How often do you dress vintage/vintage inspired?

Speakeasy · Nov 13, 2015

I always do my best to be well-dressed, and most of my clothes are vintage.

The clothes I do own that are newer are all classic styles, and I refuse to wear anything that is low quality. In fact, my insistence on quality construction and fabrics was what first got me interested in vintage styles.

Bushman · Nov 13, 2015

I try to be at least vintage inspired as often as possible, but since most of my vintage and vintage inspired clothing is winter wear, I know this isn't always possible.

Scottbrad94 · Nov 15, 2015

I try to wear true vintage as often as I can, unfortunately in Australia majority of the vintage wear is 50s/60s, occasionally some 40s but finding 30s clothing anywhere is like finding a unicorn which is a shame since I try my best to go for the 30s English styles. That being said I have found a 1930s Saville Row overcoat in my local second hand shop for $15 and my friend bought me a late 20s/early 30s 4 piece suit from his local second hand shop (it has a matching tie) from the country town where he lives. I'd say the wardrobe which I actually wear is probably half vintage, half later stuff in the style of earlier pieces or modern classic cut. I find myself usually wearing at least one major piece, aka a jacket or pair of trousers from the decade I feel like wearing and then add accessories like ties, watches, braces from the same period and then usually wear modern made vintage shoes or more recent vintage shoes with modern classic cuts shirts etc.

I feel very uncomfortable if I don't look genuinely vintage haha, I feel naked!

Speakeasy · Nov 15, 2015

^ Me too, I feel much more comfortable in vintage clothing - simply because the quality is far better. It's possible to find the same level of workmanship today, but it's expensive.

slythwolf · Nov 15, 2015

Every fall the girls at work will say something like, "For Halloween, you should dress in normal clothes!" Me: "These are my normal clothes. Do you mean contemporary style?" Them: "Yeah!" Me: "I don't have any of those."

PeterB · Nov 15, 2015

Vintage, or vintage inspired, every day. Unless I have a meeting with a client who will definitely have an aversion to it, but even then the suits are cut in a vintage style, and I will probably wear a vintage tie. I can't imagine anything else.

Seb Lucas · Nov 16, 2015

You left out "rarely" or "infrequently" as an option. I often like the look of well tailored vintage items on others but I would rarely chose to wear them myself. I like the quality of a number of vintage made items (workwear, hats and jackets) I never wear a tie or suit and, like Zombie, I guess I don't want to wear a costume. I wear a wide brimmed felt hat in summer but not for the purpose of statement or aesthetics - it's a practical anti-skin cancer precaution.

Bamaboots · Nov 16, 2015

I guess the only true vintage Clothing items I own are a couple of hats. Perhaps my dress is vintage inspired. I mostly wear jeans, pearl snap button shirts and cowboy boots.

Scottbrad94 · Nov 16, 2015

Speakeasy said:
^ Me too, I feel much more comfortable in vintage clothing - simply because the quality is far better. It's possible to find the same level of workmanship today, but it's expensive.

I agree with this, one of the things I love about vintage is being able to wear complex constructed garments that would cost an absolute fortune if bought new. Fortunately for me I prefer the old styles so I get the look and quality for a reasonably affordable price. Although sometimes when purchasing rarer items vintage can still cost a very pretty penny as I have most recently found with investing in 1930s belt back jackets and suits.

Zombie_61 · Nov 17, 2015

Seb Lucas said:
...I wear a wide brimmed felt hat in summer but not for the purpose of statement or aesthetics - it's a practical anti-skin cancer precaution.

This is one thing I neglected to mention in post #17--I do wear vintage-inspired flat caps and fur felt hats; the latter for protection from the sun and rain as much as because I like them.

Fading Fast · Nov 17, 2015

slythwolf said:
Every fall the girls at work will say something like, "For Halloween, you should dress in normal clothes!" Me: "These are my normal clothes. Do you mean contemporary style?" Them: "Yeah!" Me: "I don't have any of those."

Good for you. Made me chuckle.

As to the question, I only own a few vintage items (but love them), but almost everything I own is vintage inspired or classic in style. That said, since I work from home and dress casually, my vintage inspiration is really Ivy college clothing form the '40s and '50s. The suits I do own are classic / vintage inspired and I bring as many vintage details - tab collars, heavy textured materials, Fair Isle sweaters and vests - to the outfits as possible. So, not as exacting as many of you do, but almost everyday I wear vintage-inspired clothing.

Giftmacher · Nov 18, 2015

I don't have contemporary clothing. The newest is from ca. 60's-70's from my grandad.

Nick D · Nov 18, 2015

I make a point of my students never seeing me without a tie, so I'm in a suit five days a week minimum generally. During summer break especially I may go to my office in vintage or vintage-inspired casual, but I really like wearing a suit.

LuvMyMan · Nov 18, 2015

Bamaboots said:
I guess the only true vintage Clothing items I own are a couple of hats. Perhaps my dress is vintage inspired. I mostly wear jeans, pearl snap button shirts and cowboy boots.

What size pants and shirt/jacket do you wear? I have three pairs of brand new never worn Sharkskin custom made pants in different sizes...and a few super nice vintage sports coats....you never know until you try! HAHA! I can let these items sell for not much more than some beer money and a good cigar (for my Husband) hhahahahah!

LuvMyMan · Nov 18, 2015

Giftmacher said:
I don't have contemporary clothing. The newest is from ca. 60's-70's from my grandad.

I hear you there...same with my Husband...I can mix up some vintage to modern but not that often...but Daniel always is vintage...he about hates all this new "stuff" people call clothing...even overalls he has from vintage age.

LuvMyMan · Nov 18, 2015

Nick D said:
I make a point of my students never seeing me without a tie, so I'm in a suit five days a week minimum generally. During summer break especially I may go to my office in vintage or vintage-inspired casual, but I really like wearing a suit.

You are a sharp dressed gentlemen and have some advantage as you are super talented to be able to make super clothing....a dream for some of us.

LuvMyMan · Nov 18, 2015

Scottbrad94 said:
I agree with this, one of the things I love about vintage is being able to wear complex constructed garments that would cost an absolute fortune if bought new. Fortunately for me I prefer the old styles so I get the look and quality for a reasonably affordable price. Although sometimes when purchasing rarer items vintage can still cost a very pretty penny as I have most recently found with investing in 1930s belt back jackets and suits.

Hello how are ya? Lots of great people here on the lounge from your end of the pond...!

Bamaboots · Nov 18, 2015

LuvMyMan said:
What size pants and shirt/jacket do you wear? I have three pairs of brand new never worn Sharkskin custom made pants in different sizes...and a few super nice vintage sports coats....you never know until you try! HAHA! I can let these items sell for not much more than some beer money and a good cigar (for my Husband) hhahahahah!

LMM, thanks for your kind offer, brought a smile to my face. I was a police officer for twenty five years and spent several tours as a detective and was required to wear a coat and tie every day. I enjoyed it and spent way more money on clothes than the departments annual allowance. I still have a number of shirts, slacks and sport coats from that time that never see any wear. And they still fit.

I used to look for opportunities to wear my more formal clothing but attitudes and tastes change. Now I spend my money on vintage hats and cowboy boots. What size shoe does Daniel wear, maybe I need to sell you some boots so I can buy some beer and a cigar.

Pat Spade · Nov 18, 2015

I have very few items of contemporary clothing style... even the clothes I wear that were made recently have a "vintage" cut/appeal. I`m not wearing suits often (although I have some late forties and fifties suits), more workwear, and wear every day a mix of true vintage and vintage inspired or classic styled clothes...

Fading Fast · Nov 19, 2015

Thought this might be appropriate to this thread. How often are you wearing mainly vintage-inspired clothing in an outfit and get complimented on the one or two non-vintage items you are wearing (and you think, "really, that's the think you noticed?")?

On Tuesday, I was wearing a pair of very '50s looking chinos, a Oxford cloth button down shirt, a v-neck wool sweater, ragg wool socks and a pair of Tom's wool boots (the only non-vintage-inspired item - although, they also don't look modern and were, IMHO, benign enough to fit in). Twice that day - once when getting my haircut and, later, when with some friends - I got complimented on my boots.

While I thanked the person in both situations, I thought to myself, those are cheap, boring boots that I only bought because they are warm, inexpensive and, as noted, innocuous enough not to undermine my, overall, vintage-dressing vibe.

How often do you dress vintage/vintage inspired?

How often do you dress vintage/vintage inspired?

Daily

When I feel like it

As often as possible

To events only

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