A real estate agent has revealed how she’s amassed a $10,000 vintage clothes collection – because she’s obsessed with living like she’s in the 1940s.
Gwendolyn Erin Patterson, 25, from Dallas, Texas, says she’s so fixated with wearing wartime fashion that she now refuses to leave her house unless she’s sporting glamorous attire from the Second World War era.
The 25-year-old even wed her beau, Sam, also a huge 1940s fan, in a Second World War-style wedding two years ago – but admits that sometimes people assume she’s wearing fancy dress.
The vintage fashion fan admits that her unique style has garnered some strange looks on occasion but says that her glamourous head-to-toe wartime look also gets lots of compliments.
Such is Gwendolyn Erin Patterson’s obsession with clothes from a bygone era – namely the 1930s and 1940s – that the Dallas native has stopped wearing modern fashion
V for victory: The Texas real estate agent now only wears clothes from the 1930s and 1940s and regularly poses for photographs which recreate the wartime spirit
Kindered spirits: Gwendolyn had a wartime-themed wedding to husband Sam, 29, who she met eight years ago at a World War II re-enactment – they had an authentic GI Army car on hand for their big day
With a wardrobe straight out of a Forties fashion magazine, the real estate agent says her obsession with all things vintage has become more prominent in recent years – and she’s ditched regular fashion stores in favor of more specialist retro stores.
In 2020, the real estate agent wed 29-year-old Sam, whom she bonded and later fell in love with met at a World War II re-enactment in 2014.
She explains: ‘Vintage is tied into my entire life – I wear vintage clothes everyday and everything I own is from the 1930s and 40’s eras.’
Gwendolyn says that people often confuse her outfits as costumes and ask her if she’s staring in a play – but she says the look just feels like her perfect fashion fit.
‘I’m just really drawn to this time – the lifestyle just feels normal and right to me. Although it was a more rough way of living, it was also more simple.’
My own GI: The couple say that people find their retro lifestyle bizarre but that they prefer to live their lives as if in a bygone era
The couple say they love the idea of living in a more ‘simple’ time, which has sparked their time warp lives
A dress for every season: Gwendolyn says her vintage clothing collection is so big she no longer has to – or wants to wear modern clothes
‘Everything was made and built to last – people always admire the style of everything back then.
Her retail habits have seen her now buying up classic pieces of clothing: ‘I’ve always shopped in thrift stores but around ten years ago, I really got into purchasing the older pieces – I loved the way they looked and fit.’
After ditching her old ‘trendy’ style, Gwendolyn now owns a historic wardrobe worth over $10,000 (£7.6k) including over 50 vintage hats, 60 bags, 75 dresses and even a tailored suit designed by the original Wizard of Oz costume designer.
Gwendolyn said: ‘It was a gradual transformation – once you accumulate a few pieces, it all comes starts coming together.
The colourful blue clapboard home that the couple are busy restoring – they plan to live in the house as it was used when it was first built in 1910
The real estate agent also has a 40s inspired radio show, The Swing Sisters Show, where she gets to share her passion with listeners
Gwendolyn says that people often confuse her outfits as costumes and ask her if she’s staring in a play – but she says the look just feels like her perfect fashion fit
The couple pictured on their wedding day – Sam wore a vintage blue suit while Gwendolyn dressed as a bride might have done during the Second World War
We’re those crazy people who live that odd lifestyle – everyday people probably think we’re nuts but we love it…
Gwendolyn Erin Patterson
‘Now I have the biggest vintage wardrobe for every season. I’ve always been a bit different with my style.
‘Before I got into this, I was keeping up with whatever was trendy on the runways but this is just a style that works for me and I feel more comfortable in.’
Not only does Gwendolyn live in her own vintage fantasy world, her husband Sam is also obsessed with the war-time era. And her best friend, Jamie, who co-stars alongside Gwendolyn in a 40s inspired radio show, The Swing Sisters Show, is equally fixated with erstwhile fashion.
The couple say their love was built on a shared fascination with America’s history – and that they’re looking forward to living a timewarp life together
Once a follower of the latest catwalk trends, Gwendolyn says her passion for new trends has been replaced by her love for trends from a different era
The vintage realtor and Sam met at a World War II re-enactment event eight years ago and were quickly smitten. The pair’s shared admiration of all things 40s sparked their romance and they even had a 1940s themed wedding two years ago – complete with a US Army car from the period.
Gwendolyn said: ‘We both have a shared love of history and I just happened to be at the right event at the right time.
‘Currently, we’re restoring an old home from 1910 back to how it looked back in the day.
She sums up their passion, saying: ‘We’re those crazy people who live that odd lifestyle – everyday people probably think we’re nuts but we love it.’
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