Moments of Doubt...

Thanks Nemesis for sharing your thoughts, and it's good to hear you're happy being back into vintage.

Recently I grew out a pencil moustache and I expected nothing but ridicule, but received NONE! I was thunderstruck. My unit has nothing but compliments and locals (IE Alaskans) are very big on facial hair. It's sort of a right of passage here.

But the doubt I had growing it out (especially waiting for it to come in) was torturous. I became a semi recluse for nearly a week, and once tried to find an excuse for going out wearing a scarf!

After reading this thread, I think I'm going to make an effort to wear a hat a little more often now. I still wear hats, but not as often as I had done two or three years ago when starting out. There was even a point in which I attempted to wear one every day. One thing I've noticed, is that somehow I feel more comfortable wearing a felt hat with attire more casual than a suit, but still smart (think chinos, dress shirt, or even work-wear clothing and jeans, maybe a sports jacket). I think I have some pretty good basics of both hats and suits now; a mid-grey and brown herringbone suit (as well as a suede taupe sports jacket, a lighter than navy blue blazer, and dark brown corduroy sports jacket), and a light grey, dark brown, and silverbelly hat. I don't have a serviceable straw hat at the moment, not on e I'd wear with a suit anyway.

I understand that it can be difficult to wear certain clothes around certain types of people, especially. I'm most self conscious about this around my own family. I don't tend to care much of what other people think, although I appreciate compliments if they come my way.

Flat Foot Floey said:

Thanks, lolly_loisides, Amy Jeanne and Yeps. I also met some wonderful people through the same fora and I am very glad about it. I really like the 30s suits too much to change anything about it anyway. Besides...the punk scene isn't much better. They judge bands and people if they are true punks or sellouts. Plain silly. The only difference is that their golden era is from 76-83. You know Dead Kennedys with Jello, Misfits with Glen and Black Flag With Henry...

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Ditto, both on this and your first post. I identify with the subversive elements of the early 20th century more than the mainstream ones, just like I feel more at home among non-conformist, modern people. And I agree, in all groups there will be attempts to stratify according to a real or imagined status. It's human nature. The only difference is that MY way is the RIGHT way.

Once you reach a certain age all that "I'm more X than you!" stuff becomes hilarious! I'm a bit of everything I've ever loved.

I am less famillar with Juneau and the Southeast but I grew up in Fairbanks. I guess the combination of a college town in eccentric Alaska made Fairbanks one of the most accepting towns I've lived in. For about five years I dressed in 18th Century clothing (knee breeches, tricorned hat, etc.) and really no one said anything much to me. The norm is rustic casual but really people don't really care what you wear.

Now for the past six years I've been living back in Honolulu and its a much larger city than Fairbanks and supposed to be much more cosmopolitan etc. It is much less accepting of people dressing up than perhaps anywhere I've lived. The tyranny of the Aloha uniform is pretty strong...

But really like Amy Jeanne excepting some work/social situations where its appropriate to dress in certain ways I really don't care anymore what people think is normal and dress really to please myself.

Amy Jeanne said:

Once you reach a certain age all that "I'm more X than you!" stuff becomes hilarious! I'm a bit of everything I've ever loved.

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For some reason, I've never wanted to be pegged into a hole or belong to a subculture, not even as a teenager. In fact, I used to make fun of my punk/goth friends: "Oh, yes. I want to be different. In the exact same way as all of my friends!" I wanted to be a complete contradiction so that people had no idea what to expect.

Now I don't even care about that. I couldn't give a flea's fart what people think of me as it's likely no worse than what I'm thinking about them, anyway. Said the grouchy old woman!

Congratulations, young G. O. W.. You have reached Enlightenment.

Baron Kurtz said:

I found entirely the opposite to be true. In a very large city you are anonymous. Nobody gives a crap what you do, for the most part. I love it.

"oftentimes people know about you before you even know who they are". This is the reason I no longer live in a small town. I couldn't stand this imposition; the nosiness and gossiping.

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Agreed absolutely. I would very genuinely rather die (literally) than move back from whence I came. It's so nice to be able to do one's own thing withutg it having to be interpreted as a huge statement all the damn time.

Flat Foot Floey said:

Yes, sometimes I have this moments of doubt but for different reasons than you described. Some comments in vintage fora make me want to shave.a Mohawk (again)

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Oh yes, I know that feeling.

Flat Foot Floey said:

Thanks, lolly_loisides, Amy Jeanne and Yeps. I also met some wonderful people through the same fora and I am very glad about it. I really like the 30s suits too much to change anything about it anyway. Besides...the punk scene isn't much better. They judge bands and people if they are true punks or sellouts. Plain silly. The only difference is that their golden era is from 76-83. You know Dead Kennedys with Jello, Misfits with Glen and Black Flag With Henry...

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Yeah. The metal scene back in the late eighties was even worse, by a long way.

Mr Vim said:

...Recently I grew out a pencil moustache and I expected nothing but ridicule, but received NONE! ...

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Wow, congrats on the 'stache! I can't grow an acceptably normal looking one, so I have to stick to handlebars and such. I think the pencil mustache can be pretty cool when done right.

The Good said:

After reading this thread, I think I'm going to make an effort to wear a hat a little more often now.

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Well I'm glad we motivated you a little!