While the Brimfield Antique Show enjoys international renown, the tri-annual Antique Textile and Vintage Clothing Show held the day before Brimfield opens has a more cult reputation. A textile mecca for every crafter, seamstress and fashionista, the show features more than 130 dealers offering something for every era, look, and taste. Whether people go to do some people-watching or to buy a textile treasure, the show is an entertaining look at that fabulous combination, history and fashion.

Vintage wedding dresses and other classic gowns are displayed on racks at the tri-annual Antique Textile and Vintage Clothing Show in Brimfield. (Photos by Julie Moberly)

Hundreds of cards of lace and ribbon trim attract craftspeople and collectors.

Eye candy abounds at this show. Sparkling cases of jewelry, cards of lace and ribbon trim, and racks of frothy ivory wedding dresses fill the aisles and invite a gentle touch. Bins of buttons, retro-chic aprons, and vintage menswear invite comparisons to Filene’s basement, with shoppers in hot pursuit of “the one” at the bottom of the barrel. Standout items are available, too.

An exquisite brocade cocktail dress with fur collar trim made this reporter dearly wish she were a size 2 and a member of Pink Martini, and a gorgeous embroidered wool penny rug made her long for a bigger bank account. Most of the merchandise was more approachable, however, and the selection offered something for those nostalgic even for a relatively recent era. Classic evening bags, rhinestone jewelry, and vintage yard goods were among the more affordable items, although the true collector might consider price no object.

For those on the hunt for a magic bit of ribbon or a special button to bring a project to life, infinite possibilities spilled out of boxes in almost every booth. Tinsel Trading, the Manhattan institution now located in new quarters on 37th Street, brought a variety of new and antique beads, buckles and buttons, as well as a collection of vintage ribbon. Brides in search of a period gown could marry in something Jane Austen might have worn, while her wedding guests could find smart hats to wear from a seemingly endless selection.

This reporter left with a Bakelite bracelet ($35) and an organdy apron ($5) and considered the morning well spent. Even without souvenirs, though, the show is well worth attending, if only for fabulous window-shopping and people-watching, with chic young 20-somethings mingling with stylishly dressed men and women shopping in period costume.

The Antique Textile and Vintage Clothing Show is a one-day event held three times a year at the Host Hotel on Route 20 in Sturbridge, just a 45-minute trip from Harvard. The show is held the day before the opening of the big Brimfield Antique Show. Upcoming dates for the Antique Textile and Vintage Clothing Show are July 12 and Sept. 6, with dates for Brimfield running July 13 to 18 and Sept. 7 to 12. The doors open to the public at 10:30 a.m. and admission costs $10, although early birds can go at 9:30 a.m. by paying a premium $20 admission fee. The food available at the hotel should not be considered an added attraction. Better choices are available just down the road in Sturbridge proper.

For more information, visit www.vintagefashionandtextileshow.com and www.brimfieldshow.com.