General Styling Tips
Why Dress Up?
- Helps you Ham it Up and keep a smile on your dial.
- Helps an audience place the dance in history (ie not Rock n' Roll!).
- Gives a sense of spectacle.
- Puts you in touch with the era of the dance (20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, naughties.)
- Lets you know you're in 'Fun Mode', not Work Mode, Family Mode or Tired Mode!
- Being in costume allows your Dance persona to shine! New outfit, new personality!
- They were damn stylish eras! You'll never look so good!
Vintage shopping tips
- Look outside your size.
- Keep in mind folk were different sizes back then. Most 40's girl stuff is current day 8-10.
- Check out the weight, seams and cut of an item for 'danceability'.
- Remember the 70's & 80's had 40's revivals.
- Look for colours/patterns that suit you, and are 'vintage'.
- Never walk past an Op Shop or Designer Recycle Shop. Don't wait till you need an outfit.
- Check out Army Disposals for uniforms.
Internet shopping tips
- Know your sizes in inches & centimeters buy a dual measuring tape and get measured up professionally!
- Postage from the US costs about $15 AUD for 1-2 pieces, so factor it in.
- Let ebay be your friend- see search terms on the next pages, and start slow! Try a tutorial first.
- Bookmark an International Currency Converter and Clothes Size Converter for quick reference.
Tailoring
- Make friends with a dressmaker. One that can reproduce clothing without a pattern.
- Men's suits (buy big, take it in at the waist to get a vintage look).
- Women's pants (buy big, take it up at the groin/waist to get a vintage look).
- Warning: don't mess too much with true vintage gear if you want to re-sell it!
- Zoot chains (Spotlight)- not recommended for aerials, though!
- Emergency Performance/ Ball Kit essential! Include: safety pins, small stapler, bobby pins, double sided tape.
Make it yourself
- Vogue and Butterick pattern books still have great 40s & 50s patterns in the Vintage section.
- Crochet a Snood for your hair (for girls mainly, but if your beard gets out of control…?!)
- Add vintage buttons to a new shirt or fat buttons on wide-legged pants
- Find a good Sailor collar, sew it on a t-shirt. Voila, vintage Repro!
- Embroidery/ iron on Swingy patches. Loads on the internet and some at Lincraft/Spotlight.
- Hemming tape is your friend too, use it for cheap quick alterations to hemlines/sleeves.
- Use part of the fabric design to make accessories.
Modern Swing style
- Sports shoes - go with 50s style, rather than Space Aged (i.e. Dunlop volleys)
- Cargo pants
- Vintage swimsuits as tops
- Babydoll dresses with dance pants as tunics
- Cheerleader (60s) paneled dresses worn as tunics
