by Brittany Kapa
Sweetheart necklines, A-line dresses, polka dots skirts, and other vintage-inspired styles adorn websites and popular stores today.
While skirts and cuts for women throughout the 1930s might have varied based on activity, the recreational dancer could often be seen in fitted waists, high necklines and cap sleeves. For men, the all-purpose suit tended to carry one fashion emphasis: width. Illustration by Julie Renaud.
That answer — well, it can be complicated. Some blues and swing festivals offer full-dress nights, with dancers called to wear their finest, often vintage-inspired dance gear. There are those who have made the fashion of the swing era a life choice, and a style that they love to embrace. However, there are others who dance competitively for whom the style choices run the gamut.
The Spectrum
Julee Mertz, owner of Big City Swing in Chicago, teaches the art of swing dance and competes herself. During competitions she wears vintage or vintage-inspired pieces of the era. She frequents sites such was modcloth.com, and even finds some vintage-looking pieces at places like Forever 21, H&M and Target.
When it comes to her students, Mertz has seen the spectrum when it comes to the dedication one has to the fashion of the dance.
“Our students fall along the entire clothing spectrum as well. There are folks who wear only contemporary pieces, and those that will only wear vintage,” Mertz said. “In some cases, one’s enthusiasm for vintage clothing actually inspires the investigation of the associated dances.”
There are others who love these dances for what they are, and don’t feel the need to look the part. Comfort and functionality reign supreme when it comes to the intricate twists and turns of these dances.
Braden Nesin has been an avid lover of the swing dance scene for a number of years, but he doesn’t feel the need to invest in vintage clothing.
“I know a lot of people really get into the clothes, and it’s always been low key on my to do list,” Nesin said. “Mostly I wear comfortable clothes. I do shell out for nice leather-soled shoes though [and] a modern style suit if I feel like dressing up.”
The sweetheart neckline and subtly swinging skirt are among the stronger 1940s influences on today’s vintage look. For men, too, the preppy vest and tie combo lives on in revival. Illustration by Julie Renaud.
For Nicolle Wood, who has been dancing for 20 years, her choice to embrace the fashions of the swing era had as much to do with the clothing as it did with the music.
“I got involved really through a lot of the music and through the desire to be able to understand the music in a better fashion — the general culture of it was really appealing to me,” Wood said.
Wood spends a great deal of time and money on her pieces. However, the manner in which she obtains her clothing has shifted dramatically within the last 15 years. Wood used to have to hunt for pieces, going to resale or vintage shops, or even vintage clothing markets to find that perfect piece of authentic clothing. With the age of online shopping, some things have been easier to find, and there’s more opportunity to connect with like-minded people. However, this doesn’t always eliminate the struggle of finding and keeping favorite pieces.
“I had one of my very favorite 1940s rayon dresses on, and the fabric just gave,” Wood said.
Fabric has a shelf life, like anything else, so it’s getting harder and harder to find vintage pieces that fit properly, which has forced Wood to get creative.
“I acquire and borrow patterns,” Wood said. “A quarter of my wardrobe is something I’ve either made or re-purposed.”
There are online sites out there that Wood frequents for well-made replica shoes and jeans. The first, remixvintageshoes.com, provides Wood with multiple shoe options that she knows will last through her dances. The other site, freddiesofpinewood.co.uk, is a place she trusts for vintage-style 1940s and ‘50s jeans.
“I’ll spend tall dollars for a pair of jeans from them that will last eight years,” Wood said.
She added that she’ll mix and match vintage pieces with modern ones in her daily lifestyle — skinny jeans paired with a vintage sweater, vintage replica dungarees with a modern t-shirt.
“Most often it’s approached in the most sincere fashion, and in a way that is very authentic representation of the aesthetic,” Wood said. “I think it’s fair to say that on a daily basis some aspect of my aesthetic is a nod to vintage fashion.”
Additional Resources
Vintage Dancer hits the highlights of women and men’s fashion over the twentieth century through the 1960s, including (paid affiliate) links to shops and merchandise.
Vintage Fashion Guild provides an extensive look at fashion history, including summary timelines, articles on key designers and trends, and a wide selection of resources for purchasing or sewing one’s own vintage looks.
Dance World Takeover’s list of the Top 10 Must-Have Clothing Items for Lindy Hoppers offers a neat set of suggestions (comments included) to pairing vintage feel with practical need for any dance occasion.
For today’s blue and sing dancers, almost anything goes — but for those inclined towards the past, it’s easy to marry touches of old with new. Illustration by Julie Renaud.
Follow Brittany on Twitter at @BrittanyKapa and Julie at @JolieOligny; you can also see more of Julie’s fashion illustrations at Stylish Virtue
