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Swing Fashion Of course, one can swing dance in any old clothes and shoes (but probably not sneakers!), but it's a lot more fun to dress in authentic fashions from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Some popular fashions in the DC area these days are:
Check out area vintage stores for retro dance wear - there are several in the Baltimore-Washington area. Real 40s fashions are difficult to find, however, especially for men. You could also go to Dance Store.com to buy vintage-style fashions online! Zoot Suits Zoot Suits were first brought into fashion in the early 1940s by the Chicano/Mexican community of Los Angeles. They consist of a drape (extra-long, broad-shouldered jacket), and pegged (baggy pants with narrow tapered ankles) pants. Other accessories which are a must with the zoot suit are: suspenders, a broad-rimmed hat with a feather in the band, and an extra-long pocket watch chain. Zoot Suit Riots On the night of June 3, 1943, eleven sailors on shore leave stated that they were attacked by a group of Mexican pachucos. In response to this, a group of over 200 uniformed sailors chartered 20 cabs and charged into the heart of the Mexican American community in East Los Angeles. Any zoot suiter was fair game. On this and the following nights, many a zoot suiter was beaten by this mob and stripped of their clothes, their zoot suits, on the spot. ...more on the Zoot Suit Riots |
Swing Fashions Zoot Suit Riots Swing Links  I find it to be a positive sign that swing music is making a comeback. I imagine the rejuvenation of ska a few years back brought the big horn sound a new popularity; the return of swing was a natural progression since a lot of the musical elements, if not exactly the rhythm, are similar. It's about time the chunky punk-y grunge sound took a rest and let a "new" musical style receive some attention. Swing is far from new, of course - it dates back to the 1930s when such bands as those of band leaders Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and Sammy Kaye were popular. Of course, the music is not exactly the same as it is before. Where the lyrics of music from the original swing era was about the usual boy-meets-girl, boy-dances-with-girl, boy-loses-girl, "hearts-and-flowers" type things, modern swing lyrics are more, well, modern. For example, let's take Here Comes the Snake by the Cherry Poppin' Daddies (the band name alone should be an indication.) Here comes the snake and he circles your legOk, so maybe I am reading into it a bit ;) Today's top swing bands include the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, and the Brian Setzer Orchestra; let's not forget the Amazing Royal Crowns and the Royal Crown Review. Other bands are coming on the scene on a regular basis - locally and nationwide. It's gonna be a big boom! Along with the popularity of the sound comes the rebirth of the dance. No longer is the Lindy Hop done only by the blue hair set (although some of the "Generation Xers" out there might be sporting aqua coifs). Swing clubs are being inundated by new members and places which were formerly disco-style dancing only are now offering swing nights to cash in on the trend. What we mostly call "swing" now is really an amalgamation of styles - musically, it encompasses jazz, blues, boogie woogie, and Big Band. Dancing, as well, includes several individual styles - lindy hop, East and West Coast Swing, Shagging. Since most of these styles fell out of fashion decades before today's dancers and musicians were born, it all tends to get lumped together. In a swing club, one can see fashions running the gamut from the thirties to the fifties - heck, what do we young'uns really know about those eras? ...more on Swing Then and Now Western Swing A kissin' cousin of "Swing" is Western Swing, which combined country, cowboy, polka, and folk music with "traditional" swing. This type of music originated in the country dance halls of Texas and Oklahoma around 1930. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys is probably the quintessential Western Swing band; indeed, Wills was known as the "King of Western Swing." The tradition of Western Swing is carried on today by such bands as Asleep at the Wheel, who are currently working on the second volume of a Bob Wills tribute album. It would seem that Western (or Texas) Swing bands followed Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys in naming themselves. Following is a list of band names gleaned from compilation albums: Nolan Bush and His Southern Playboys, Wayne Johnson and his Bluebonnet Playboys, Bill Boyd and his Cowbow Ramblers, The Shelley Lee Alley and His Alley Cats, Jimmy Hart and his Merrymakers, Charles Mitchell and His Orchestra, and Bill Mounce and His Sons of the South. ...more on Western Swing |
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