Living la vida vintage

[Wink Holliday]

Time Warp Wives is an article from the Daily Mail (UK) about modern women who, every day, choose to live the lives of women from decades earlier. Not just in the way they dress, as many of us here on PL do, but also in their home furnishings (down to custom-made carpeting) and their daily activities.

Joanne Massey, their example of a '50s gal, is a housewife who tries "not to interact with the modern world too much at all." She doesn't read current newspapers or watch TV, and says shopping in supermarkets is "an ordeal."

Debbie Cleulow, also a housewife, represents the '40s. She says that her job is "to devote myself to" her husband. "He loves coming home to a wife who looks pretty, has his meal ready in an immaculate house and has all the time in the world for him." In their lives together, they are "eradicating every trace of the modern age."

Finally, Diane Rowlands rounds out the Mail's trio as a woman living as if in the '30s. Diane does work part time to help with the bills, but she and her husband long for a time when "Men and women knew their roles in society and there wasn't all this pressure on women to have to go out to work and try to be equal to men." Like Joanne, Diane "rarely" reads newspapers.

More photos and full article at the Daily Mail (click for link).

[Ruby-Rose Rex {★}]

I kind of feel like this blurs the lin between tribute and delusion. Perhaps that's ignorant of me to say. I admire a lot of the qualities of the lifestyles of yore, and do emulate a few myself, but I wouldn't turn my back on the present!

[Wink Holliday]

I feel the same way. Yes, I wear vintage clothing (although not every day). I wear it because I appreciate the tiny details, the cut, the fabrics, and the colors. I feel similarly about many vintage furnishings and housewares. In fact, I still greatly admire even the manners and etiquette of days gone by. But I very much enjoy the "trappings" of the modern age. My laptop, my iPhone, and yes, my gender-equality in my career. I own my own home, I pay my own bills, and I will hold open the door for whomever is a few steps behind me.

Unless it's Jimmy, because that freaks him out, so I have to wait for him to catch up and open the door for me. :)

Ruby-Rose Rex said:

I kind of feel like this blurs the lin between tribute and delusion. Perhaps that's ignorant of me to say. I admire a lot of the qualities of the lifestyles of yore, and do emulate a few myself, but I wouldn't turn my back on the present!

[Edson Carlos]

"He loves coming home to a wife who looks pretty, has his meal ready in an immaculate house and has all the time in the world for him, I live in heels, and I understand that he wants to be on his computer all the time."

FIXED!

[Lola de Lish]

I cant wait till they send all their clothes and items to the thrift stores for my picking ;)!!

I have alot of the ideals of the past but willingly not because it is expecting or forced upon me. I stay home with my kids and clean and look pretty for my husband but if one day he comes home to a mess and me still in my cleaning clothes no big fuss....I like life that way. I work part time to get some of my own air and he supports me in my modeling. Imagine trying to be a model in the 50's and a housewife woowser

[Anita Fixx]

I read the article...it really does seem a bit extreme. You don't wanna judge but..it is a bit much. It seems like they have some very serious issues with living in the world today (and who wouldn't?) and they've chosen to escape from it 24/7, all year around. Is that really healthy? Why not pick up a newspaper and read it? Isn't it better to confront problems head on?
And I just came back from watching an old film "The Bandwagon" staring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charrise at the Bloor Cinema (old movie theatre in Toronto)..the best part was the retro price of 2 dollars. : )
Yeah I love the oldies too..the music (been listening to the Glen Miller band a lot), the films, clothing and of course, the etiquette and good manners. But what's the use of denying that we live in 2009? Like it or not the world still is the way it is..and it won't get better just by hiding at home surrounded by stuff from the 50s that you most likely found on Ebay..it's a bit ironic that the internet really enables people to live in a time wrap.
I must admit playing full time 50s housewife sounds tempting but being your own person is even better. But of course it'll always be more difficult. Anyways thanks for sharing this article, really interesting stuff to think about.

[Kim Bombshell]

The following article appeared in the SF Chronicle in January 2007. It features Rachelle Jacobs (badluckbetty here) and talks about our club The Bombshells. I think we blend the retro with the modern and make those distinctions more than the women in the UK article.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/21/LVG3CNK...

[Ruby-Rose Rex {★}]

Thanks for that Kim! That's a healthy blend of nostalgia and reality! Reminds me of being a teenager and under the dashbard of my dad's 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. Ahh the good ol days!

[Wink Holliday]

That's EXACTLY the right balance, Kim! Thanks for sharing that link.

Kim Bombshell said:

The following article appeared in the SF Chronicle in January 2007. It features Rachelle Jacobs (badluckbetty here) and talks about our club The Bombshells. I think we blend the retro with the modern and make those distinctions more than the women in the UK article.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/21/LVG3CNK...

[Kim Bombshell]

I hope you can come to our party next year. Or at least come out to California for a vacation with Nick. I really didn't get a chance to hang out much in Vegas. Sitting with you and Nick was one of the few times I relaxed all weekend!

Wink Holliday said:

That's EXACTLY the right balance, Kim! Thanks for sharing that link.

Kim Bombshell said:

The following article appeared in the SF Chronicle in January 2007. It features Rachelle Jacobs (badluckbetty here) and talks about our club The Bombshells. I think we blend the retro with the modern and make those distinctions more than the women in the UK article.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/21/LVG3CNK...

[Roxy Tart {PL Team / Comm. Mgr}]

This is a pretty old article, and was posted on another site, Fedora Lounge. One of the girls, the 50's one, is on the lounge and told us that she, and the other girls, were miss quoted, and portrayed way differently then they thought they would be. Just saying, you can't believe everything you read.

Sure wish I had some of their stuff though....

[Delyssia LaBelle {Madam}]

i dont know if this is healthy.