Vintage Outfit Post-1930s Hat and a Trip to the New York Botanical Garden

Even though this is a vintage style blog and even though I obviously love old clothes, I don't wear vintage every day.  Indeed I don't wear vintage most days.  Ever since junior high when I started watching the Astaire and Rogers films I've loved 1930s fashions and I've always looked for clothes that reminded me of that era but I didn't start really dressing vintage until right after my 35th birthday this year.  Part of the reason I didn't wear full on vintage previously was I was a little too shy, for example I used to be a little intimidated by hats even though I love them.   As I've gotten older I care much less what people think and I wear what I like.   One thing I love about the world of vintage style and all the other wonderful vintage blogs out there is that its not about being thin, or tall, or perfect, its about being  yourself!  Its a much more accepting style climate then the mainstream one.  I know since I've started wearing more vintage I feel much more comfortable with my appearance and I'm a lot less critical of myself.

Still it can be a bit hard to wear genuine vintage clothes everyday, for one thing they are very delicate, particularly the clothes of the 1930s and as I'm definitely a bit  broader then the average women of the 1930s I find it pretty hard to find clothes from this era that fit me. My compromise is to try to wear at least one vintage thing every day, which brings me to this outfit post.  Over our summer break my husband and I went to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, established in 1891, and I decided to wear my favorite vintage hat, a 1930's straw number with red flowers from Adeline's Attic on Etsy.  I think it went pretty well with my red dress, bought on sale at Anthropologie a year ago and it really highlighted the dress's 1940s details.  Most important the outfit was comfortable and the hat provided sun protection.

 

Since I'm very new to the whole vintage blogging thing and relatively new to the vintage clothing thing I'm wondering how other vintage style lovers approach the modern verses authentic issue.  Do you stick scrupulously to genuine vintage pieces or do you wear modern reproductions as well?  Do you mix eras?  Do you wear vintage every day or just on special occasions?