For the third year in a row, the Freeborn County Historical Museum will put on its vintage style fashion show featuring clothing from Mary Packer-Umstead’s collection.

Three years ago, Umstead said Kelly Schultz, a former museum board member, approached her about starting a vintage fashion show.

“It’s a labor of love for me,” Umstead said.

The styles in the show range from the 1920s to the 1990s. The range is so broad because that’s the eras of clothing that Umstead has collected. The show’s models are from ages 17 to 82. Schultz’s granddaughters, who are around 10 to 12, may make a guest appearance, Umstead said.

Umstead, owner of the Mary-Go-Round Shoppe in Albert Lea, has collected vintage clothing for 26 years. She started out just collecting hats and after that the clothes just seemed to come to her naturally, she said.

The vintage clothes is Umstead’s personal collection. She sells clothing in her store and has a consignment section for quality used furniture and antiques. She said she would love to sell vintage  clothing in Albert Lea, but believes that market is better suited for a university town.

Some outfits that are in the show were entirely donated. Umstead said when she first started to collect vintage hats, people would bring in vintage clothes as well and donate them to her collection.

At the fashion show, brunch will be served. There will also be ice breakers, something that was introduced last year. Umstead said that this year’s ice breakers will be about aprons, lunch boxes and grandma’s hats and jewelry. She also joked that there will be a display of “vintage Under Armour,” or undergarments.

Schultz will be master of the ceremony and Gail Thurneau will play classic tunes on the piano. Umstead said attendees are encouraged to dress in vintage clothes or to at least wear some kind of hat.

Each model is wearing a different sort of theme, and Umstead said that the fashion show is a lot of fun.

“Everybody loves a party,” she said.

The fashion show is a fundraiser for the museum, Director Pat Mulso said. Recently, the museum underwent construction and renovation. The construction is complete and the renovation is nearly done. The museum still needs to raise just over $220,000 to pay for the construction costs.

 

Tickets, please 

What: Vintage Style Fashion Show

Who: Freeborn County Historical Museum

Where: First Lutheran Church, Bethany Hall, 301 W. Clark St.

When: 9:30 a.m. Saturday

How much: $15

Where to buy: Freeborn County Historical Museum, Albert Lea Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Mary-Go-Round Shoppe and Addie’s Floral and Gifts