonet charge or something of that sort. But, I could never imagine myself running around in a Confederate or Union uniform day in and day out. I can’t see that as being enjoyable in the least; one weekend a quarter, maybe… but not all the time.

 

[Rats Riley]

Re-Enacting: You go out dressed as your grandmother.

Cosplay: You go out dressed as Mary Marvel.

Vintage Lifestyle: You go out dressed as yourself.

Perfectly put... except the Grandma part... ah what ever, you guys know what I mean.

And though I have never done cosplay (though I think I could pull off a Comedian in bathrobe, right before he gets thrown out of the window impression). I've always dressed in a vintage lifestyle more out of necessity THEN choice. That's also how I kind of developed my style of photography and then got roped into reenacting.

But truthfully I agree that for many this is who we are. While for others, it's a good escape!

Personally I think that every day should be an adventure.... should!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I would feel the same way. Even if I take my shirt off and have a v-neck underneath while I'm doing, say, yard work or something, I just feel uncomfortable. Heck, I don't even like going out without a hat on.

Funny, on the rare occasions that I've worn T-shirt and jeans I felt like I was wearing a costume.

 

[Jim Brown]

would dressing like your favorite movie actor, like Bogart, in effect doing cosplay?

I think if you're worried about if your hat is the same time period as your suit, or your shoes are from the wrong decade as your dress, then you are in costume.

If you worry about if your tie matches your suit or your stockings go with a dress then you're just wearing clothes.

 

[Mr Vim]

Gosh, I really couldn't say that I do any re-enacting, or cosplay, or really a vintage lifestyle (I combine modern and vintage clothing a lot.*) Having said that, I really would like to try re-enacting, especially some really old styles such as civil war, or Roman legionnaire as I am fascinated by history.

Cosplay I'm not into but I don't begrudge it in the slightest, if it doesn't hurt anyone and it makes someone happy then they have a God given right to do so.

*I do occasionally go all vintage head to toe, but it's so rare because of where I am I don't feel worthy to wear the title of a vintage lifestyle-ist.

 

[Rats Riley]

OK... I don't want to hijack this post... but just a warning for those interested in Un-civil War reenacting... it CAN be just that!

With that said and like with many past times there are elitist, egotistical, anal, snobbish and down right mean people involved. Not to mention that many events are during the summer...

Have you ever worn wool pants, wool jacket, wool hat leather shoes or boots, in the middle of a steaming open field during the summer?!!!! Now I happened to be dismounted cavalry... so instead of marching, we ran our arses off and we're expected to often displace. Again, a lota wool in the heat! And the women... Dear Lord! They're expected to wear twice the layers as the men wear!!

Yes it's fun around the camp fire... but there's also a lot of politics and BS that seems to get caught on the bottom your shoe, even when you just want to have fun.

Yes I loved doing it for a long time... but eventually the politics and repetitiveness got old.

Just my two Yankee dollars...

Again, sorry to hijack the post..

 

[SGT Rocket]

^^^ I hear you R. Riley. I bet there is some egos wrapped up in the whole thing. If I were to do reenacting, I would have to be one of the guys who is on an outlier. I'd be the guy that they would say "hey, we don't have enough people for our event this summer! Who do we call?" Then someone else would say, "Hey, lets get that SGT Rocket guy, he doesn't mind pulling picket at night and getting shot by the other side early in the battle." LOL

But, I don't begrudge anyone who is really "into" it. I read a book called Confederates in the Attic. There was a guy in there from Ohio (I think) who was really into playing a Rebel Soldier. Man, he did some hard core stuff. Lots of respect for him. But not the way I would like to spend my off-time.

To tie that back into the thread, I don't see myself looking to have a closet full of vintage clothes (I would run around naked because I would never find any that fit). But, I love the vintage style and most of the clothes I do wear are vintage inspired. I think, I like to live the thriftiness and perceived honest-ness of the bygone time. Just to keep life simple. I've found that for me, the more complicated my life is the less I enjoy it.

 

[John in Covina]

would dressing like your favorite movie actor, like Bogart, in effect doing cosplay?

People that do cosplay usually only interact (in costume) with the outside world on there way to or coming back from where they are engaging in cosplay. You could easily do Bogie in many cosmopolitian cities with out raising an eyebrow. It might be unusual but not as unusual as being dressed as Sailor Moon or a comicbook hero other than when fighting outside Mann's Chinese theater.

 

[John in Covina]

I think if you're worried about if your hat is the same time period as your suit, or your shoes are from the wrong decade as your dress, then you are in costume.

Perhaps not - collectors and aficionados often look at the concept of a complete and correct application of items to be period correct. They may be fistideous on that idea but costume indicates more of a play or representation of the period. There are those that get it right everyday for the era they are seeking and are not in costume but made in their lives.

 

[Jim Brown]

Perhaps not - collectors and aficionados often look at the concept of a complete and correct application of items to be period correct. They may be fistideous on that idea but costume indicates more of a play or representation of the period. There are those that get it right everyday for the era they are seeking and are not in costume but made in their lives.

True. I think the word "Costume" is what is hard for many people to come to terms with. It is so often thought of for halloween, or films than for everyday. But on the other hand if you are worried if the pieces you're wearing are from the correct time frame then I see it as a costume you're trying to put together and not just an outfit.

Collectors are another matter as they're collecting the clothes. Not wearing them.

I myself do wear a lot of vintage items, but I don't go to the effort of making sure they're all paired from the same time frame. I just wear them because I like them. Not to make a statement or to project a certain image.

 

[sheeplady]

Years ago when I did reenacting (Revolutionary War Period, 1776) a lot of the reenactors bristled at their "historical dress" being called a costume. "A costume is an outfit you put together for Halloween," they used to say. There is no care to be accurate in a costume, someone is going for a general look for something they might wear three times. Reenactors wear their "historical dress" thousands of times.

Considering how much effort and time reenactors put into their clothing, I can understand not wanting to be compared to kids on halloween. Every item where I volunteered had to be hand (not machine) sewn in appropriate fabrics. The only things they "let go" were foot wear and glasses, both of which had to be reflective of the era, but did not have to be reproduction and made of period-accurate materials. The people in the local militia were even more strict with their requirements on glasses and footwear- I believe they required reproductions for footwear and glasses.

 

[John in Covina]

Collectors are another matter as they're collecting the clothes. Not wearing them.

Collectors do use what they collect. Ask Marc Chevalier as an example. I collect fountain pens mostly vintage and use all of them so far with the exception of 2 that are NOS. Many gun collectors only have guns they can fire. It's different than coin or stamp collecting those you don't want to use.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

It is interesting to note that in the German and Russian languages the word for suit is "kostüm" and "костюм (kostyum)" respectively.

 

[Juliet]

Actually, in German "Anzug" is the commonplace word for a suit.

In Russian the word "костюм" appeared around the 30s/40s. Before that, I believe, the parts of a gentleman's clothes were referred to separately, and in general one would use the words "одежда/одеяние", which both mean clothes/attire.
I'm not completely sure about that, which shames me, too.