January 6, 2014

Dress like a cupcake should feel

As 2013 came to a close, my mind began filling with thoughts about my wardrobe for the coming year, as it always does in late December. I gave some consideration to writing a post akin to the one on this very subject that appeared here precisely a year and a day ago, but that wasn't what my heart was telling me to do.

My general approach to my wardrobe is going to be the same this year (spend wisely, don’t shy away from investment pieces, try to find some more of my wishlist items, etc), so instead I wanted to launch my first solely fashion related post to a topic that I believe very strongly in, and that I feel can be summed up rather charming in today's title, which comes by way of the tremendously lovely illustration below.


 photo 0c01f860c2601cc7b2aa5d54284013b1_zps42cf5b31.jpg

{Hennie Hayworth artwork discovered via Let's Be Preppy.}


 
You see, I'm a staunch proponent of dressing however you want to as often as possible. I love vintage with all my heart and soul, but that doesn't mean I eschew modern fashions entirely or that I have anything against them. I often mix pieces from different decades in the same outfit, adore 1980s does 40s and 50s clothes, occasionally splurge on well made repro (and then wear those pieces often), own oodles of genuine vintage, and shop for vintage appropriate fashions to weave into my wardrobe anywhere and everywhere I go.

My closet, much like my style, is a fusion of what I love, my life’s story, and what brings me incredible joy. There are instances when I go for a very period specific look, sporting all (or nearly) all genuine vintage from around the same timeframe, but I am not one of those folks who desires to only wear real vintage items from a given decade 24/7. It's awesome if that's you approach - and goodness knows I'll swoon up a storm over your gorgeous ensembles, if you share them online - but, wildly eclectic soul that I am, I'm not a total stickler when it comes to ensuring that all of my looks seem as though they could have just hopped directly off the pages of, say, the March 1948 edition of Harper's.

The way we each dress is a highly personal matter. There is, unequivocally, no right or wrong way to dress or to wear vintage. Yes, that's right, I said it: there's no wrong way to wear vintage (there are more historically accurate ways, for sure, but no wrong way). It grinds my gears when I see someone preaching that vintage has to be worn such and such a way. No, unless you're aiming for a very period specific look (or are doing the costuming for movie/theater show), it does not. Not for one red second.

It's supercilious to heavy handedly project, or attempt to enforce, your own views on how to dress on anyone else or to expect the rest of the world to follow your lead. If you you're not crazy about what someone else is wearing, or how they've chosen to approach vintage fashion, that's totally okay (to each there own), but you don't need to say anything derogatory to that individual or try to teach them how you think they should dress instead. Instead, look at them and admire that they're marching to the beat of their own fabulous fashion drum, just as you are to yours.

This isn't to say that you can't offer advice or how-tos for those who are fans of the same kinds of styles that you are. That's cool and often very highly appreciated by your readers, I just mean that no one should look down their nose at anyone else for the way they opt to dress. We're each different and so are our wardrobes. Would a sea of the same homogeneous clothes really be as a fun as walking down the street and seeing 100 different people wearing a 100 different, unique styles? It really wouldn't.

Most of you reading this post right now, love vintage fashions. Some of you may be wild for the 20s, others the 60s. You might flip for the 40s and 50s as do, devote your closet to the 30s, or be straight up Edwardian all the way. Many enjoy a blend of decades, whether worn in the same ensemble or on different days. By sheer act of sporting yesteryear styles, we're all vintage fashion wearers and (presumably) lovers. We each have different, fantastic vintage fashion voices and ways in which we express our love of the past by the wardrobe choices we make.

The statement dress like a cupcake should feel brings me a substantial amount of bliss because it implies, to my mind, that one approaches their wardrobe with joie de vivre.

Most cupcakes are, by their very nature, sweet, fabulously happy, beautiful little moments of loveliness that we all adore enjoying, and these same feelings should resonate in the way you dress, regardless of your style or preferred take on vintage fashion.

A cupcake can be dainty and understated (in so much as a any dessert can be understated), bold, vibrant, artistic, or really off-the-wall, and so can the way each of us dresses. Of course our lifestyle and circumstances will shape our personal styles to a certain extent, but for those who live in most parts of the world, thank goodness, we have the right (especially as adults) to dress however we darn well please, and this is a right we should exercise as often as possible.

Love mixing three different patterns in the same outfit? Awesome, go for it. Adore only wearing looks from the early 1930s? Fabulous, I bet you are a sight to behold. Want to blend elements from five decades together in the same date night look? Way to go, girl!

It takes moxie, courage and creativity to carve out your own unique style. To own it and honour it, and to embrace the looks you love, regardless of what other people might say or think. As the expression goes, haters gonna hate. Let them. That's their problem not yours.

You are daring and fabulous, and should take fashion risks often. So what if something backfires or you aren't crazy about it after all? You tried and your learned something more about your tastes in the process. Makeup washes wipes off in seconds, hairstyles vanish down the drain, and clothing can be swapped out at a moment's notice. Fashion has its serious sides, yes, but ultimately it should be far more fun, original, and relevant to the wearer's lifestyle, I wholeheartedly believe, than anything else.

So, my beautiful friends, as we embrace the 2014 with open arms, I encourage you to do as I am, and dress each day, in whichever ways your heart so desires, like a cupcake should feel. Fashion really doesn't get any sweeter or more wonderful than that.


40 comments:

  1. I applaud your points. We should dress with joie de vivre (especially when we can spell it properly!) and take fashion risks. We learn, grow and find new joy through experimenting. Great post.

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  2. What a lovely sentiment! Well worth keeping in mind everyday but maybe especially on days where one stares blankly into the wardrobe and inspiration is lacking. I completely agree with you, there is no wrong way to wear vintage, whatever works for you is the right way. I enjoyed reading this fabulous post.

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  3. I love this post, Jessica! The sentiment is so cute, and it's one I definitely think I'll try to embrace this year. All while I'm thinking about my wardrobe and making better matching outfits out of the clothing I already own, or plan to hunt down vintage, or sew, or fill in with random non-vintage pieces that happen to work for how *I* personally like to wear vintage. Because as you said, there's no wrong way, and we all approach it in a different manner... and not always even in the same manner from one day/week/month/year to the next. And that's all okay! :)

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  4. Thank you, dear, for writing this lovely and thoughtful post. And you are so absolutely right. :)

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  5. I really enjoyed reading this lovely post Jessica, such a lovely sentiment xx

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  6. Thank you for this. I always need reminders of this!

    xoxo
    -Janey

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  7. I love this idea! We all want to feel special and good about ourselves. The icing/clothes make that happen.

    Wonderful inspiring post.

    Happy New Year!
    bisous
    Suzanne

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  8. Yes, yes and thrice yes! People should be able to wear what they want to, within the bounds of decency of course. They also should be able to change their look to match with their mood; why should anybody wear exclusively vintage or exclusively modern, or any point in between. If it's how you feel comfortable then wear it.

    Having said that I do flinch when I see people going to the shops in their pyjamas!

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  9. What perfect timing for this post! Having just found your blog via Pinterest, I am intrigued with dressing vintage , but as a "perfectionist" I felt like it had to be "just right" all the time and was seriously stressing over a wardrobe overhaul. I have a lot of pieces that I love and didn't really want to give up so that I could "dress vintage". I took the time to read the post you had suggested to me and was relieved to see that I can add vintage pieces to my existing wardrobe and not have to spend a fortune or give up the pieces that I truly love. Today I chose a pink tank top to go under a beautiful cardigan that I had picked up at the thrift store and a black pencil skirt, tights, and black heels. Added a Audrey Hepburn "Breakfast at Tiffany's" hairdo and while I am not totally vintage, I have enough vintage vibe to make me happy and have gotten a ton of compliments on my appearance today. I am so glad I found your website and I can say, that for today, I know exactly how a cupcake feels! Have a great week!

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    1. It warms my heart to no end to know that, dear Layde, thank you very much for letting me know that this post - and the ones linked to in it - spoke to your soul and helped bolster your confidence when it comes to rocking your own fabulously vintage style. I don't doubt for a moment that you looked flat our gorgeous in your pencil skirt ensemble (they're a perpetual staple in my vintage wardrobe, too).

      Keep on wearing whatever makes your heart most happy and know that I'm here to cheer own your sartorial journey step of the way!

      ♥ Jessica

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  10. Right on the spot my dear! I think that each person takes their vintage wear and accommodates it according to their own style and that's where the magic begins.

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  11. Here Here! Great advice! My closet is a mix of many things, vintage and non vintage and I love putting various pieces together. It's an adventure every time I open my closet! I also agree that nobody should judge how one wears a specific vintage piece or what they pair it with because I'm sure if you time machined it back to the that specific time period of choice, clothing "rules" were being broken all the time.I was recently at an event in NYC and the event was filled with amazing vintage clothes and I just adored how everyone looked so individual with their own ways of dressing up said 40s dress, 50s skirt. etc. Cheers to the cupcake!

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  12. Hear, hear! I wholeheartedly support anyone who dresses in a way that makes them feel happy, in a way that expresses their personality. Even if I'd never, ever wear the same outfit, I applaud their gumption and creativity.

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  13. Love this post!
    Happy New Year dear Jessica :)
    http://balearaitzart.blogspot.com.au/

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  14. Fashion is a devious animal: it's slippery, it's prone to metamorphosis, it tumbles and turns and by no means can one catch it by it's tail.
    No.
    That's why we have our style. We take the little pieces of Fashion (this skirt and that earrings) and we blend them into our style. Let's be honest: vast majority or us can not afford the Fashion - as it, as I've mentioned - a slippery animal; a costly pleasure.
    Your post is honest.
    We are who we are.
    And there will ALWAYS be those who "fail to see why do you choose to look like that". It is not what they fail to see, it's what they fail to understand: we dress like this (or behave.. or listen to the certain music) because we WANT TO.
    It is as simple as that.
    ..
    Again: BRAVO for a stellar post.
    (this one should be featured in a magazine)

    Many hugs
    Marija

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  15. You hit the nail on the head and I couldn't agree with you more!! Dressing is all about finding your own personal style and no-one can tell you what that is or how to wear it. Be it vintage, modern or a mix, to me, if you love it - wear it! Great post :)

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  16. I don't love cupcakes so I'm trying to decide what I do want to feel like. Maybe a delicate, delicious pastry?

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    1. You bet, Jessie! The sentiment was less about literally being (or liking cupcakes) and more about dressing in the spirit of something that most people perceive as being super happy and carefree (like a cupcake). If pastries are more your bag, by all means, dress like a Danish or croissant should feel. :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  17. Love this post! I wholeheartedly agree. The options for incorporating vintage looks into your wardrobe is vast. And let's face it, some take fashion a bit too seriously. Fashion should be fun, like a favorite hobby, a creative way to express your own unique self. On the other end of the spectrum from the people who claim you have to be totally period correct from head to toe, are the ones who say only add bits and pieces of vintage so as not to look "costumey". I say, who cares? If you've headed in the direction of vintage style, no matter how you choose to interpret it, at least you're making an effort, unlike many people I see on the street today who look like they just rolled out of bed!

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    1. I absolutely couldn't agree more across the board, dear Theresa, excellently said! I really appreciate having your input, too, as a professional vintage seller with years of experience in the field, on this topic.

      ♥ Jessica

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  18. Just a perfect post! Happy New Year Jessica! I wish you all the best!
    Hugs and greetings from Greece!

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  19. Thank you for this wonderfully inspiring post! As you know, I'm on the verge of some life changes and this will really help me in what will come. Everyone has to live they way they see fit to be the best.

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  20. This is such a terrific post and a fine sentiment! Besides, as you note, if we were all to wear the same things the same way, life would be so much duller. If someone wants to mix things up a bit, that's fine and often great fun to see such creativity exhibited in everyday life!

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Jen! I completely agree - I love it when I see someone, regardless of what style (or styles) they're rocking whose look stops me in my tracks and makes me appreciate the creativity they've clearly put into coming up with that ensemble. Fashion allows us to each have our own daily canvases upon which to paint our style - why create the same thing as everyone else?

      ♥ Jessica

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  21. Jessica, this post made my heart sing! :) I'm often getting criticized for not sticking to one style religiously, opting to mix it up based on my mood and the situation. Sure, I do classify myself as a Goth with 'Billy/Retro flair, and I do listen to both genres of music, BUT there are days that I'd much rather be in a t-shirt and jeans and hanging out of a tree or wading in the middle of a stream. I think people use fashion as a crutch to add definition and purpose to their lives. Unfortunately, this sometimes translates into obsessive behavior that they try to inflict on others. I go with the "Life is Good" Company's philosophy: "do what you like and like what you do."

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  22. I couldn't agree more Jessica. There is definitely no wrong way to wear vintage or any clothing for that matter. If you're comfortable and love what you wear, that is all that matters and often what makes the outfit work.

    I'm craving cupcakes now…

    xo

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    1. Tee-hee, so was I by the end of the post. Specifically, I was craving the GF, EF chocolate-chocolate chip ones with min icing and crushed peppermint sprinkles that I made for Christmas a couple weeks ago.

      Thank you very much for your comment, sweet Teresa - I wish we lived nearby and could get together for an afternoon chat about vintage fashion and some cuppies.

      ♥ Jessica

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  23. Ha! Great post!
    I struggled for a long time a number of years ago because I didn't wear vintage in an authentic manner and somehow felt I should. I admire the look of girls who look like they've walked out of a vintage magazine, but it never felt truly me when I attempted it. After some serious soul searching I realized that wearing vintage eclectically was what really made me excited about yesteryear fashion and started to embrace my own personal style. It's been a few years since I made that self realization and I haven't been happier or felt better in my clothes since! This post is truly a nod to that kind of dressing.

    Lisa.

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Lisa. I'm with you completely there. I never really set out to look like I just stepped out of a 1940s magazine or like I was a period reenactor in my daily life, I just knew (ever since I was a child) in my heart of hearts that I loved the looks of the 40s and 50s and that I wanted to wear them in a way that brought me joy. The more I go with my gut on my wardrobe choices, the more that rings true.

      ♥ Jessica

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  24. What fun and so inspirational!
    Thanks, Jessica!
    :) Hope

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  25. Such a good topic! I agree, I love that fashion is a personal thing and everyone dresses different! I love vintage pieces but I add them to my modern pieces to make it me! Thanks for the lovely post!

    Rebecca
    www.winnipegstyle.ca

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  26. Such a lovely post. I love the idea of dressing like a cupcake! I may take that idea a bit more literally at some point this year.

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  27. Dear Jessica, You are such a wise gal. You're totally right and I'm glad you wrote this topic. People should be free to dress what they feel like and nobody should criticize or even think about it. Nobody tell us how to love someone, so with vintage is the same. We all love vintage in different manners and our passion comes in different ways. And that's wonderful to see!

    You are just a wonderful and absolutely lovely person :-)

    Miss Beta

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    1. Thank you so tremendously much, sweet Miss Beta. That is an excellent point regarding the freedom to love whom we choose vs the freedom to dress how we please. My hope is that as time goes on, more and more folks will begin to adopt that attitude and lift up, instead of put down, those who march to the beat of their own unique, fabulous sartorial drum.

      ♥ Jessica

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  28. What a lovely post! I love the sentiment of that statement. I have had some wildly unique wardrobe pieces in my closet as a high schooler (less vintage and more crazy schoolgirlish colored knee socks and short skirts hahaha) but I had fun with it, and I was just feeling out different styles. I ultimately decided that was certainly not the look for me, but don't regret my style choices at all. I also got quite a kick out of peoples reactions sometimes.

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  29. So full of joy this made me smile and started off my day in the best possible way :)

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    1. I'm delighted to know that, dear Philippa! It was a super fun to post to write - though, I must say, it did leave me craving both cupcakes and doing an extra glam photo shoot. :)

      Gentle hugs & many thanks for your lovely comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  30. This post is absolutely brilliant! But more than that, it's inspiring! I've wanted to dress more vintage for a long time now and I will try to do so throughout this year. But I'll try not to shy away from vintage, because I don't have all the right pieces or I'm afraid to mix and match vintage with modern. I will keep this motto in mind.

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