And the award for the Best Era goes to…

 

For some things one blogpost just isn’t enough. A while ago I explained to you where my vintage fascination came from. One fine day in my personal history (2 weeks ago), I was half-awake and scrolling through my facebook timeline with one eye open. (People who are smiling right now will understand). That morning, one picture about the 1950s gave me a wake-up call. The picture was taken from and old movie scene and had a caption like: “Why didn’t I grew up in the 1950s”. The discussion below the picture was actually quite interesting. Some people resented the statement and pointed out issues like racism, discrimination and the disadvantaged position of women. Although I obviously know how much these issues (unfortunately) were alive and kicking back in the day, I don’t agree with the comments. But…it got me thinking and led to this sequel of the origin of my vintage fascination v.s. the present.

If you think we are living in “The Best Era”, think again (or just watch the news). Just like there are no perfect people, I believe there is also no perfect era to live in. Every era has its darkside and its charm. The 1950s had it and we also have it right now. Right now we are living in an era with a lot of possibilities, remarkable technological innovations (hello Apple smartwatch, drones and Google glass) and other luxuries. We have so many choices and possibilities that 24 hours in a day are not enough. However, while you are reading this post, someone else may be neglected, bullied or worse or and another person just feels unhappy with his/her life. Racism may be gone (officially in most countries), but bullying is not. We have a lot of communication channels, but sometimes we forget to really talk to each other. Most of us (in the West) have a lot of opportunities to educate ourself and earn more. However, sooner or later we all find out that money is handy and needed (to pay the rent, your house, plane ticket and walk-in-closet…), but you can’t buy happiness.

Does this all mean that life was better back in the day? Definitely not. In eras like the 1900s until the 1950s no one knew that this thing called “the internet” would take over the world. Literally. I mean who knew that your daily dose of humor would come from a site like 9GAG or vintage memes? Also in the early 1900s, it took days before that (love) letter arrived at your house and even longer until the sender got your answer. Now you don’t have to do a lot to let your recipient know that you have read the message. Facebook will do it for you.

via 9GAG

Whether that is always preferrable is another story. And you know that I really do appreciate the Here and Now. Seriously though…back to the vintage fascination question: why are people nowadays so into vintage and retro? Well, for me it has a lot to do with good vibes. If something gives you good vibes, it doesn’t matter how old it is. It’s all about focussing on positive aspects of those forgotten times. That facebook picture I was talking about earlier, was made by someone who gets good vibes from the 1950s era. For me it’s the same. In case you didn’t notice it: I love the vibes of Old Hollywood movies and the feminine fashion of the old days. Also when I watch those movies, I like the fact that each Old Hollywood star had their own personality and charisma. Besides this, despite of the common opinion about old movies and actresses, women were not as old fashioned as you may think and definitely not all housewives. Coco Chanel or Vikki Dougan anyone?.

Or take a look at other rolemodels of those days. For example Rita Hayworth who could do a handglove striptease in a very classy way. Or a Katherine Hepburn who didn’t follow the crowd. Let’s not forget the smart blondes despite of their image: Marilyn Monroe who was ahead of her time when she changed Ella Fitzgerald’s life by making sure Ella was allowed to perform at the popular nightclub Mocambo (despite of her color). Also remember Jayne Mansfield with her high IQ and ability to play keyboard and violin on a professional level. Last but not least: there was a lot of simplicity, which also meant that there were so many territories yet to be explored featuring a lot of original concepts.

Are you seeing the red line here: it’s all about focussing and celebrating the good times and vibes of all eras. I love my iPhone and social platforms. On the other hand I obviously adore the older eras and writing about vintage, retro and inspiration. That is why I am combining the best of both worlds via this blog.

So the award for the Best Era goes: to the I-Don’t-Exist-Era. Unfortunately this era is not available for comments or a speech, so the Combine-The-Best-Of-All-Eras came to pick up the award. So cheers to combining the good vibes of all eras!