tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post8324245472072963927..comments2024-03-12T13:57:38.337-07:00Comments on Chronically Vintage: By request: Advice on vintage fashion for women over 40Witchcrafted Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-30197215722587359712015-10-08T03:37:41.897-07:002015-10-08T03:37:41.897-07:00Hi Jean, thank you very much for your absolutely l...Hi Jean, thank you very much for your absolutely lovely comment and for letting me know how you discovered my site. It's a pleasure to "meet" you and to know that you're not only rocking vintage in your sixties, but inspiring others of various ages to do the same. That is heartwarming and very encouraging to hear. I am off to check out your Etsy shop and look forward to seeing you modeling your store's offerings. <br /><br />Many thanks again & have an awesome autumn! <br /><br />♥ JessicaWitchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-26480452306895019462015-10-07T16:17:59.092-07:002015-10-07T16:17:59.092-07:00Who wouldn't want to wear vintage?!!!!! I am ...Who wouldn't want to wear vintage?!!!!! I am 66 and wear it most of the time. I also have an Etsy shop, Bop and Awe and do my own modeling. I have started changing the minds of women who would never think about wearing it in my city of Corpus Christi. Maggie at Denise Brain pointed me to this fabulous blog. You have captured my heart. Out shopping we can run our hands down a rack of clothing and practically feel which items are vintage. They are special and unique and nothing today compares! I am in love with all different eras. You can be classy, refined and quirky at the same time. Thank you for all this wonderful info and the outstanding pics. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04415143721494465354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-78966544979155844012015-07-24T17:03:58.043-07:002015-07-24T17:03:58.043-07:00Hi sweet Sanne, I really appreciate you putting so...Hi sweet Sanne, I really appreciate you putting so much time, thought and impute into your comment on this post and am really looking forward to reading it. <br /><br />Many thanks & joyful weekend wishes!<br />♥ JessicaWitchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-82141062711461830382015-07-24T16:09:03.406-07:002015-07-24T16:09:03.406-07:00Thank you very much for your impute here, it's...Thank you very much for your impute here, it's wonderful to hear from some one over 40 who has been wearing vintage for their whole life. I appreciate your advice and find it interesting that hats aren't something that you find still work well for you. Granted, some styles will be more flattering/becoming than others, but in general, I think that middle aged and older ladies can look breathtaking in vintage hats. Small 50s "headband" styles and conversely wider platter/cartwheel hats especially can be so elegant on many mature ladies. Of course, though everyone is different and I'm not saying hats, or at least all styles of hats, work well for everyone. <br /><br />Many thanks again & have a great summer,<br />♥ JessicaWitchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-5884159954868603192015-07-24T12:58:26.378-07:002015-07-24T12:58:26.378-07:00Hello Everyone - nice blog. As a 50 yr old who wor...Hello Everyone - nice blog. As a 50 yr old who wore vintage her whole life, I had serious doubts as I hit 40. There is NO ironic dressing after 40. I had to stay away from big style frocks I would've rocked in my 30's. But - switching to early 1960's office style was my winning choice. It's plain, but really well made and the fabrics are good quality. Also, for the timid - everyone can wear a shirtdress. I get more compliments from people when I shop in my shirtdress than anything else. It's hard to let suzy parker go, now I'm miss hathaway. Oh, and if I may, stay away from hats over 40, I used to love them though. good luck all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-39280635559104866102015-07-24T00:51:21.382-07:002015-07-24T00:51:21.382-07:00I've just written a very long comment to this ...I've just written a very long comment to this fabulous post, but it was too long, so I will mail it to you instead. Here I will just say a huge thank you for this fantastic post. :)SANNEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12973437247117000140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-67733872254110006162015-07-22T15:10:44.242-07:002015-07-22T15:10:44.242-07:00Hi lovely Mim, thank you very much for your terrif...Hi lovely Mim, thank you very much for your terrific comment and for weighing in with your own thoughts and impute on this topic. I love that you are over 40 and rock vintage. Way to go! I too tend to agree that genuine vintage or highly vintage appropriate contemporary pieces can be a more flattering approach often than repro, especially if we're talking about overly cutesy and/or sexy repro. Not, of course, that a woman of any can't wear such if desired, but objectively such can come across as looking like the person is trying to hard to hold onto their youth.<br /><br />Hear, hear!!! Vintage really and truly can be for anyone of any age, body time, background, etc. It's fabulous that you discovered a passion for wearing vintage in your 30s and have continued to sport it ever since. That's awesome!<br /><br />Big hugs & many thanks again for your wonderful comment,<br />♥ JessicaWitchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-54698138215501222612015-07-22T02:12:17.713-07:002015-07-22T02:12:17.713-07:00I'm over 40 and enjoy wearing vintage. My one ...I'm over 40 and enjoy wearing vintage. My one approach is not to wear the things that magazines recommended for women my age, as they tended to style older ladies quite frumpishly. (And always with the same 'oblong' figure. Weird. All I can think is, in the days pre-contraception and when things like gardening and walking were considered suitable exercise for older ladies childbearing and lack of muscle tone led to the stereotypically 'matronly' figure.) I avoid too many ruffles and cutesy prints, but then I'd have avoided those things when I was 20 too, they're just not my style. <br /><br />I think for older women genuine vintage is better than a lot of repro - as you say, a lot of it is on the cutesy/pinup side, which tends to be better on younger ladies, though there are no blanket rules. <br /><br />I got into wearing vintage in my mid-30s. I'd always liked it, and had owned bits and bobs even in my goth days, but it was meeting someone at an event that convinced me I too could have this EVERY DAY! Honestly, it was like being hit by a thunderbolt. One of the reasons I show myself on my blog, being visibly older and overweight, is because vintage can be for everyone, and maybe I'll hit some other person who longs for it but fears they can't wear it with that thunderbolt.Mimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01578612522819952936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-84018564820472001872015-07-12T20:10:36.027-07:002015-07-12T20:10:36.027-07:00Hi lovely Vanessa, thank you very much for your te...Hi lovely Vanessa, thank you very much for your terrific comment. I wholeheartedly appreciate your impute here and that you shared so much with me - and all - of us regarding some of your thoughts on, and experiences with, fashion for mature ladies. <br /><br />That, ultimately, is the message for sure: there are no rules! Yes, objectively, some styles (and decades, etc) will look better on some people and at various points in a person's life, but really, so what? If they make you happy, then wear them! We don't value happiness enough in fashion, if you ask me, and that point has never sat well with me, which is a huge part of why I've tried to promote that message from the get-go on my blog. I know firsthand the incredible difference in terms of happiness levels that I feel if I wear vintage (or other styles that bring me bliss) and when I don't and I like to believe that the equivalent exists for most people, whether they're drawn to vintage or another style, Yet in this causal fashion day and age, I often wonder if many people have hit upon what that is for them or not - or at least taken the leap of courage to embrace it, if they have. I truly hope that posts like this one can aid many on that path and that they too can discover the unbridled joy of dressing in a way that they love and feel called to wear.<br /><br />Many thanks again for your excellent comment. I really appreciate it and am sure many readers will as well.<br /><br />♥ JessicaWitchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-22957696433786015042015-07-12T20:05:18.088-07:002015-07-12T20:05:18.088-07:00It did indeed, but I really enjoyed every thought ...It did indeed, but I really enjoyed every thought provoking moment of it. Big posts, especially on topics I haven't covered before (or haven't come at from a certain angle previously, as the case may be) are usually ones that I adore penning all the more and this was no exception. Thank you so much for your wonderfully nice feedback and for your wise advice as well. I agree completely.<br /><br />Huge hugs,<br />♥ JessicaWitchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-13933918058996453672015-07-12T10:05:04.686-07:002015-07-12T10:05:04.686-07:00Gosh this post must have taken some work, it is so...Gosh this post must have taken some work, it is so well written and thoughtful. I think there are some excellent tips for vintage wearers of any age and I love the pictures you used to illustrate your points. It makes me sad to think that people don't just wear whatever it is that they want to wear, regardless of their age. I think that if you love it, that is a good enough reason to wear it. I hope your post gives some people the confidence to just go for it!Kate-Emhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15664293299445754159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-13326803506448312242015-07-11T04:08:44.529-07:002015-07-11T04:08:44.529-07:00This is an excellent and comprehensive post that I...This is an excellent and comprehensive post that I'll definitely be bookmarking and passing along to friends and my own blog readers. It brings to mind a memory from a few years ago. I attended a vintage fashion show and workshop as part of Melbourne fashion week and was seated next to a gorgeous mature woman. During the question and answer portion of the workshop, she got up and asked whether it was appropriate for a mature woman to wear vintage styles. She mentioned that she had a particular love of styles from the sixties and seventies, but was worried that if she wore items from these eras that she would look as though she was just recycling her teenage wardrobe. Our host told her that when it comes to wearing vintage, you should never wear clothing from a particular era if you wore it the first time it was in fashion. Instead she suggested choosing styles that were iconic of eras older than yourself for a more flattering look.<br /><br />After the show I struck up a conversation with the woman and I mentioned to her that I didn't think that our tutor's advice was necessarily correct. I truly believe that if you like a particular style, and it makes you happy then you should certainly wear it. As you mentioned here, there are many ways to make a variety of vintage styles work for any age. The beauty of vintage is that you can make it your own, whether you choose to faithfully recreate the style of a particular era or mix and match pieces to create a look that is uniquely your own. There are no rules! It's so marvellous to see someone as stylish and well-versed in vintage as yourself singing the praises of vintage style for every age. Vanessahttp://www.nessbow.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-21576369521388495612015-07-09T04:01:31.794-07:002015-07-09T04:01:31.794-07:00Very true and that's a shame, because it isn&#...Very true and that's a shame, because it isn't just twenty-somethings sporting it in the slightest. I hope, and do believe, that as time goes on this first wave (so to speak) of vintage wearers ages, we'll see a shift towards vintage/repro being seen on a far broader range of age groups and I really look forward to that.<br /><br />♥ JessicaWitchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-12487152039093086062015-07-08T12:09:45.578-07:002015-07-08T12:09:45.578-07:00I really love this topic because it's often ne...I really love this topic because it's often neglected. Much like vintage fashion for teenagers. Vintage clothing is often directed towards the 20 - 30 something's and it is rather unfair to the rest of the age brackets. Life is too short to wear boring clothes. :)seannaapprovedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09546047220109216505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-15230232865991651782015-07-03T11:11:53.105-07:002015-07-03T11:11:53.105-07:00That really is the best mindset to approach fashio...That really is the best mindset to approach fashion with for sure and it's one I strongly try to put to work in my own wardrobe as well. <br /><br />Goodness, one would never guess that you're coming up on 40, sweet gal. You look soooo much younger than that, IMO. I would easily have believed you if you said that you were younger than me (I'll be 31 next week). Is the fountain of youth perhaps hiding up there in the chilly Alaskan north? :)<br /><br />Big hugs & happy 4th of July weekend wishes,<br />♥ JessicaWitchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-29226825912039921022015-07-02T18:59:53.768-07:002015-07-02T18:59:53.768-07:00This right here is just one more reason I have a ...This right here is just one more reason I have a serious girl crush on Ms. Theoradora! This is a wonderful post Jessica! I have given this a lot of thought over the last year as I am creeping closer and closer to my 40th birthday (November). My hems are getting just a bit longer and maybe I don't show as much cleavage, but other than that my number one rule is "If it me feel fabulous, wear it"<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.sheknitsinpearls.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">She Knits in Pearls</a></b>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14321740673038769138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-65865633094912502442015-07-01T19:29:59.688-07:002015-07-01T19:29:59.688-07:00You're truly welcome, my dear friend. Your sty...You're truly welcome, my dear friend. Your style and eye for fashion - not to mention your passion for it - have inspired me since the moment our paths crossed and I know that it really and truly will always continue to.<br /><br />I completely agree with you that there are some seemingly rather young vintage pieces that suit older ladies awesomely. Not all by any means, but some ladies in the 30s, 40s and beyond can rock pinafore dresses superbly, and of course novelty print skirts as you mentioned, are another prime example. I think that how the rest of the outfit is styled is really what helps there. A novelty skirt with a halter top and hair flower can read quite youthful, but the same skirt with a vintage blazer and smart mid-century hat can look like something out of the pages of a 1950s edition of Vogue or Harpers. The ability to know which direction to style that piece in can be, unto itself, a hallmark of maturity and something that is so great about aging.<br /><br />Huge hugs & many thanks for your great comment,<br />♥ Jessica<br />Witchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-60540341023487245242015-07-01T17:39:09.188-07:002015-07-01T17:39:09.188-07:00Thank you sweet ladies for the kind comments:) Yo...Thank you sweet ladies for the kind comments:) You made my evening:) I think a big part of the allure is looking at these fashions as art which creates a timeless quality where all is game:) Well, except maybe a mini-skirt for me haha.Joannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16439393534029787165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-21939702484972918032015-07-01T17:32:40.141-07:002015-07-01T17:32:40.141-07:00What a great topic to discuss and could certainly ...What a great topic to discuss and could certainly make a great series. Thank you so much for your mention:) I do find it interesting when I see older women in the fashion magazines and I know that I have encountered an article or two along the way about how to dress and style yourself as a mature lady. It is interesting that ladies, like myself, can wear novelty skirts that were really for the teenage market. I guess this gives it a playful spin:) I will have to keep my eyes open for future images/articles on this topic. Thank you for your lovely viewpoints on the subject:)Joannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16439393534029787165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-19017910682226926942015-06-29T17:50:53.221-07:002015-06-29T17:50:53.221-07:00Very much so, I often feel that that message (it&#...Very much so, I often feel that that message (it's the woman who makes the clothes) has been lost in today's world, where one can so easily just buried under a mountain of the same old, run-of-the-mill, (arguably) boring styles that everyone else is where. The woman is still there, but she looks like 99% of the rest of the population, so it's hard to see her true sense of style - assuming she herself even knows what that is. Were she to dress in a more dynamic, unique way, we'd get a greater picture of the woman and her clothes in the same go (total win-win!).<br /><br />Thank you very much for your great comment and for sharing so much with me about where your own style is at these days. I really appreciate that you weighed in here, dear lady.<br /><br />Happy Canada Day week wishes!<br />♥ JessicaWitchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-10553744069775502502015-06-29T07:38:24.738-07:002015-06-29T07:38:24.738-07:00Right, well, I'm obviously WAY behid in my blo...Right, well, I'm obviously WAY behid in my blog reading...this is a fantastic topic!! :)<br /><br />Being 44 this year, I tend to dress "safe" (read: plain) for the office, but that's slwly changing. I'm incorporating more vintage into my work wardrobe (on days I know I won't ruin it, I work in one of four file rooms for a major bank), and hoping to start adding hats from my collection. I've been in love with vintage fashion from the 1930s for what seems like forever but I'm in no way stuck in a certain decade. I try and dress in a way that's not too revealing - not much leg showing, no real cleavage (not really "blessed" in that area anyways *lol*), and nothing too tight so as not to show off my "middle age pot" belly :) My colours are mostly neutral with some really bright and wild splashes on occasion, my shoes will always be comfortable (even the 4" heel platform slingbacks I occasionally wear), and my makeup will never be garish. On the other hand, I love goth fashion, I'm currently growing out my dark purple coloured hair - I've had it for over a year and want to both give my hair a break and try something new...blue? - and really enjoy wearing heavy-ish black eye makeup sometimes.<br /><br />I agree that almost everything is appropriate for a "woman of a certain age" if she feels confident and wonderful wearing it. After all, the woman makes the clothes, not the clothes make the woman, right? *lol*<br />Mugsy's in Stitcheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05872379684514419344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-81330328832204811792015-06-28T13:22:11.822-07:002015-06-28T13:22:11.822-07:00Hello sweet Bonita, thank you very much for your w...Hello sweet Bonita, thank you very much for your wonderfully nice comment and for sharing some of your thoughts on this topic. I too am saddened and sickened by the fact that that mature beauty is so under appreciated in a lot of the world nowadays. <br /> <br />I remember as a child that while I did certainly see the beauty in younger adult women, it was those in their 30s - 50s, like my mom, aunts, one of my grandmas, and my friend's mothers, who I thought were the most beautiful, elegant, stylish women I knew at the time. Looking back, that still rings true and personally I'm tickled pink to have reached that age bracket. <br /><br />Thankfully I think that most of us vintage lovers appreciate the beauty of age and the sophisticated fashions that go with it, and that's more than enough for me. :)<br /><br />Many thanks again & have a great week,<br />♥ JessicaWitchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-38236584899223421062015-06-27T22:33:41.931-07:002015-06-27T22:33:41.931-07:00Once again you've truly outdone yourself with ...Once again you've truly outdone yourself with a wealth of helpful and interesting ~ not to mention in-depth information here Jessica. I really liked how you talked about the 'maturing beauty' of over the 30s. Hitting the big 3-0 myself this year, I find it's so discouraging to think that in the modern standards of beauty, I'm pretty much past it. Where in the 'old fashioned' mind, really I'm just getting started!<br /><br />I think that helps to drive home that beauty really is a state of mind, and doesn't have to be seen the way that the current media insists on picturing it. Bring back the age of aging gracefully I say! ❤<br /><br />xox,<br />bonita of <a href="http://www.lavenderandtwill.com/" rel="nofollow">Lavender & Twill</a>Lavender and Twillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06331125027969557539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-42516500797163078672015-06-27T13:14:54.404-07:002015-06-27T13:14:54.404-07:00It was my true pleasure! I loved writing this post...It was my true pleasure! I loved writing this post and thinking so much about a topic that is already starting to be a part of my own world and wardrobe (dressing differently, to a degree, as I age). It's wonderful to tackle this subject after years or requests to read everyone's terrific impute and further advice on the subject.<br /><br />Have a beautiful weekend, dear lady!<br />♥ JessicaWitchcrafted Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992822472797191121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423410690702297063.post-58300387295430842002015-06-27T08:47:09.034-07:002015-06-27T08:47:09.034-07:00As ever, love love love this post! Thank you for a...As ever, love love love this post! Thank you for addressing this on your site!Ms Howtheylivedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04468137883615641912noreply@blogger.com