Oh, Baby! (Jane)But I was struck by inspiration today and as I am off to the Hep Cats Holiday tomorrow (I can barely sit still for excitement!) I won't have time to take a proper pic or blog about it over the weekend. So here it is before I lose my train of thought... or rather, before it is replaced by important decisions about what to wear over the weekend!
There was a debate going on recently over at the Fedora Lounge's Powder Room, started by a lady of 48, who wanted to know if she was too old for vintage styles. The general consensus (and my own personal opinion) was, that one can never be considered to be too old to wear whatever the hell one likes, and other people be-damned! I am paraphrasing of course. But what everyone agreed on is that older ladies should avoid things that are too 'cutesy' or 'young', as that would be something of a faux pas. Then, over at Vintage Schmintage, another fabulous 30-something vintage devotee was wondering whether on- or ever-so-slightly-above-the-knee skirts were something she could get away with, or should definitely avoid for fear of looking like mutton dressed as lamb. (Side note - you won't be able to see this thread unless you register as a member of VS as many rooms are private). Our opinion was that as long as one has good knees, just slightly above the knee is fine, but none of us vintage ladies would go higher, simply from an aesthetic point of view.
Finally (I will get to the point soon, promise!) there's always a debate running somewhere on the Fedora Lounge about authenticity in the vintage world. Some are absolute sticklers for it, and others more blasé. I fall somewhere between the two, I like to look exactly as though I stepped out of the past, but I don't have any qualms about mixing eras. Re-enactors are even more dedicated, although a comment I often see is that people involved in recreating battles and things are often too old, or too portly to be *real* WWII/Civil War/whatever soldiers, thereby rendering obsolete their efforts at reproducing small details as accurately as possible. But if they enjoy it, does it actually matter? Not really, in my humble opinion.
Now, to the point. This is me today.
I am wearing the same pinafore dress I wore a week or two ago to go out dancing in, but all these posts I've read lately have got me thinking. The bemused expression on my face is there because I am having a slight sartorial dilemma.
Now, I am not a re-enactor, so I am not overly concerned with the same sort of accuracy as re-enactors invariably are, especially not in my every day outfits. I am just a girl who finds vintage clothing to be more pleasing to my eye, and said clothing and hairstyles to be flattering to both my figure and my bone structure. I do love a lot of elements of Golden Era style, décor, music and cars, but not to the same degree as the clothes and hairstyles, plainly, or I would own more of those things. But wearing my pinafore, and reading these threads sowed a tiny seed of doubt in my mind. There's no question that pinafores were the preserve of younger girls than I in the Golden Era. But I continue to wear this one because I think it is pretty, not to mention unusual in this day and age. I did have to take the hem down though, as it was about 2 inches above my knee when I got it, and it did look as if I was wearing a child's dress. But that is more a byproduct of me being very tall, than the dress itself.
But could there be said to be an expiry date for such frilly and, some would say, fussy frocks? At 28, am I already straying into Baby Jane territory, or do I have a few more years of ruffles ahead of me? This dilemma was compounded because I opened a parcel last night to find another of my latest vintage purchases, a lovely green pinafore with white rick-rack, which I can't wait to wear this weekend.
I suppose my own conclusion is that it depends on the person, and if I am comfortable in my pinafores, then I should just carry on regardless. And I have never been one to care about what people think of me (my loved ones are long past judging me for my sartorial choices!), but I don't want to look like a joke, I always aim to be a stylish, if unconventional sort. And I did receive a lovely compliment today from a lady who works in the Tescos local to my workplace, who told me that she and her colleagues look forward to me coming in, so they can see what I'm wearing and how I've done my hair that day! It put a smile on my face, I can tell you!
So really, I have kind of answered my own question and this blog was really just me musing on the subject, but I would be interested to head others' points of views on it all.
Anyway, I am trying to finish off my work so I can get packing for the weekend... I absolutely can't wait! I'll be back with pictures and stories on Monday!
Byeeee!
Fleur xx
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