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Tuesday, January 6, 2015

With Respect // My Thoughts on Dressing Vintage

It's probably a bit controversial to bring this up, but I figure, if you have a platform to speak your thoughts on something, you may as well go for it! I was reading, recently, an article over at the Vintage Vixen blog about the mind behind the statement, " I wish women still dressed like that." No secret to anyone here, I am a complete vintage guru. I love dressing the way women used to dress- ladylike and feminine. Solanah was driving the idea that when a man says, " I wish women still dressed like that," what he really means is that he wishes women were still put in a lower role beneath men. There was a deal more to her argument than that, so if you are interested, you can click here to read her thoughts.

In general, I don't have super strong opinions about things unless they undermine something God has laid out in the bible. Even among fellow Christians there is often so much controversy over matters like free will/pre-destination, pre tribulation/mid tribulation etc. Generally, I say, if it isn't spelled out for you in the Bible one way or another, and both sides have verses to back up their theories, then both should be considered and respected. But neither should be taken as fact- because God didn't say that either way was the only way!

With something like Solanah's post however, I can't help but want to join in on the little debate- we're talking vintage and ethics here- who wouldn't? Haha! On a more serious note, my thoughts go something like this. If a guy says he likes the way you dress because your style is vintage, it should be taken as a compliment. I know, at least from experience with my guy friends, if they admire the way you dress, it is because they respect you for dressing modestly and like a true lady. A lot of times women today are so stuck on being equal with men, that they cast off the idea of being feminine with disgust. If you are a woman, then what is so wrong with acting and dressing like one? There is something extremely beautiful in embracing your femininity as a girl- it's a gift, and it should be protected. In some ways, I guess it is sort of like swimming up stream, just like being a Christian.

Anyways, in a nutshell? If a young man compliments me on the way I dress ( in a polite, non creepy way), then I'll take it as a compliment, not a rude, underhanded statement of male chauvinism.

On another note- I think to stop dressing vintage entirely, simply because a person feels like men are looking down on you the way they did in the 50s is sort of a lack of self confidence. Dressing vintage is already stepping out of your comfort zone to express yourself, despite what people think. In my eyes, as long as I am dressing modestly, who cares what other people think? If a guy does think I am below him because of the way I dress, huzzah for him- he can go on his merry way. And I would say too, that categorizing all men who like the vintage style to be looking down on women is a pretty carte blanche thing to say, and not fair to the other men who really do look on a true lady with respect and admiration.

Some girls were commenting as well, that they felt that they received some lewd comments/ behavior because of their vintage style- mostly because of the whole pinup caboodle. But honestly, as long as a girl is dressing modestly, it doesn't really matter what you wear- vintage, modern- you still meet creeps who will turn you into an object no matter what era of clothing you are wearing.

I hope this isn't taken the wrong way by anyone- don't be afraid to voice your opinions- just do so in love! I respect all of your thoughts, but I think discussion should definitely be something done in good, fair and kind conduct.

Alex <3
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6 comments:

  1. It's extremely easy to read hidden meaning into anything that somebody says. I think a simple "thank you" is sometimes best, without opening the can of worms that may be there. :) A good thing to remember is that we're only responsible for our own responses and if someone else's words mean more than they do taken on face value, it's really not something that I need to worry about.

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  2. I completely agree with you Alex! It was sad for me to see Solanah, who actually was one of the main inspirations for my sisters and I to get into vintage, to step away from wearing vintage in such a depressed manner. I thought her reasons, as you said, resulted from a lack of self confidence, and I was sad to see that she didn't have a deeper foundation there (God, and an understanding of her femininity) to hold her up.

    Blessings,

    Brigid
    the Middle Sister and Singer

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  3. I was so pleased to see this post! I'm happy to hear someone else out in the blogging word who shares this belief - God made men and women both co-heirs of the eternal kingdom, but he made wives to submit to their husbands. Great post. :D

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  4. I am with you. There are men who have an interst in soft core porn pin-up styles and sadly, that is something that they will have to deal with between them and God and the women need to be aware of the sensuality that they are leading on. However, most vintage dresses are VERY modest and have NOTHING to do with pin-up at all and are so classy that I think if a man were to say that women should dress in that way today, it is definitely a high compliment. I think that most women today don't really take the time to care for their way of dress and sometimes that is a bad thing depending on various things. I tend to ruin all my vintage clothing and have had to throw out many dresses that got torn in the back or just had the cloth stain terribly. It was so sad to have to do, but your vintage seems much higher quality than mine in general anyway. I was looking at photos from the early 60s of men walking in protests and they all had nice suits on. If men were to dress that way today. . .how lovely! You don't see many men dress in suits unless they have a specific business where they have to wear them. So I think of it in the same way as if people see us dressed in beautiful 50's clothes. Goodness I miss owning vintage now. haha. You always do that to me! haha.
    +Victoria+
    justicepirate.com

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  5. I totally agree that females should dress like females! Women tend to do whatever they can to be "equal" with men- we are equal in God's eyes, but there are supposed to be distinctions between the two genders. We've probably all had the experience while out where we see someone in pants with short hair and can't tell if it's a guy or a girl. It gets really awkward sometimes. If we do our best to dress appropriately and femininely, at least we won't be putting others in that position. Thanks for this great post!

    sammysnotions.blogspot.com

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  6. LOVE THIS! It is frustrating hearing comments like "Why do you always dress like that? Do you always wear skirts and dresses?" just because it is rare to see women dressing like women these days. People are even rude about it sometimes! But there are men out there who will take note and treat you better because you respect yourself as a woman, and they want to too. Don't be afraid to post your opinion, we're with you!

    -Sara @ Cover (It) Girl
    www.coveritgirl.blogspot.com

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