On Mark, Get Set, Go Shopping for Vintage!

Futurist Faith Popcorn said it first: when the economy tanks big-time, vintage fashion will return with a roar. You’re already seeing it in the sewing pattern catalogues: Vogue, Butterick, McCalls have all resurrected classic patterns from the 1940s and 1950s and repackaged them in new envelopes for today’s sewers. For those who can’t stitch a button to save their lives, there are the vintage shows, which bring all the goodies under one roof. Show organizers have typically enticed shoppers with dress-up contests, but this year, the need for escapism to simpler, dressier times is more appealing than ever.