A real estate agent has revealed how she amassed a $10,000 vintage clothing collection – because she’s obsessed with living like it was in the 1940s.
Gwendolyn Erin Patterson, 25, of Dallas, Texas, says she’s so fixated on wearing wartime fashion that she now refuses to leave her house unless she’s wearing glamorous World War II-era clothing.
The 25-year-old even married her fiancé Sam, also a big 1940s fan, in a WWII-style wedding two years ago – but admits people sometimes assume she’s wearing costumes.
The vintage fashion fan admits her unique style has occasionally drawn some odd looks, but says her glamorous head-to-toe wartime look also gets plenty of compliments.
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Gwendolyn Erin Patterson is so obsessed 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 only wears clothes from the 1930s and 1940s and regularly poses for photos that capture the spirit of the war
Soulmates: Gwendolyn had a war-related wedding to husband Sam, 29, whom she met eight years ago at a WWII re-enactment – they had an authentic GI Army car on hand for their big day
With a wardrobe straight out of a ’40s fashion magazine, the real estate agent says her obsession with all things vintage has only gained momentum in recent years – and she’s ditched traditional fashion stores in favor of more specialized retro stores.
In 2020, the real estate agent married 29-year-old Sam, whom she bonded and later fell in love with, whom she met at a 2014 World War II re-enactment.
She explains: “Vintage is connected to my whole life – I wear vintage clothes every day and everything I own is from the 1930s and 40s.”
Gwendolyn says people often mistake her outfits for costumes and ask her if she’s in a play – but she says the look just feels like her perfect fit.
“I’m just drawn to this time – the lifestyle just feels normal and right to me. Although it was a rougher way of life, it was also easier.’
My own GI: The couple say that people find their retro lifestyle bizarre, but that they’d rather live their lives as if they were in a bygone era
The couple say they love the idea of living in a “simpler” time, which has set them in a time warp
A dress for every season: Gwendolyn says her vintage clothing collection is so vast that she no longer has to—or wants to—wear modern clothes
“Everything was made and built to last – people always admired the style of everything back then.
Her shopping habits have led to her now sourcing classic pieces: “I’ve always shopped at thrift stores, but about ten years ago I really started buying the older pieces — I loved how they looked and fit.”
Having ditched her old “on trend” style, Gwendolyn now owns an historic wardrobe worth over $10,000 including over 50 vintage hats, 60 bags, 75 dresses and even a custom made suit designed by Wizard’s original costume designer of Oz was designed.
Gwendolyn said: “It was a gradual transformation – once you accumulate a few pieces, it all comes together.
The colorful blue clapboard house the couple are restoring – they plan to live in the house as it was used when it was built in 1910
The real estate agent also has a ’40s-inspired radio show, The Swing Sisters Show, where she can share her passion with listeners
Gwendolyn says people often mistake her outfits for costumes and ask her if she’s in a play – but she says the look just feels like her perfect fit
The couple on their wedding day – Sam wore a vintage blue suit, while Gwendolyn may have been dressed like a bride during WWII
“Now I have the biggest vintage wardrobe for each season. I’ve always been a little different with my style.
“Before I got into it, I was keeping up with everything that was happening on the runways, but it’s just a style that works for me and I’m more comfortable in.”
Not only does Gwendolyn live in her own vintage fantasy world, her husband Sam is also obsessed with wartime.
Even her best friend Jamie, who stars alongside Gwendolyn on a 1940s-inspired radio show, The Swing Sisters Show, is equally fixated on the fashion of the past.
The pair say their love is built on a shared fascination with American history — and that they look forward to living a time-travel life together
Once a follower of the latest runway trends, Gwendolyn says her passion for new trends has been replaced by her love for trends from another era
The vintage agent and Sam met eight years ago at a WWII re-enactment and quickly fell in love. The couple’s shared admiration for all things ’40s-related sparked their romance, and they even had a 1940s-style wedding two years ago — complete with a US Army car from the period.
Gwendolyn said: “We both share a love of history and I happened to be at the right event at the right time.
“We are currently restoring an old house from 1910 to how it looked then.
She sums up her passion by saying, “We’re these crazy people living this weird lifestyle — common people probably think we’re crazy, but we love it.”