The vintage look is returning, but the clothing may not be old. More often, the outfits are reproductions, created by a growing number of designers specializing in the retro look.

Women “want something classic and distinctive that makes them feel pretty,” said Theresa Campbell McKee, 55, owner of Blue Velvet Vintage, an online store that sells reproductions.

Sales are brisk in England, France, Italy, Sweden and the United States. Anna Olsen, 29, a homemaker in Stockholm, said while she loves vintage clothing, she’s not keen on the musty odor, stains, bad fit and fragility .

“With the reproduction clothing, I don’t have to worry,” she wrote in an e-mail. “I know that there will be no problems with the clothing, and if there is, I can just return it.” Her favorite outfit is a black, 1940s-inspired dress from Trashy Diva that she wears with platform shoes by the Finnish designer Minna Parikka.

Unlike many contemporary fashions that are layered, slouched or unisex, styles of the mid-20th century were tailored to flatter the female form. Reproductions have the same simple, clean lines . Pants are swishy or pegged; tops might feature Mandarin or flared collars .

“I love vintage clothes, but they don’t hold up well and they’re hard to fit into if you are a curvier gal,” said Michelle Larae Koons, 31, a secretary and parttime model in Las Vegas. Her favorite reproduction is a double-breasted dress by Bettie Page Clothing .

Retailers and manufacturers of vintage- inspired clothes, including Bettie Page, Blue Velvet Vintage, Trashy Diva, ReVamp, ModCloth, Stop Staring! and Queen of Heartz report that sales have increased 25 to 30 percent annually over the last four years.

An increasing number of people sell hand-sewn vintage reproductions on Web sites like Etsy. com. Many are moderately priced, with dresses in the $150 to $300 range.

“My clothes are sold in 40 countries ,” said Alicia Estrada, 39, founder of Stop Staring! in California .

Some purists scoff at the trend. Madeline Meyerowitz, owner of the vintage clothing Web site enokiworld. com, which sells labels like Courreges , likened designers of reproduction clothing to singers at a karaoke bar: “I don’t want to hear you sing it, I want to hear the original artist .”

ReVamp, a retro clothier in Los Angeles, offers classes on how to do hair and makeup true to the period.

“We’ve been seeing a huge increase in demand ,” said Annamarie von Firley, 40, the owner .

And with the retro look, women are seeing another old-fashioned benefit : increased chivalry.

“Men treat me differently when I wear vintage,” said Ms. von Firley. “I’ve noticed that they open doors and even apologize when they swear.”


By KATE MURPHY