The Fun of Swing Dancing Dress
Swing dancing dress is one of the most enjoyable parts of this pursuit, besides the dance itself. If you’ve always been drawn to retro and vintage styles, you will love the costumes worn by swing dancers. Swing dance originated at the Savoy Ballroom in the 1920s and has enjoyed a great deal of popularity since then. The thirties and forties are thought to be the golden years of swing, with the fifties and beyond spawning different variations of the dance which featured different costumes.
Original swing, often called Savoy swing, is as close to what the original dancers did as you can get. Popular costume for this type of swing is of course clothing and accessories from that time period. Guys look dapper in zoot suits and wingtip shoes, while ladies get to wear flirty dresses and flared skirts. The look from the 30s and 40s is one of pure glamour, with guys sporting old-Hollywood slicked back hair and girls wearing red lipstick and coaxing their tresses into soft waves. Of course, not all variations of original swing feature this costume style.
Swing dancing in the 1950s incorporated new types of music like boogie woogie and rock and roll. The guys began wearing James Dean style tees and leather jackets, and girls moved into bobby socks, ponytails and poodle skirts. Western swing is yet another variation on swing dance set to country western music. The costumes for this type of swing have a distinctly country western flair. No matter what type of swing dancing you want to learn, you’ll find costume plays an important role in the experience. You may not go to dance class in costume but if you go to dance clubs you’ll find most dancers like to dress the part.
There are many swing dancing dress companies today who provide dance appropriate costumes designed to be comfortable and supportive while staying true to the original style. For example, the shoes made by Aris Allen are especially designed for swing dancers by swing dancers. Most of the time, ballroom dancing shoes feature non slip soles that work well on slick surfaces and good arch support. While you might be able to get away with thrift store clothing as your dance wear, it is absolutely crucial that you purchase a good pair of shoes especially designed for the rigors of dance.
