Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

Rosie_Beau · Jul 29, 2010

Hi Veronica.

fftopic:
I usualy spend lots of time trawling the beauty threads on this site. I'm sure there will be loads of great tips and advice on there for your lipstick dilemmas. Also if I were you I'd just go to a department store with a beauty/make-up counter and ask their advice. They might be able to try out some shade on you and give you tips on lip liners, etc.

Rocketblast · Jul 29, 2010

Veronica said:
I have prominent lips (that I am very happy with) but each time I wear a darker shade of lipstick (=other than light pink or neutral), I have very bads coments from my friends and family. Wearing red lipstick has become a fight... I do not know if the problem comes from me ( the shade does'nt fit my skin tone) or from them.

Maybe just try a gradual darkening with your lipstick - could be expensive I suppose trying lots of different shades, but perhaps your friends/family just aren't used to seeing you with dark lips. Angelina Jolie can carry it off - look at her in the Changeling - I'm sure you can if you want to

MirandaFern · Jul 29, 2010

Veronica said:
....each time I wear a darker shade of lipstick (=other than light pink or neutral), I have very bads coments from my friends and family. Wearing red lipstick has become a fight... I do not know if the problem comes from me ( the shade does'nt fit my skin tone) or from them.

I discovered that my mother has me in a "Beauty Box". That is, she is convinced that I need to wear certain colors and not deviate from that. If it were up to her, I would still be wearing the first shade of shell pink lipstick she bought me when I was in 8th grade.

She nearly flipped out at the Estee Lauder counter (we go shopping togehter once a month), when I selected "Classic Red" lipstick as my free gift with purchase, telling the Make-Up Lady that I'm a "Pink Girl." So red lipstick has gone on the list of "Things Not to Buy when Mom is Around, Lest She Say Something Snarky"...other list items include Twin Sets, Spectator Pumps....

Fiance says he doesn't care what color my lipstick is, he just doesn't understand why I need a whole range of shades..."Isn't Red just RED?"

Kate O Potato · Jul 29, 2010

I got "Hey, Grace Kelly" today. It made me smile all over.

Deleted member 12480 · Jul 29, 2010

aaaawww Kate

I got my great grandmother say 'I can't take my eyes off her!'

xx

Odalisque · Jul 29, 2010

MirandaFern said:
Fiance says he doesn't care what color my lipstick is, he just doesn't understand why I need a whole range of shades..."Isn't Red just RED?"

Silly boys!

Miss Molly · Jul 29, 2010

deleteduser said:
aaaawww Kate

I got my great grandmother say 'I can't take my eyes off her!'

xx

That's so cute! I love it when my grandparents compliment me on my vintage look, it makes me feel like I really got it right. They know what they're talking about!

Retro Chick · Jul 30, 2010

I actually made someone recoil in horror last week.

I was only wearing tweedy check high waist trousers, a black jumper and a snood with a rolled fringe. I walked out of a Charity Shop and one of the shop assistants was coming in through the door. She really recoiled with a sharp intake of breath and as I left I heard her say "Good God!" and start laughing.

After a brief moment of self doubt, during which I confirmed with my husband that I didn't look ridiculous, I realised that she was a prune faced middle aged woman in leisure wear and no make up and I probably shouldn't be taking her sartorial opinion seriously.

After that I was quite proud lol

On the nice side I went to the War & Peace show in Kent last weekend and I was wearing a pencil skirt and had my hair in victory rolls. I arrived quite early and had 3 people stop me within about half an hour to tell me I looked lovely. I was a bit flustered to be honest, but it was nice. I think a couple of them thought I was there as one of the re enactors rather than just as a visitor though!

lareine · Jul 30, 2010

Retro Chick said:
After a brief moment of self doubt, during which I confirmed with my husband that I didn't look ridiculous, I realised that she was a prune faced middle aged woman in leisure wear and no make up and I probably shouldn't be taking her sartorial opinion seriously.

Sounds like you were quite right too -- it would have been funny if you had also recoiled in horror when you saw her lol

Last night I was at a bar with a lot of friends and colleagues (it was a corporate thing with a 1980s theme for those who wanted to dress up). Now, I have never dressed "vintage" and don't even own any vintage clothing -- I was wearing jeans and a scoop-neck jersey top. I have my hair cut just above the shoulder in an approximation of a long middy cut, and it is naturally wavy. I had it held back from my face with kirby grips at the sides, and was wearing true red lipstick. Apparently that was all it took for people to make comments about me!

One person asked my husband if I realised it was a 1980s theme and not a 1950s one, and another guy who was there with my husband thought I was an actress from Mad Men! How bizarre is that? He genuinely thought I was an actual starlet of some kind, based on some misheard conversation I suppose, and apparently this idea was reinforced when he watched me sitting like a Queen Bee of some kind with lots of people coming to talk to me. They were just colleagues coming over for a chat, but I suppose he thought they were coming over for autographs or something lol He got really indignant when I came over and gave my husband a kiss, because he thought hubby was cheating on his wife. It was really funny.

Honestly, if this is the sort of reaction I can get by using hairpins and red lippy, I think the New Zealand public is not ready for full-on vintage styling. You girls must be braver than I am

RockyHorror · Jul 31, 2010

a customer today told me "You look like you walked straight out of 1950, It's cute! I like it!"

OneAndOnly · Aug 1, 2010

I went to the afters of a wedding a few days ago wearing a 50's style dress, pearls and had my hair set in a 40's style, nothing special really. The wedding was my boyfriends family so they weren't overly used to seeing me (with the exception of his parents and sister) so I got compliments all night! At one point his sister complained to me because all of her relations kept asking her where I got all my clothes! And at the end of the night his cousin, whom I haven't seen in about 2 years, came up to me and declared "You look like you're from the 30's!" Ok wrong era but still very sweet

And just before I went to the wedding I had to stop over at a friends house, he said that I looked very like Dita Von Teese (I laughed alot at that one) and that he didn't know anyone else who could carry off that kinda look!

Miss sofia · Aug 2, 2010

I was at work the other day, and was wearing a forties summer dress, red wedges, pearls, but i hadn't had time to much with my hair so i just put a couple of flowered combs in it, and curled the ends. There is an Italian cafe next door, where i always run in for coffee and they always have lots of pensioners that come on coach trips for the day for afternoon tea. While i was waiting for coffee an old gent next to me said to me "you look like one of those girls they used to paint on the sides of aeroplanes during the war". Probably the nicest think anyone has ever said to me, made my year that did, especially as i was having one of those 'i feel really gross and ugly days'!

TillyMilly · Aug 2, 2010

Odalisque said:
I had a similar experience at a coffee shop recently.
A pair of ladies sort of squealed when I confirmed I was wearing a petticoat.

I'd love to wear a petticoat but at 5 foot nothing tall I would look like a doll.

I used to have a petticoat when I was about 10 years old and my dance class were doing two 50's dances for the Xmas show- Rock around the clock and Great Balls of Fire- and i loved the way it swished- i never took it off.

Honey Bee · Aug 2, 2010

The Mister and I spoke of this just yesterday...he said if you look "too period" pepole would look at you as if you were strange. I said, "Really? So when you wore cowboy clothing and no one else did, it bothered you to look like you?" No, he said, he wore what he liked. I retorted, "So the "goth" dressing crowd is strange, but ok because that's just them, but to dress up in some style from a gentler, dressier (?) era is a problem? Do I embarass you when I dress leaning towards the 50's?" Course not, he says (good answer!!), I like you in June Cleaver dresses (I forgive him for goofing up the times!)....hmm... you have a point there, he finishes...and goes back to reading his Harley Ironhead forum lol
I like dressing, living and imagining my little vintage world...it's mine, it makes me happy and that is what it's all about :eusa_clap

LizzieMaine · Aug 2, 2010

Darn tootin'. Embrace your periodness. One of my favorite ripostes when some patron at the theatre tells me for the 11,000,000th time that I look like I "stepped out of the forties" is to nod and say "yeah, they found me in the attic when they were renovating the place. I went up for a nap one day in 1944, and all of a sudden here I am."

Miss Tuppence · Aug 2, 2010

I’m still amazed at how people think they have the right to be so personal just because you’re dressed differently and ask ‘why are you dressed like that?’
Does there really have to be a reason why?! I just wish I could say… why not and anyway it’s none of your business! But I’m far too polite.

Miss Sis · Aug 2, 2010

lareine said:
Honestly, if this is the sort of reaction I can get by using hairpins and red lippy, I think the New Zealand public is not ready for full-on vintage styling. You girls must be braver than I am

Lareine, more than 20 years ago I got really stared at for wearing a 50s bright red angora twinset (raided from my Nana) and red lipstick with jeans in Wellington one Friday night. And I was out with a friend and my Mum! (I was a mere slip of a girl then)

My Mum always encouraged me to be individual and wear whatever I liked, so it never bothered me. Sounds like most of the NZ public haven't changed much! Do what makes you happy - don't worry about anyone else.

Missy Krissy · Aug 3, 2010

I got my first nice comment yesterday! I dressed up in all vintage for the first time I wore a repro dress because that's the "dressiest" thing I have (when in reality, it's very casual but people seem to think it's so formal) for dinner at a nice restaurant with my parents.

I had my hair in pincurls and had on vintage-esque makeup and a man came up to me and commented how I looked like "Johnny Depp's girlfriend in that one gangster movie".

At first, I thought he was talking about Donnie Brasco and I didn't understand so I just said thanks, but he meant Public Enemies' Marion Cotillard! She's a doll in that movie. Needless to say, it made my day

Otherwise, I've gotten rude stares but nobody's going to insult a child so at least they keep their mouths shut.

Nashoba · Aug 3, 2010

LizzieMaine said:
Darn tootin'. Embrace your periodness. One of my favorite ripostes when some patron at the theatre tells me for the 11,000,000th time that I look like I "stepped out of the forties" is to nod and say "yeah, they found me in the attic when they were renovating the place. I went up for a nap one day in 1944, and all of a sudden here I am."

bwahahahhhahahaa Lizzie, you crack me up.

Rocketblast · Aug 3, 2010

Kate O Potato said:
I got "Hey, Grace Kelly" today. It made me smile all over.

I'm not surprised, you must have been looking beautiful, elegant and sophisticated - like a princess, no less

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