I really want to build up a vintage/50s style wardrobe- but I need some vintage inspired patterns that aren't expensive and I could find easily.

I actually just got one for $8 from joanns I'll list the brand/code # when I get a chance (I can't remember what it is now)

Burdastyle does vintage inspired patterns from time to time :) and you can try to browse the internet, sometimes there are people who want to get rid of some of their stash of patterns :)

As Birgit said, Burda does some 50s style stuff. Here's one of their patterns:

http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_store/patterns/50s-halter-dress-072012

:)

I just bought two 50's dress patterns by Butterick from Joann's for $1 each. There were around 10 different dresses, but sadly most of them were out of stock in my size at that moment, which sometimes happens when patterns are on sale.

Watch the weekly sales flyers for Joann's. They have $1-2 pattern sales by brand all the time. Also, I totally recommend just going to Joann's and planting yourself at the pattern book table and just flipping through each brand's book and writing down which ones you like. I always collect pattern numbers then wait until the brand I want is on sale for $1.

And personally, I've had horrible luck with Burda patterns. I recently bought one of their patterns and was more frustrated, and pissed off, with their lack of instructions than I have ever been with any other sewing pattern.

Vintage usually means daisies and Dice earrings and aero plane earrings giant hearts and swirls

ebay has tons of vintage patterns that you can get for pretty cheap. Although you may have to modify them for size. Keeping in mind that size 0 didn't exist in the 50s and actual sizes are way different now. A size 12 is about a size 4.