Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

Lillemor · Nov 24, 2010

"Grandma!"..."Oh, hello Tobias mom, it's just that....you're just as short as my grandma!" said by sweet, well behaved boy who always greets me and which ever son I may have in tow.

Julius8122 · Nov 25, 2010

I had this elderly man (91 he said) corner me in the elevator at the V.A. Hospital, grab me by the shoulder and yelled "You know who you look like? Kate Smith. She sang to me once. God, what a woman Kate was. Can you sing? Can you sing God Bless America?" I was stunned, mumbled "You really don't want me to sing." "Oh, come on Kate. Sing to me." Then he started singing. I sang with him. The doors opened and he wandered out. Before the doors closed he yelled "See you in my dreams Kate." I told him I'd be there. LOL. When I saw him later that day, he stopped his nurse to tell her that he sang a duet with Kate Smith and wouldn't you know it, we had plans later.

What's sad was I had to ask my parents who Kate Smith was... My 93 y/o grandpa got a kick out of it.

TheLibrarian · Dec 8, 2010

I wear hats at the drop of a hat (sorry, couldn't resist) and pair them with 40s or 50s style dresses - and invariably get comments or compliments.

If I'm at a classic car meet I get asked to pose with random cars. Which is fun if it is the car's owner and they know that I "go" with their car's era - but when the folks who are just visiting the show ask me to pose with a car that is completely wrong for my outfit, that always makes me laugh. I try to take a moment to educate them, not that I know how much attention they pay.

If I'm just out and about people tend to be very well-meaning if sometimes not quite sure of their vintage fashion. I was at a friend's wedding and the father of the bride came over to talk with me in my (completely modern) hat and 40s-style dress, and he announced that I "just looked like something out of the 30s." The wedding photographer insisted on including me in half the pictures, too. Just because she liked my hat

Loveru · Dec 9, 2010

hi dolls,
i live in queensland, australia where things are a bit bogany - what americans call white trash.
I have always lived in the city or england so living in the burbs really bums me out. the people are all the same and ridicule what is different. I get compliments and just ignore the weird looks and whispers because the people who make those comments certainly are no authority on fashion, so just laugh back my dears hahaha

Hey_Laaaaaady! · Dec 23, 2010

I've had at least two people in the last two weeks tell me, "Oh you really are an old soul, aren't you" which is kind of complimentary and daunting at the same time (I mean, I'm still a teenager, come on!), especially since they were both said in the same almost-sneering tone. Except I know these two people really weren't trying to be that way (they're friends of the family, and usually very nice people) but it came out that way just the same. One lady was absolutely gobsmacked (I love that word!) that I put my hair in rag curls. Apparently the use of anything other than a hair-damaging straightener/curling iron is terribly shocking. Oy vey.

Shirin · Dec 23, 2010

Lillemor said:
I don't know if it's my appearance that makes it attractive for pubescents to shout rude remarks and naughty questions to me. I don't know if it's a rite of passage thing to show that you've got the nerve to go up and shout another student's mother in her face. I know I'm colorful, I know I wear bright or deep lipsticks and perhaps that signals something to them and that's a sort of justification for deserving this treatment in their minds. I was running late to pick up my son so I didn't have time to threaten to find out who he and his friends were and demand to talk to his parents.

This has only happened on my "retro" days and never on my casual contemporary days. I don't care that the girls stare and laugh at me but I have given it some thought that these kids might feel like provoking a reaction out of me in a more direct way some day and the fact that at 4'10"ft I'm shorter than most of them.

I also had time to feel concern for my dress because the boy was riding his bike slowly but aggressively towards me.

This is really sad. I'm so sorry this happens to you. I don't know, maybe you should keep some eggs (or mace even) in your purse on vintage days just in case you need to strike back from confrontation.

rue · Dec 24, 2010

My son just got back from being in army school and I hadn't seen him in 6 months. One of the first things he told me was that I looked like a movie star, like maybe Judy Garland. I told him I'd take that

Hey_Laaaaaady! · Dec 24, 2010

ooh! What a compliment! I'd take "Judy Garland" any day.

bellabella327 · Dec 24, 2010

rue said:
My son just got back from being in army school and I hadn't seen him in 6 months. One of the first things he told me was that I looked like a movie star, like maybe Judy Garland. I told him I'd take that

What a compliment! I just love Judy

rue · Dec 24, 2010

It was a wonderful compliment, but alas I don't look a thing like her. I think he was trying to think of an old actress and she was the first one that popped into his head, but at least he got the era right and picked a good one

LinaSofia · Dec 25, 2010

vintage at work

Hi ladies!
I have only ever had one negative reaction, it was an early morning when I walked to the bus stop in my full vintage garb with seamed stockings and victory rolls, and walked past a mother pushing a buggy, and she turned around and openly stared and laughed at me! Very rude. I just ignored it and walked on.

But otherwise I've only ever got compliments, usually that they like my dress or my hair. mostly from girls.

I have a question for you all! - I've just finished my PhD and is about to start a research job at a university, I'm slightly worried about being taken seriously in my vintage garb... Do you all dress full-on vintage at work? And does it work well?

Berlin · Dec 26, 2010

My therapist told me I looked like Marilyn Monroe. But the same as Rue with Judy; I don't look a thing like her and I think he was referring to the hairdo -which was quite the "same"- and the red lipstick. He also told me that it looked like I was plucked from a movie screen. Thát compliment.. I understood

Lenore · Dec 27, 2010

I got a Marilyn comment from a crazy drunk man last night. "Wow..Oh my god, You know who you look like. Marilyn Monroe. You know most people don't know that she actually had dark hair..." Then he went on to tell me that I should cover my beauty mark and I'd look more like her... Ahhh Christmas parties...

Lily Powers · Dec 27, 2010

Lenore said:
I got a Marilyn comment from a crazy drunk man last night. "Wow..Oh my god, You know who you look like. Marilyn Monroe. You know most people don't know that she actually had dark hair..." Then he went on to tell me that I should cover my beauty mark and I'd look more like her... Ahhh Christmas parties...

Perhaps he was a vacationing therapist from the Netherlands:

Berlin said:
My therapist told me I looked like Marilyn Monroe. But the same as Rue with Judy; I don't look a thing like her and I think he was referring to the hairdo -which was quite the "same"- and the red lipstick. He also told me that it looked like I was plucked from a movie screen. Thát compliment.. I understood

Sorry; coming down from 4 days of a Christmas sugar high and I just couldn't help myself.

Berlin · Dec 27, 2010

:high5: No one can blame you honey

I was thinking something in the same direction!

~Kate~ · Jan 8, 2011

I went with my friend for coffee yesterday and we met up with a guy she is dating and his friend. After talking for a bit, the friend turned to me and said "So you are really into vintage? Does that mean you are racist?". I was a little stunned (it came totally out of the blue), so I just sort of stared at him for a moment and answered "Um no?". I must say, that is the first time I have ever gotten a comment quite like that :eusa_doh:

Land-O-LakesGal · Jan 8, 2011

~Kate~ said:
I went with my friend for coffee yesterday and we met up with a guy she is dating and his friend. After talking for a bit, the friend turned to me and said "So you are really into vintage? Does that mean you are racist?". I was a little stunned (it came totally out of the blue), so I just sort of stared at him for a moment and answered "Um no?". I must say, that is the first time I have ever gotten a comment quite like that :eusa_doh:

Wow thats all I can so Wow. OK I will take it a step farther to ignorant!!!

rue · Jan 8, 2011

^ ditto. What is wrong with that guy??

Berlin · Jan 13, 2011

Got a negative 'comment' today from a bunch of kids {13,14,15 years old probably}.
I was dressed in a woolen trenchoat and wore my snood with victory rolls.
They pointed at me and shouted; Whát the heck is thát! And then they all laughed.
As if I were some kind of monster! [huh]

MissMittens · Jan 13, 2011

Berlin said:
Got a negative 'comment' today from a bunch of kids {13,14,15 years old probably}.
I was dressed in a woolen trenchoat and wore my snood with victory rolls.
They pointed at me and shouted; Whát the heck is thát! And then they all laughed.
As if I were some kind of monster! [huh]

And in 5 years time, they'd probably be whistling at you and drooling. Kids are great, because at the end of the day, you know they'll completely change their opinion at puberty

Comments You Get When You Dress Vintage

One Too Many

New in Town

New in Town

New in Town

Familiar Face

A-List Customer

Familiar Face

One of the Regulars

A-List Customer

Practically Family

Practically Family

Practically Family

Practically Family

New in Town

Practically Family

Practically Family

One Too Many

Similar threads

Log in

Forum statistics