Modern Wardrobe Sins Committed By Vintage Aficionados

CBI · Dec 8, 2016

I got into vintage through my love of WW2 stuff and vintage flight jackets. After a decade of trying to make vintage/high-end heritage work for me I have pretty much stopped but still love looking at heritage clothes and old pics, etc.

That said, for people totally into vintage wear..........

What modern clothing pieces can you embarrassingly not live without?

For me i'ts fleece in the winter, I live in the stuff. As much as I love high end heritage denim, I gotta say, I prefer my $20 Wrangler stretch denim jeans. So comfortable really and no need for a belt and they move with you. OK, so they don't look like Simon Cathcarts or LVC's but I am totally cool with that. I mean, holy crap, the horror from a vintage perspective but some modern clothes are just too darn comfortable to pass on. Luckily, you can vintage up in other ways to compliment. Just IMO

Fuscan Tigs · Dec 8, 2016

I dress "vintage inspired" so I'm not in the target audience for your question. But I'll second your endorsement of stretch denim.

VintageEveryday · Dec 8, 2016

I can't live without modern undergarments.

Kristine Schultz · Dec 8, 2016

Hi this is Kristine from Palau. Even I too can't live without the modern clothes but the vintage fashion was pretty good for them. Old is gold.

tropicalbob · Dec 9, 2016

A curious thing I've noted over the past several years is the tendency for people to say they're "going vintage" or "going rockabilly," as though clothing is a costume with which one is going to play a part. We used to call this "posing." IMHO, your choice of attire should reflect who you are and should be part of a life-long development. The critic, Sainte-Beuve, I believe, was the one who said, "The style is the man." By the time you get to a certain age, you should have a pretty good idea of who you are and "what's you" and what isn't. If you do, choosing a particular item shouldn't be a problem.
That said, it always helps to have someone close to you whose opinion and taste you trust for those items that might fit into your general scheme of things but don't suit your body type.

Edward · Dec 9, 2016

i have some stuff that's more modern than others. Quite a few of my tweed jackets are a more modern cut. THat sort of detail aside, though, I don't think I really have or wear anything that couldn't have been produced pre-1960. Nothing springs out, anyhow. I didn't get into this stuff to "be vintage", though.... I just don't really like "new" stuff.

Benproof · Dec 9, 2016

"What modern clothing pieces can you embarrassingly not live without?"

Teflon coated non-stick underwear of course.

Benproof · Dec 9, 2016

Just kidding.

I don't live in a film set so there's little to be embarrassed about. The city I live in, is unique for its merging blend of contemporary and ancient architecture; cutting edge folk with the same prehistoric mentalities as those who wear various permutations of modern, traditional, fusion of both, especially confusion of both. There's very little pigeon-holing into categories here, although maybe individuals might try to pigeonhole another's taste in clothing, they themselves end up pigeonholing themselves as "small-minded".

Mercerised cotton is fairly old-fashioned: over a 100 years..but it's still very popular. Ventile, being used around WWII, is coming back in as the damage of micro-plastics, polyester and nylons in the environment come into general tabloid consciousness. Embarrassingly, I can't live without my plastic mac. It is see through so you can still appreciate the tweed detailing underneath

bn1966 · Dec 10, 2016

I don't really wear 'modern' style clothes these days other than when at work (Sportwear).
Looking like one's just stepped off of a film set doesn't appeal either. I've worn 'vintage' & vintage inspired threads all my adult life & these days mix n match clothes from different decades...stuff I feel comfortable in

Fading Fast · Dec 11, 2016

Modern workout sneakers for truly working out.

I'll run errands, etc., in my Vans or Chuck Taylors (with a foot arch pad discretely inserted), but for seriously working out, I am all about modern sneaker technology as my feet are meaningfully flat, so I go with a sneaker with a high arch. Additionally, the new sneakers are much lighter, more flexible and breath better than the old canvas ones.

I wear the old-style ones all the time for walking around the city and love their look and feel for that, but when I work out, it's modern technology on my feet all the way.

Stringmaster · Dec 11, 2016

So what is the consensus? I'm thinking of a plaid wool jacket like a Mackinaw with red/black or grey/black checked (like buffalo check) pattern for casual wear--I do wear various plaid flannel or patterned western shirts. I've always thought of mixing plaids/patterns as a no-no, especially with different color tones--but that would seriously limit the wear of such jacket to essentially only solid colored shirts. What say you--don't worry about it, or play it safe and buy a solid colored jacket i.e. basic black?

SkyTurtle · Dec 13, 2016

tropicalbob said:
A curious thing I've noted over the past several years is the tendency for people to say they're "going vintage" or "going rockabilly," as though clothing is a costume with which one is going to play a part. We used to call this "posing." IMHO, your choice of attire should reflect who you are and should be part of a life-long development. The critic, Sainte-Beuve, I believe, was the one who said, "The style is the man." By the time you get to a certain age, you should have a pretty good idea of who you are and "what's you" and what isn't. If you do, choosing a particular item shouldn't be a problem.
That said, it always helps to have someone close to you whose opinion and taste you trust for those items that might fit into your general scheme of things but don't suit your body type.

Like Fuscan says above, I'd consider myself more vintage inspired as well. But like tropicalbob says here, there's a difference between people who live the lifestyle versus those who occasionally dress for the lifestyle.

For instance, though I love 60s and 70s era motorcycles I ride a relatively modern bike. But whenever I buy gear I always buy gear that echos that era (rocker style leather jackets, engineer or harness boots, etc.). And I ride my bike almost everywhere I go so that gear usually gets pretty well worn, which gives it a nice patina and forms it to your body. However, I choose modern helmets over the vintage-style open faced helmets for safety reasons (so that may be the modern gear that I can't live without, to come back to the OP's topic)

Now, occasionally, when I'm at the local Euro bike dealership, I'll see a guy come into the service area on a Triumph Bonneville (a vintage-inspired motorcycle) dressed in a brand new leather jacket, brand new open-faced helmet with goggles, brand new jeans rolled up over - or tucked into - a pair of brand new Frye engineer boots. Clearly this is someone who is dressing for the lifestyle rather than living it. Now I'm not throwing stones at those guys, but I think we do have to be little honest about the things we live for versus the things we are fans of. I'm sure when I go to the batting cages for my annual thirty swings, my brand new batting gloves are noted by the real ball players out there for real practice!

pgoat · Dec 13, 2016

Much to my chagrin, being that I travel almost everywhere by bicycle, over the years I've gradually moved away from jeans, khakis and other casual street clothes m-f to riding in almost exclusively cycling or workout stuff. Yes, I mean *shudder* sweatpants. I keep a change of clothes at work, but I still spend a lot of time *ahem* dressed down (way down). This stinks when you have 'nice' clothes gathering dust (or moth holes) in the closet...

On the weekends I try and pull out decent stuff which normally means suits or vintage stuff for me. But most of my life is now spent in slovenly comfort. Oh, the horror...

Canadian · Dec 16, 2016

Canvas work trousers like Dickies. Treated to be stain resistant. I wear very little in the way of denim, and the few pair I have are inexpensive chain store pieces. But because I work in the ministry (specifically dealing with street people) I need canvas pants treated with the absolute latest technology to repel water and stains.

However, for a dance I might wear Dickies khakis with a blazer and a dress shirt, bow tie, etc. Nobody knows they cost 30 bucks at Progress Clothing and are actually workwear. Isn't that what it's all about? Wearing an item and wearing it, not being somebody who wears a costume.

tropicalbob · Dec 16, 2016

CBI said:
I got into vintage through my love of WW2 stuff and vintage flight jackets. After a decade of trying to make vintage/high-end heritage work for me I have pretty much stopped but still love looking at heritage clothes and old pics, etc.

That said, for people totally into vintage wear..........

What modern clothing pieces can you embarrassingly not live without?

For me i'ts fleece in the winter, I live in the stuff. As much as I love high end heritage denim, I gotta say, I prefer my $20 Wrangler stretch denim jeans. So comfortable really and no need for a belt and they move with you. OK, so they don't look like Simon Cathcarts or LVC's but I am totally cool with that. I mean, holy crap, the horror from a vintage perspective but some modern clothes are just too darn comfortable to pass on. Luckily, you can vintage up in other ways to compliment. Just IMO

Right, but, on the other hand, some vintage articles are way more comfortable than most of their modern versions. I've a number of vintage shirts, for example, that make the modern ones look and feel like the plastic garbage they really are. The funny thing is that the vintage ones were originally sold as standard, while today they'd be marketed as the special, top-of-the-line version and priced accordingly.

tropicalbob · Dec 16, 2016

Canadian said:
Canvas work trousers like Dickies. Treated to be stain resistant. I wear very little in the way of denim, and the few pair I have are inexpensive chain store pieces. But because I work in the ministry (specifically dealing with street people) I need canvas pants treated with the absolute latest technology to repel water and stains.

However, for a dance I might wear Dickies khakis with a blazer and a dress shirt, bow tie, etc. Nobody knows they cost 30 bucks at Progress Clothing and are actually workwear. Isn't that what it's all about? Wearing an item and wearing it, not being somebody who wears a costume.

Have the Dickies changed much over the years? My mother bought me a pair years (and years) ago and I found them really uncomfortable. They were made, or treated with something, that made my legs sweat. I always felt guilty about not wearing them because I knew Mom was doing her best.

Canadian · Dec 16, 2016

I have no frame of reference having been a recent convert from dark suits, every day, but yes, they are treated with something. I don't sweat too much, but its that coating which makes me buy them as opposed to a cheap pair of chinos from somewhere else.

Like I said, I work with street people. I do everything from spray shoes with antifungal to delivering food goods to rooming houses. When you're dealing with chemicals, fluids and drinks, you wear stuff that can be cleaned by tossing it in the washing machine.

Tommy · Dec 16, 2016

Brooks Brothers and Jos A Bank style button down dress shirts.

Leacock · Dec 19, 2016

Tommy said:
Brooks Brothers and Jos A Bank style button down dress shirts.

What is special/different about them?

I like Jos a Bank's coats (mostly) but have never seen anyone with their shirts.

eugenesque · Dec 19, 2016

Modern thermal underwear. Definitely prefer those to long johns.

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