12 years ago, Povoroznyuk got involved in the movement of historical reconstruction. She started sewing her own outfits for various occasions, from medieval festivals to 18th and 19th-century balls. For around two years now, she has been wearing vintage outfits every day.
"The first piece of clothing in the style of the 19th century which I started wearing in my everyday life was a blue autumn coat. It was made 8 years ago. I naturally started selecting harmonious things that would go with it. My wardrobe was gradually filling with vintage items," Povoroznyuk told Bored Panda.
Povoroznyuk finds inspiration for her wardrobe on Pinterest, Google, and old magazines with dresses from that era. She sews and thrifts her vintage attire, which makes her one-of-a-kind outfits stand out in a crowd (not that 19th and 20th-century-inspired clothes are a common sight on the streets in modern times). She finds her accessories from like-minded people's personal collections and flea markets. Her unique style makes her comfortable and confident and that's all that matters. Although Povoroznyuk often gets weird looks in the streets, her sense of style has brought her internet fame—she already has 69k followers on Instagram and her short videos on TikTok have millions of views.
Povoroznyuk admires Victorian fashion, but the Edwardian era from the early 1900s is her favorite.
"The suffragette movements began during that period. I think that all women should be grateful for this period for the rights and opportunities that we have today.
"Povoroznyuk says that she likes all the clothes she owns as she chooses them carefully. The most uncomfortable one, though, is the modern bra and most women could relate to that.
If you have ever tried cosplay or bought a costume, you would assume that dressing like that would cost a fortune, but since Povoroznyuk hand-crafts most of the clothes, she would disagree. Although she says that it often depends on the outfit and can sometimes be pretty costly.
"Everything is very relative. I have outfits that cost me less than $10 because I sew them by myself out of fabric I found in a second-hand store. I also have really expensive ones because I buy expensive fabric and visit a seamstress."
When we asked Povoroznyuk how people react to her unique appearance on a daily basis, she had a lot to say.
"Everyone reacts in accordance with their upbringing and their level of psycho-emotional development. It should be added that a person's reaction to a stimulus (light, noise, a person in unusual clothes) is influenced by temperament, character, mentality."
She could divide people she meets into several groups. The first group "includes people with a high level of intelligence and psycho-emotional development. Such people are well-mannered, mature, tolerant. They have a sense of both self-esteem and respect for others, regardless of age or social status." Although they might not have a soft spot for vintage, they would react with the understanding that everyone "has every right to express themselves." Those who like vintage, on the other hand, would often not show any reaction and respect the boundaries of personal space or won't hesitate to compliment if they are more open-minded.
Another group is not so tolerant, but Povoroznyuk says she doesn't take it to heart as she wouldn't be offended at a dog who barks at her.
"Unfortunately, in our world, there are a lot of people who are uneducated and psycho-emotionally immature, and due to various reasons, they have not yet mastered at least minimal foundations of ethics and respect for other people. There are also people with low IQ levels. These features can also be combined in one person. The reaction of such people is not only negative but also pronounced (due to a lack of education). It manifests in different ways—from laughter to vile comments and assaults."
If you ask Povoroznyuk why she dresses like it's the 19th century, the answer will be quite simple and straightforward—because she likes it and wants to. She advises other people who would like to express themselves through clothing but are too afraid of judgment to follow her example: "Life is too short to be wasted in fear. You need to live for yourself and not think about what others will think about you."
