Strangers say the darndest things

Like many of us who wear vintage clothing, I've grown accustomed over the years to being met with an assortment of comments and questions from complete and total strangers while out and about in public. I'm fortunate that (knock wood!) no one has ever been cruel, completely rude, or blazingly inappropriate, and that for the most, the majority of queries that come my way are friendly, sweet and enjoyable to answer.

I know that a number of vintage wearing gals have been asked some really odd questions and received some wildly bizarre comments before (you have my total sympathy there), and who knows, perhaps some of those will come my in the future, but again, I'm been pretty fortunate when it comes to what people have decided to say to me on the fly.

That doesn't mean however, that every comment I've received or question that's come my way has been as cut and dry - or polite - as "I love your dress, is it vintage?" or "Are you an actress/model/doing a play?". No, there have been a few eyebrow raisers over the years, and I'm sure that plenty more will come in their own due time.

One night not to long ago as I was on the cusp of falling asleep, I started thinking about some of those very questions and decided it was high time I wrote a post in which I shared a few of them. I'm sure that a lot of you have encountered similar questions before - let's face it, we don't dress like the majority of people in the mainstream public, and that fact alone seems to broadcast an "ask me the first thing that comes to you mind the minute you see me" sign over our heads.

Of course many people are as polite, respectful and friendly as can be, but there are others that - whether they realize it or not - don't always come across as such and it's those more forward and/or odd questions that I'm going to focus on in this post (many of the more run-of-the-mill, pleasant questions that I get asked by people on the streets are covered in on FAQ page).

Having searched through an abundance of memories relating to encounters with curious strangers, the following are seven questions I've been asked (recounted as closely to verbatim as I can recall from memory) I've been asked over the years that stand out for me.

The answers given here are similar to the ones I would have replied to at the time, though as I'm woefully shy and often almost become tongue-tied when being asked anything about myself in person, the answers here are sometimes longer and more elaborate than I would have given to a inquisitive  individual I just encountered for the first time.


Q. Is it hard to wear vintage styles?

A. Absolutely not! I think that this question, which is fairly common, comes from two main perspectives. One, a person sees someone in vintage hair, make-up and clothes and thinks that they (the vintage wearer) must pour hours into their look every day and want to know how much time putting together that sort of look requires (it usually takes me between 30 and 45 minutes to get completely made-up and dressed, which is really not much more time than if I was wearing modern make-up and clothes), and two, that individual is interested in perhaps starting to wear vintage looks themselves.

To my mind, there does not have to be anything overly challenging or intimidating about wearing vintage, and it's something that any guy or gal who's interested can certainly get into (I recommend checking out my Beginner's Guide to Wearing Vintage Appropriate Clothes, if you're looking for lots more info on getting started with sporting old school looks).


Q. How did you decide to be vintage, is it like being goth or something?

A.) Yes, that's pretty much exactly how this question (which I've been asked a couple of times) has been phrased. The cut and dry answer is that I didn't make a conscious decision per se to "be vintage", I've always been vintage. Ever since I was a little girl, I've adored the past and worn  vintage clothing (more so in the case of the latter once I was old enough to start shopping for my own clothes). To me vintage isn't just a style I like, it's a way of life and is as much a part of me as my name. I suspect the same is true for many who have always found them pulled towards dressing in a particular way, whether it's goth, steampunk, Victorian, punk rocker, alt, vintage, or anything else.


Q. Are you a professional hairdresser/make-up artist?

A. I get where this question is coming from completely. Many of us vintage lasses put a fair bit of time and effort into our hair and make-up, and that fact alone could easily lead someone to believe that we opted for a career in either (or both) of these fields. While I'm touched by the indirect compliment that such a question entails, I am not a professional hairdresser or make-up artist (though I'm sure I would have enjoyed having either as a career).


Q. What do your parents think of the fact that you wear vintage? Do they support it?

A. This one cracked me up. You'd think I was dressed like some sort of bizarre cult member the way it was phrased. My parents don't have the slightest qualm with how I dress and have always been 100% supportive of my passion for vintage (which I'm very grateful for). They both shower me with super sweet compliments about my outfits, and my mom loves to come shopping with me to help find vintage and vintage appropriate clothes.


Q. Are you a Suicide Girl?

A. This is another one where I had to refrain from laughing (because my vintage look is very "1940s or 50s real world woman", not pin-up girl, greaser girl, or rockabilly, which are styles that are sometimes associated with the Suicide Girl type of look).

My goodness gracious, no. I think alt girls (and guys) are terrific and pass zero judgement on anyone who wants to model as a Suicide Girl or in a similar capacity, but there is nothing in the slightest that appeals to me about perusing that kind of avenue. I've always been very clean cut, modest, and shy, and while I wear vintage, I'm not (and have never been) into the punk or alt scene (though I was mildly into the goth look for a little while a teenager). Sorry folks, but you won't see me on the SG website anytime soon.


Q. Do you have a bunch of tattoos? (Or, specifically in one instance, "Do you have a bunch of tattoos on your arms?)

A.) Much as with the question above, I get where this is coming from. Some people's expose to vintage fashion in a modern setting has come primarily from beautiful pin-up and rockabilly/psychobilly girls, many of whom are fans of ink. Again though, as I very rarely dress in a way that would elude to those kinds of styles, it strikes me as interesting that people just naturally assume I'm covered in tats from head to toe.

While I love tattoos and think that a really well done one can be an incredible work of art, no, I don't have "a bunch of tattoos". Just one small one that I got when I was 17 (of the word "poet") on my right arm. I might get others in the future, but for now that's all the indelible ink you'll find on my body.


Q. What does your husband dress like?

A. It's natural, I think, for someone to be curious about this when they see that I'm decked out in head-to-toe vintage, especially since there are some couples (such as those behind blogs such as Like Johnny and June and Lost in The 50s) who both sport yesteryear looks all the time.

While Tony is open to wearing vintage, as a larger sized chap, there is exceedingly little genuine vintage clothing out there for him. Instead his style runs more towards business professional with a flare for timeless pieces such as elegant silk ties, dapper shoes, and fedoras.






{Though I'm a million miles away from being a celebrity, the way I dress is more than enough to prompt people to stop and ask me things while I'm out and about in public all the time. I rarely mind, and am sure that it's infinitely harder for famous folks, such as Marilyn Monroe seen here during an interview, who are bombarded by questions and even requests from fans all the time no matter where they go. Image source.}

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Ultimately nothing above crossed a line wherein I was uncomfortable with to the point where I had to decline to answer. Some of these questions lingered (in that unsettling sort of way) with me longer than others, but in hindsight, I can pretty much smile (often as I roll my eyes) about all of them.

I'm sure that other unique queries will come my way over time, too - who knows, this post might even end up being the first in a periodic series highlighting the fact that strangers sometimes say (and ask) the darndest things!