Thanks! It is definitely an easier way to ease into vintage style which is great!

I sew my own most of the time too, more choice and better fit that way for me :)

Thank you Glenna!

That is such an excellent idea! Doesn't get more authentic than that :)

Can you elaborate on how you use the ration guide?

Thank you Laura! Luckily there are more good repro brands in the UK than in the US in my opinion, with options like Collectif, House of Foxy, and Vivien of Holloway!

Totally, got to style it all together in the end :) I'll do a video all about vintage jewelry sometime!

Adding jewelry is great advice too! It's something I completely skipped at the beginning. I have recently been obsessed with bangle bracelets. They are simple to find and wear, they add authenticity, and it's a great way to bring in pops of color. I recently started wood carving and have been carving bangle bracelets and beads and painting them to have matching sets. It's been a great creative outlet that's helping my wardrobe a lot!

We all do it, I still make mistakes! I've got a whole rack of things I need to sell because they were hasty ill fated choices!

Thank you Sharon! None of us are truly flawless I imagine, except perhaps Dita Von Teese, but her routine is amazing so I envy her dedication ;)

Was checking if someone commented this already. But I do stick them in the freezer for 3 days, hang item outside for a couple of hours, making sure to shake any frozen bugs out. And return to freezer again for 3 days. I buy a lot of stashes of old yarn, so moths are a worry to me. I also put all woolen and silk items I own outside for a day or so in late spring and once in summer. The UV and fresh air is supposed to help. In winter and autumn generally wear the items enough for it not to be an issue.

Thank you Marisa!

So very true! Collecting vintage costume jewelry can be done super thrifty these days!

Once you start it takes over quickly ;)

@@TheClosetHistorian agreed, i didn't anticipate expanded storage needs when I started the whole vintage thing.

Oh I repeat outfits all the time, I always feel like my blog readers will notice it's the same few dresses over and over again each year just styled with different accessories! I'm glad I'm getting away with it ;) But I am certainly a maximalist, guilty as charged :)

I agree that finding a good silhouette for your and sticking with it. I am a very curvy girl. Which lends itself well to the wasp-waist look that was popular in the late 1940's-1950's. My curves are great for those looks, but are not good for sheath style dresses! I know that for me I should stick with fuller skirts. I think a lot of people buy something just because it is vintage-y without thinking about how it will look on their body specifically!

Thank you Sarah! Happy to help in any way I can :) I'll try and put more sewing videos together soon!

I love a good thrift surprise like that! The gems are still hiding out there ;)

This is a bummer! Sorry to hear that they do that, your style your choice I say!

@@TheClosetHistorian it's ok, I'll just keep pressing on, and when I move out, they cant tell me what to wear anymore!

Exactly! The future is full of possibility :)

A lot of the essence of vintage style aside from clothes and makeup is having a polished look - keep your face clean and hair brushed and take care of the clothes you have wash and fold, hang them properly and iron if you have to. Keep your nails manicured practice good manners. I can’t imagine any parent that would complain about that and you will be half way to vintage style.

@@CocoB22 they just think that it's a temporary thing, and that it's not professional. They're old fashioned middle eastern parents, so stuff outside the norm to then is weird. Hopefully they'll come around!

Yes this is sooo true! I like a lot of vintage styles that I wouldn't actually wear for one reason or another, but I still find the images pinable and nice to look at :)

Thank you Katherine! I'm happy to have been of help :) Beatnik style is super well suited to a more minimalist wardrobe indeed.

I'm really happy with this comment because it speaks fo me so much regarding my personal style discovery process! I've also gone through many different styles and just always come back to vintage, timeless pieces as I feel the most comfortable in them

Thank you Darlene!

Thank you Destinee!

Thank you!

Thank you Sonya! I have the same problem too, I need to take my own advice in this regard still! :)

Thank you!

Thank you Dinah!

Thank you! It sounds like you are totally on the right track now, we all make those mistakes in the beginning! I made one too many rather summery pin-up style dresses at the start and now I haven't worn them in years and really need to put them in my donate pile.

Thank you so much!

Thank you Tamra!

Thank you! I'm glad to be of any help :)

I am totally on the hunt for more vintage style jeans and trousers, but they can certainly be pricier items so I'm slowly building that side of my wardrobe more! I wish I needed fancy cocktail dresses but I don't really either ;)

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thanks Chae, I hope I can help :)

Thank you!

Thank you Nancy!

Thank you Erin!

Thank you! It is my wish that anyone who wants to give vintage style a try should feel welcome and free to do it their own way :) And in addition to the rest as you have mentioned, the top of the shoulders is also the worst for fading usually! So many things to consider for condition!

Thank you Rachel!

Certainly they are great additions to any look! I love collecting scarves, I have to hold myself back ;)

Thank you! This is such a good distinction to make! Luckily some of the 70's fashions are totally in style again right now so really you are in luck :)

The closet space really is a consideration! I live in a house built around 1900, and I still have an original-to-the-house wardrobe. It has long hooks on the back wall, rather than a bar, and each hook has room for about 20-30 garments. That leaves me quite limited on space by modern wardrobe standards, where we're used to needing walk-in closets, but it helps me create a very authentic feel to my wardrobe, keeping it pared down to just a few things that serve me well, and only adding new ones when the old ones are beyond repair.

Thank you! I would love to do a really proper sewing learning series sometime, but it really is a matter of budget and time, and space, as my sewing room has low ceilings which are not ideal for lighting/filming from above for example. I'd love to do it all of course someday!

Thanks Ari! I still struggle with it myself allll the time ;)

Thank you Jo!

Thank you Kellie!

Thank you Collette!

Thank you Esther! I always need more solid dresses since I am drawn to prints too, it's something I am working on!

I can relate! I evolved from punk to psychobilly to rockabilly then into true vintage. I still have some relics from my psychobilly wardrobe......ie lots of leopard print! I'm very into true vintage style now, and I sew most of my own stuff because finding authentic looking reproduction is really hard. However, I still love to bust out my old rockabilly clothes and dress like that for a day again. I've been on a mission to sew tons of solid color stuff this fall season because it's what I need. It's so easy to be enticed by lovely prints.....then never be able to wear them because there's nothing to go with it!

Esther Meelprive Hey, you talked about using an app to organize your wardrobe in this post. May I ask, which one you’re using and if you’re happy with it? I‘m planning to do this, too...but as you said, it’s a lot of work and I don’t want to choose one that turns out to be impractical.

Thank you! Unfortunately I don't know very much about vanity sizing (when companies make the size labels smaller like that over time) or vintage versus modern sizing. I always just buy vintage based off of the measurements and not the labeled size!

Yes! An excellent point. I have to wear a uniform of sorts where I work now, so I really enjoy wearing my "real" clothes even more on the days I don't work!

Thank you!

Thank you Libby!

Thank you! I like Maco Modes brand petticoats!

Thank you!

So true! I would love to get/make a whole bunch of glamorous lounge wear for when I don't leave the house (which is often honestly), robes and house dresses, and fancy 1930's style pajamas! One day perhaps :)

@@TheClosetHistorian , I am more into 40s but what got me started was Lucille Ball and her fabulous clothes for indoors in I love Lucy. I think we universally agree she was the most elegant character ever on tv shows.😊

Thank you Henrietta! I have had people tell me my vintage look is aging on me, but to be fair...the world's preoccupation and exaltation of youth is sorta messed up!

@@TheClosetHistorian i would not say it is aging on someone your age..at all its wonderful.... but im 66 @ i do have to be carefull i don' t look too hard ... itry to do more florallly cath kidston type of look which works for me ...but i love vintage ... iwas a little girl in the 50's @ i always loved my mum' s look @ my granny ...

I love Cath Kidston things! I have a really hard time not wanting everything whenever I am in a store that sells that line!

@@TheClosetHistorian yes me too .. xl like some of the first stuff she did because it seemed more kindof 40s style so i look on ebay @ pick up bargains ..nice talking to you.... have a lovely day its 8.42 in Devon England to day (monday) not sure of time were you are...♡

Thank you Mary! I really like many eras, but the 1940's are my top favorite, followed by the 1950's, and then the 1930's. I love 1920's styles too but I am sort of on a break from them in my own wardrobe for whatever reason. I think because of rockabilly, swing dancing, and WWII reenacting I would say the 1940's and 50's are the most popular eras amongst vintage wearers today.

It's interesting to hear this, as I suppose I am always finding that when I look for suits I feel I see many where the bust is still too small, meaning there isn't enough "hourglass" -ness built in for me. So the short answer is, yes, with patience, one in the perfect size will indeed eventually pop up. But I am not patient either...so my long answer is: It is always so hard to get a good fit shopping online, and I have had my fair share of buying items that I really thought would fit and then didn't once they arrived, and that is heartbreaking on many levels! The thing about suits is too, that you really want to build in ease into your measurements, so while I have a 41" bust and a 30" waist, I will buy suit jackets with a 34" listed waist and that will fit perfectly, because there is so much built into the garment with layers and tailoring that the extra ease is needed. I shop for suits looking at skirt waist measurements first, because even if the jacket sounds initially promising, if the skirt is then listed as a 28" waist I know the jacket fits slimmer than the seller perhaps thinks it does. So I look at the skirt waist, and if that is listed at my size at 30" or 31" then I will take a closer eye to the jacket measurements. I don't think it's a terrible idea to go the padded bullet bra route, as it is quite period correct since such things were totally common, but I also think having an extra inch of ease through the bust isn't such a bad thing usually. It means the buttons shouldn't gap at the front, and the lapels may just lay smoother and nicer than they would were the fit tighter, and worst case scenario you can always get something tailored down if you know a very good tailor, or wear a thicker sweater. underneath. It was also the case often that padding was built into vintage suits, especially higher end or couture suiting to pad out the hips for more dramatic curves too and to make the waist look smaller of course. As you say, not everyone is born with that 50's hourglass shape . Many women also wore quite strict girdles or waist cinchers which were essentially corsets, so that could be taken into account too when judging the suits they wore over them. People will do anything to get the style of the day! I always think vintage clothing looks better with vintage style bra's, because that was the style it was cut to be worn with and it just lays more like it was made to.

@@TheClosetHistorian Thank you so much for taking the time for such a detailed reply! I did feel like I was sending out a pointless grievance since everyone struggles to find things that fit just right but it's still good to hear that you can find what you're looking for. I think maybe it is a matter of getting a feel for how something _should_ fit, with the ease? I have a 31" bust so seeing jackets with 34"~36" busts in my waist size (24~25") has made me think they'll just look too floppy on me but maybe I should just try to avoid the top end of that spectrum and aim for the lower one. It's always tough when you're shopping on a budget and trying not to make mistakes with your bigger purchases! And yeah, I think investing in a foundation now and getting a vintage bra might be worth it for me because not only does it change your whole silhouette, when you're talking about an inch or two in ideal fit that could really make a difference? I was wondering if maybe the answer was that people sized for their bust and then slimmed their waist down to match, more than we would in the modern era at least. Thanks again for taking the time to weigh in, I really appreciate it! I'm very excited about navigating the world of skirt suits since I've only really owned one 70s one before but it _is_ a little intimidating! This definitely helped to hear!

I love wide brimmed shallow crowned hats! A Dior New Look vibe is one of the very best vibes ;) I really do wear my hats out and about all the time, especially in summer, and yes dressing like this theclosethistorian.blogspot.com/2016/07/garden-center.html at the local suburban garden center gets me a lot of stares. I do think part of wearing hats, gloves, bigger skirts, anything that is not a part of most modern fashion (or even just dressing more "formal" than the current norm) is about knowing there will be stares, maybe even questions, and being okay with that. It's hard being singled out when you are just having fun with fashion and don't really want that attention, you just want to feel good and enjoy style, but other people's reactions just come with the territory unfortunately. I have gotten quite used to it, and while some people are obviously taken aback or give me confused glances, most of the time people are kind and even compliment my style when I'm out in full vintage garb. As for wearing shallow crowed hats in general, I usually wear them either tilted to the side-front like this theclosethistorian.blogspot.com/2018/08/navy-white-and-green-gingham.html or on the back of my head like a halo almost like this theclosethistorian.blogspot.com/2016/08/woodland-light.html. If it's a bit more rounded 50's style I tend to perch them like this theclosethistorian.blogspot.com/2017/12/velvet-plaid-and-pine.html Part of wearing vintage hats is knowing what to wear them with, for example I wouldn't really wear my velvet or silk hats with a casual cotton dress in summer, just as I wouldn't wear a very textured straw hat with a wool suit in winter. Looking at vintage images from magazines, films, and catalogs is how I have studied up and gotten a better feel for what hats go with which ensembles really. Happy hat wearing!

Remember there were people of all shapes and sizes in past eras too, and even if the majority of images that remain often show the highest fashions of the time, not everyone then had the "ideal" silhouette for that decade. For example I have a rather 1950's shaped body, but I have worn 1920's fashions often because even though I don't have the "right" shape for that time, I enjoy the look (and as a bonus 20's styles are very comfortable!). The shape of the 1880's is extremely different from the shape of the 1920's, so I'm sure within the range from corsetry and bustles to flat boyish art deco straight lines there is a silhouette for you. I would perhaps consider adapting the styles to suit your shape, rather than your shape to suit the styles, but fashion is meant to be fun, so try to never think your body is "wrong" for an era. Shapewear is always an option of course, but the more you research a particular era, the more different examples you can find of how ladies of that time made the look work for them even when they may have not had the idealized shape for the time.

You also have to take into account of foundation garments. People were all shaoes and sizes, its their underwear and shaoewear that helped them get the "ideal" shape of the time, like padding and crinoline/petticoats, coresets, etc etc. Its all about the undergarments as well

This is a super bummer, an extra challenge for sure!

I do have some tutorials on my blog for hat making which you can navigate to from the DIY/tutorials tab at the top or start here theclosethistorian.blogspot.com/2016/08/making-brimmed-hat-materials-cutting.html I know there some vintage style hat patterns from a couple of the major pattern companies, and also probably vintage patterns on Etsy or ebay too.

Thank you!

I have a Rago longline and find it does the job admirably, amzn.to/2ICS9Iv But I have never tried any others. I'd love a strapless longline for summer dresses but I haven't seen a modern one before. I have a video here on the channel about undergarments where I go into the different "vintage" style ones I wear too :)

TheClosetHistorian thank you!! I thought you might but I couldn’t find it, so I’ll look again!

like five years ago l went into a mom and pop ethnic lingerie store. It is preferable to pay cash. They had a discount basket. Some were dead stock from who knows when. I bought one to try out for ninety nine cents. The cups had a bullet shape, made in Hongkong, the manufacturer was on the label (l guessed eighties era). The straps are different from modern bras, they aren't nice tidy adjustable ones wet have now, ends of straps show... itas pretty cool until l washed it though. The innermost layer had paper or cardboard in it, and l could feel the clumps inside the cup. I went away for an extended time and my mother came and voluntarily cleaned and did my laundry without my knowing. Well that particular bra didn't make it. it was intact but The shape was ruined l thought. I had to bin it. Kind of sad because I only wore it twice and l had no idea you are supposed to stuff the cups to get the pointy perk outline. Maybe if l kept it l could have made it work despite the sad crunchy cups. Long line bras are awesome because l am real petite and it can make me fill out a shirt or dress better (often too roomy because l am small all over) and get a more pronounced hour glass look.

Well to be fair many women today still have very multi-step beauty and hair styling routines too! Often with vinatge pincurl sets women would set their hair at night, so they would merely have to take down the curls in the morning and brush them into place. Many also had "permanent sets", aka perms, so their hair fell into their desired style easier daily thanks to some time upfront at the hairdressers. I would say that a real vintage makeup routine was much simpler than a "full" face is today in modern make-up. As today some people would have a skincare routine, then primer, then foundation, then concealer, then powder, then bronzer, then blush, then highlighter and on and on ad infinitum. Whereas many women in the 40's/50's would simply have a face cream maybe, a foundation and then powder. To us vintage style is different and therefore requires practice and feels perhaps time consuming, but to a vintage gal of the time it was just getting ready, and was indeed routine. I expect if you asked a woman from 1940 to fully straighten her hair, do full contouring make-up and a modern eyeshadow look she would be like "no one has that kinda time!". The looks change, how much time each person is willing or able to spend getting ready remains an individual choice. There is always the option to spend 3 hours getting super glam in any era, or do a 5 minutes running out the door situation instead. I have done both for a vintage look!

@@TheClosetHistorian I've never found any reliable information about what makeup women used commonly. I know your own makeup look is often more vintage-inspired than historically vintage, but would you consider doing a video about what an accurately vintage everyday makeup look might be? I saw one about how wartime women used burnt corks and vaseline as mascara, but I was kinda hoping for something less extreme.

@@Marialla. There are some original beauty tutorials from the era available here on youtube, most notably from Glamour Days like this one kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g6d-ftN4x5e8kWw.html and this kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oL-FlqakzKqcYHk.html For another great resource for accurate vintage make up information perhaps check out Lisa Eldridge's channel. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/q6ifmLCgndXOgJc.html Also Michelle of My Vintage Love has a video all about pancake makeup here too kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Z8-piJyAyZ3Ph5c.html

There are many vintage reproduction brands like Vivien of Holloway or Collectif, but other than strictly reproduction companies I'm not sure what stores may carry specifically vintage styles. There are of course vintage stores/boutiques that have real vintage clothing, also thrift shops and antique stores too. I thrift a lot of vintage appropriate styles, sew everything else myself, and then buy vintage accessories on Etsy for the most part!

@@TheClosetHistorian thanks!

Usually any responsible seller would list that damage, and all damage really! Not always though which is unfortunate

@@TheClosetHistorian if you can see the item in person I mean? If you have time, could you please do a video on the tell tale signs that an item is not worth saving

Thank you! I don't even know how that happened when I get so anxious over this very thing, had to happen eventually I guess ha!

No worries!

I have a video about vintage style undergarments too! :) I feel like modern bras can work for some looks, which is good because sometimes vintage style repro things aren't available in all sizes unfortunately.

I actually like to sew my clothes with vintage bust shaped in mind. Vintage style bras aren't an option for me. I'm a 38HH and it's a struggle to find a single bra that actually fits period, let alone one in a certain style. To say that I will never look good in anything vintage style because my tits are enormous is a little unfair hahahaha. Even if you look at women back then, once your breasts were a certain size they went past the pointy shape and into just being large. Brands like What Katie Did do great at recreating vintage undergarments. But for those of us with large busts, both in the past and now, striving for a certain shape is just not going to happen, at that point it's just a constant battle against gravity, and it certainly doesn't mean nothing you wear will look good!

Thank you! Clothes moths are evil indeed

Have a look at dear tally on instagram I think you'll really like her style