This is me and Mark Jackson of VNV Nation! This was my second show (first at the (9:30 in DC and this second venue was in Towson, MD)! When I met Mark after the show, I was so starstruck that I am sure I came across like a totally dork!
Anyway, it always amazes that because I wear vintage clothes people assume that I must be "all out vintage." You know, I must like nothing but vintage music, cars, movies and TV shows, and so on. For a while, I wished I could have lived back in the 40s and 50s, but I have come to realize that I do not want to live in the past. I wear and appreciate vintage clothing and accessories every day. I have vintage hair. I want a 40s truck and like Rockabilly and swing music. I love pre-war and early 50s fashion. I love the classiness and grace of vintage ladies but overall, I am happy to be alive now. I love vintage for its look and energy but I am not an aspiring time traveler.
There are times when I wear a gothabilly style or an all out goth look for VNV shows. I love EBM, darkwave, and power noise music. I also love the Cure, Skinny Puppy, Dead Kennedys, Bikini Kill, Depeche Mode, Sisters of Mercy, Echo and the Bunnymen, Black Sheep, Public Enemy, and De La Soul. Right now as I type this, I am listening to Front Line Assembly on my iPod. Like I said, I love Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash yet I cannot stand doo wop. If I hear Frankie and The Belmonts or Fabian (eugh) on my satellite radio, I turn it off.
And unlike most vintage ladies of yesterday's past, I have tattoos and I have white blond chunks in my hair. At one time, I had hot pink hair and I still wore vintage. Just because I wear 40s rayon dresses does not mean I have to listen to Benny Goodman and dance the foxtrot. Some days I do the "goth two step" listening to Razed in Black's re-mix of Switchblade Symphony's "Dollhouse" as I make dinner in my atomic kitchen.
One guy asked me if I was like the 40s and 50s ladies who had dinner on the table every night when her husband got home and ironed his shirts. Excuse me? Yes, I make dinner and take care of my husband because I love him, not because I am some stereotype of a Stepford wife. This girl loves her man but she can quote Sylvia Plath and Adrienne Rich on a dime.
So, I have my own way of being a vintage girl. What is your way? What is the level of vintage in your daily life?
My friend and I were just talking about how excited we are for the new Interpol album to come out, and how upset we are that we can't go to Muse. I love these bands and used to frequent goth and 80s clubs. I will also go booty dancing on occasion. I love Lady Gaga and Santagold, MIA, Kanye...etc. I also have a soft spot in my heart for 80s hair metal bands and will sing Guns & Roses at the top of my lungs whenever I get a chance. As far as fashion goes..today I have smokey eyes and am wearing leggings. I mix things up for work, but when I'm off its vintage all the way. This way I get the best of both worlds because I refuse to give up my skinny jeans and purple eyeshadow!!
ReplyDeleteI guess you'd say that I'm pretty heavily saturated in vintage. I wear vintage 24-7, listen to old-fashioned music, watch Bewitched every afternoon and I'm a housewife. I naturally prefer the "vintage" method of doing things. I use cloth diapers and glass bottles with my baby and use natural, home-made cleaning products. While the modern world has made things more convenient, many things are more expensive and not as high quality. So, the old-fashioned way just makes sense to me.Still, I drive a modern car, rock out to Queen, live in a townhouse and order out chinese when I don't feel like cooking! I agree, I'd rather live today! I do mend my hubby's work clothes, keep the house tidy and make a mean pie but only because I want to.
ReplyDeleteLike Tempermental Broad said, best of both worlds! My husband and I lean more towards rockabilly and hot rod than just vintage anyway, but my house is decorated in vintage style, and my clothes and makeup are vintage or vintage-inspired, but I definitely don't live in the past. I'm also tattooed, love punk and indie music, and am not a housewife (as much as I wish I was some days). In fact, I work for The National Renewable Energy Lab and work in the most energy efficient office building in the country...
ReplyDeleteAs with most things in my life, I strive for a balance. I would hate to miss out on anything or anyone because it doesn't fall under a certain label.
I am a lot like you. I love vintage 40's to early 50's clothing because it flatters my body and I like the style. I love vintage hair-do's but won't give up my flaming red hair. I have tattoos galore and 3/4 inch holes in my ears. I listen to big band, rockabilly, blues, early country, goth, new wave, 80's stuff and, shudder, i love disco. there, i've said it. I am a modern girl living in the here and now but I like to have vintage things around me and on my body. I honor the women who came before me, but don't want to live in their world(s).
ReplyDeleteI love the style and look of the 40s and 50s dresses. I watch I Love Lucy everyday and I'm a stay at home mom, who keeps a tidy house and dinner on the table. I love authentic vintage purses and clothes and housewares. But I'm also a sucker for some of the trends of today. I love the skinny jeans, bold eyeshadow, and many of the conveniences of today. I have tattoos. My husband and I are both technology freaks, and that's something we enjoy together. I also love booty dancing music like hip hop or pop. But I swoon to Benny Goodman and Frank Sinatra.
ReplyDeleteI love the music, style, homeware, and cars of the 50s, but could not live in that era. I'd like to have a Delorean Marty McFly style and go back in time and have a week or so in the 50s but I know I would miss the internet, my ipod, digital camera and modern music. While I love rockabilly, doo wop and swing - I also love psychobilly and punkabilly bands too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, everyone, for your wonderful comments and thoughts! I think that we all agree that "vintage is tops" for us and yet, we love our modern stuff too.
ReplyDeleteA lot of us love a wide range or music, color our hair in wild/fun shades, and have tattoos! I, for one, love combining the tattoo look with a vintage style! I think models with the vintage/tattoo look like Cherry Dollface, Micheline Pitt, and Sabina Kelley are simply gorgeous! Sabina has kids too which is even cooler! Who says that just because a girl is a mom and she has to wear Gap and crocs? No way! Life is short! Rock it out!
I listen to big band (Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and Woody Herman are awesome) and darkwave. I also love Patsy Cline and Morrissey. If I ever had the honor of meeting Moz, I would DIE! lol
Also, when I am in the high country of Colorado for skiing, I normally stay for over two weeks and I do not pack much vintage. I may pack a couple of cardigans and some jewelry but I usually wear combat boots, leggings, and short plaid skirts from Lip Service. I cannot wear 40s rayon or 50s circle skirts in the snow or when I am walking down the street in town. However, regardless of the snow and cold, I always have a flower in my hair and red lipstick on! I even ski in cat eye sunglasses and red lips. My husband always laughs when I reapply my lipstick on the ski lift!
However, I love vintage purists like Brittany too! That is cool that she does things the vintage way, even when it comes to taking care of her little one!
So, whatever our level of vintage is, we are all amazing and beautiful! We have a vast range of interests, hobbies, jobs, and tastes. I always so inspired by each and every one of you girls!
I love all kinds of music, but I will admit that Rockabilly is my favorite. I also like punk, psychobilly, and 80s music. I just have more fun at a rockabilly show than punk show, but will on occasion make it out to see Swingin' Utters or Street Dogs. Also the Dwarves...
ReplyDeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteI love all kinds of music too! I am not a fan of some metal bands (husband was a metal head in high school) and I do not like Doo Wop. I LOVE rockabilly and swing. Guitar sounds like Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash are just tops! Fabian, Frankie Lymon, Coasters, etc are just boring to me.
I have never been to a Rockabilly show. I bet it is super fun. One of my husband's army buddies and good friends loves Reverend Horton Heat and says that next time "Jim and the boys" are in town, he wants us to go.
I have been to two VNV Nation shows. I love VNV Nation! Both shows were so amazing, I thought I was going to die from sensory overload! The music, the energy, the awesome crowd, and the interaction of Mark and Ronan with the crowd were simply incredible.
DC does not have a Rockabilly scene at all. So, I think most bands do not come here and are not based here because of it. Like I told Clare, I have never met another vintage enthusiast here.
I guess I need to go where the action is! lol
Tara