While searching for 1930′s reproduction clothing, I stumbled across Electric Gypsy, a UK-based retailer of handmade reproduction clothing from the 1930′s through the 1980′s. For each decade, there are a few choice garments made with a selection of fabric options, and I was excited to see that they went as far back as the 1930′s. Don’t let the psychedelic graphics on the website fool you, there is good swing era-inspired stuff here.

From the website: “At Electric Gypsy we also have our own label of handmade vintage and retro inspired clothing. We use a mixture of original vintage fabrics and kitsch cool new fabrics. Many pieces are one-off or short runs, so you are guaranteed to find something that is unique and original, whether it be a 1960′s inspired shift dress or a 1950′s Rockabilly skirt with a modern twist. Each item is individually handmade by us in the UK. We create our designs by modernising vintage patterns, designing our own patterns from scratch and customising old vintage clothing.”

Here’s what I’m loving:

OMG this kick-pleat 1940's skirt

1940's sweetheart dress

1932 Midnight in Paris dress

1930's cape collar dress

1940's tea dress

1950's diner dress

Men tend to wear their dance shoes out, so I was pleasantly surprised to see this eBay listing for a pair of black cap toe Aris Allens, size 11.5, gently used. They look to be in great condition and, with a $24.99 starting bid, much cheaper than a new pair. Anyone looking for a replacement or an inexpensive addition to your dance shoe collection?

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

The weather is freezing here, so of course I want to be in a sundress or something like this 1930′s dotted swiss dress, with adorable double piping, Peter Pan collar, and fauxlero detail! Someone buy this and whisk me away to a warmer destination…with a $14.00 starting bid this could be a steal.

Portland-based repro maven Jitterbuggin is running a Facebook promotion where YOU could win $100 in Jitterbuggin merchandise. You want this $100. How can you enter to win?

From the Jitterbuggin website: “This is a very special gift certificate! It will be given away FOR FREE when the Jitterbuggin Facebook Page reaches 1,000 likes! Once the page is at 1,000 we will publish a post that you can comment on to enter to win. We will number the comments in the order they were received and enter them into a random number generator to declare a winner.”

As I’m writing this post, the Jitterbuggin Facebook group sits at 786 fans – an impressive feat! But to get 1,000 fans we’ll need you to “Like” the Jitterbuggin Facebook page, maybe get your friends to “Like” it as well. Once the 1,000 mark has been reached, then (and only then) will it trigger the post for the giveaway. Now that you have your homework…go forth and Facebook “Like,” and check out the goods at jitterbuggin.com!

In another stroke of genius, the New Orleans-based Trashy Diva has launched a bridal collection, featuring some of their most popular dress styles in white stretch cotton blend satin. This collection is perfect for so many things, but especially for dancers who may want to change from their fairytale wedding gown into something more danceable for the reception, or maybe you just want something simple, beautiful, and comfortable to wear throughout your wedding. The choice of fabric here appears ideal, as well, with a lovely satin sheen for a slightly more formal look, but enough stretch to be able to move and dance comfortably.

Gah! Where were these dresses when I was getting married? There is a real need for these knee-length white dresses…just brilliant!

Of course, you aren’t limited to weddings in wearing this – anyone could wear one of these lovely white dresses alone, or accessorize with a pop of color. Here’s the collection:

Honey Dress

Cage Dress

Audrey Bow Dress

Courtney Coat Dress

1940's Dress

Dottie Dress

Mini Ballerina Dress

Loop Dress

I am still hunting three piece suits for my husband and I came across this lovely gray specimen today on eBay – it’s not vintage (in a swing era sense), but I thought the lines on this suit were really nice. Specifically, note how the jacket has a waist – I find it remarkable that American menswear has digressed to the point that it is so relaxed that it no longer appears to have a waist. I can imagine that no one wants to look like a giant rectangle, regardless of gender. It’s so nice to see a jacket with a defined waist, something that shows the fit and perhaps adds a slimming effect. It’s not a bad price either, with a buy it now of $175.00.

Lady Day and her gardenias

It’s that time of year again, time to don your best blooms for a celebration of cheer, color, and beauty during the winter month of February – with the blessing of Patron Saint Billie Holiday, 2012 will be another great year for Floweruary.

There’s an added challenge this year – from the Facebook invite:

“The challenge is back, everyone! Wear a flower in your hair every day of February. Feel free to post your pictures here so that we can all ooh and aah over how gorgeous you and your flowers are.

Post your photos here: http://floweruary.tumblr.com/

From Kerry & Philly:
Hey everybody, A few of us were planning on using this year’s Floweruary as a way to do some good.

The Commitment: Put away a dollar (or some amount of $, whatever you can spare) each day you participate in Floweruary. The Point: At the end of the month, we’ll give our Hair Flower Dollars to the Lindy Hopper’s Fund. It may not be a lot from each individual, but together we can certainly make an impact.

I’m not (yet) rolling in the dough, but I would love to do something to help the Lindy Hopper’s Fund. I hope you all think about joining in on this. Even if you’re a ten cent-er, go ahead and be proud with your ten cents!

Swingoutly, Kerry and the Philadelphians.”

There you have it! Looking forward to participating and seeing all the lovely hair accessories.

Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society, dapper in tuxedos

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This past weekend I attended a wonderful dance and workshop weekend in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA called Be My Jazz Baby and blissed out on two nights of dancing to Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society. Be My Jazz Baby worked to bring in vendors, who set up their wares along the inside of the dance studio room where the Saturday night dance was held. This seemed to facilitate more interaction between the vendors and the dancers. Some of the vendors were old favorites and others were new to me.

First in the lineup, Sharon Crawford was there with her needle, thread, and supplies, whipping up custom Creations by Crawford for people on the fly, as well as vending some ready-to-wear items. Sharon prefers to create custom pieces for people, based on what they are wearing or something they own, which is entirely practical and takes the guesswork out of knowing what you’ll pair with one of her floral or feather pieces.

Next we had a new addition to our regional vendors, Norfolk-based Kelsie McNair and her collection of vintage dresses, shoes, ties, and other sundries from With Lavender and Lace. It’s always wonderful to welcome the vintage clothing community into the swing dance community and I think Kelsie was pleased with the response.

Dancestore.com, by way of Kara Fabina, was present to vend their quality dance shoes to anyone who needs or wants (or desperately needs because their shoes are falling apart) a new pair of swing dance shoes. I’m excited to see Aris Allen as a consistent vendor and events – after going through a patent leather oxford boy’s ballroom shoe nightmare this week, being able to try on the shoes is worth its weight in gold.

Also new-ish to the vendor squad (but not new to the Raleigh Durham dancers) is Hairzapoppin, the floral creations of Kristy Milliken. Kristy is probably her own best advertising, as she always has a bevy of blossoms tucked into her impeccable updo. Not to mention the Lite-Brite sign, acting as a beacon to draw you to her table…

Vintage Visage came next, which I first encountered at Jammin’ on the James in Richmond, VA this past fall. Wares include reproduction and vintage items, like hats, gloves, fans, hair accessories, ties, and purses, that little something extra you may need to complete your outfit. Kathryn Ann Meyer, the curator of the Vintage Visage collection, graciously let us use one of her hats to draw names for the competition – thanks again for that!

Finally, Be My Jazz Baby had a roving vendor – Caroline Langdon, dolled up in a gorgeous cigarette girl ensemble, peddled vintage ties and other vintage goodies from her tray instead of cigarettes on behalf of Moderlux, a vintage clothing and furniture store in Hampton, VA. Sadly, Caroline and I were both so busy that I didn’t catch sight of her wares, but she’s provided this information on the store: “Modernlux is a truly unique little store I operate with owner/founder Gary MacIntyre located in the heart of old Hampton at 47 East Queens Way (23669). We specialize in Mid-Century design including housewares, household gadgets, furniture, objets d’art, and, naturally, fashion – for both men and women!”

Thanks to Bill Speidel and Victor Celania for hosting a lovely weekend of dancing and shopping!

Some samples of Creations by Crawford - what you don't see is all the custom pieces she made on-site over the weekend!

Kelsie McNair and her goods from With Lavender and Lace

The spread of shoes from Dancestore.com

Kristy delivers the goods at Hairzapoppin'

Vintage Visage's table runneth over...

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This weekend I’m traveling to Norfolk, Virginia for the Be My Jazz Baby workshop and competition weekend. Two of my favorite male clotheshorses, Bill Speidel and Victor Celania, are organizing this event and I am excited to see the vendors they have selected for the event!

There will definitely be a report when I get back.

I haven’t done a rundown of the Re-mix Vintage Shoe offerings on eBay in a while – there’s been a bit of an influx, here are the goods:

Green Balboas, new in box, size 5 1/2

Red wedges, size 8

Cassie boot, size 6

Baby Doll shoes in red, size 6 1/2

Black Gloria wedges, size 8

I am still on a quest for the perfect dance bra. Those female dancers who are well endowed know what a pain it is to not have proper foundation garments that will hold everything in place for the athleticism of Lindy Hop, while trying to maintain a sense of style and not have to revert to support that’s the equivalent of a straight jacket for your chest.

I took a ballet class over the summer and looked for a leotard with proper support. After dredging through a number of ballet forums on this topic, the general conclusion was that you would have to wear a bra under your leotard if you wanted proper support. I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t bought a sports bra since high school and my body is definitely different at this point in my life. I really had to dig on the internet to find specific information on what sports bras are best for certain cup sizes, but finally came across a review of Moving Comfort’s Fiona sports bra. It looked sturdy, smooth, and non-threatening. I liked that it dipped in the back, instead of having a racer back, and the straps were wider set so that it wouldn’t show under my boat neck leotard. It also hooked in the back like a regular bra, instead of stretching and sliding over your head, which gave an added element of support.

After using it for ballet class, it slowly became the only acceptable sports bra I owned. While I don’t think this is the perfect Lindy Hop bra, I do think it’s worth mentioning because it has kept the girls in place better than any other sports bra I have owned. I put it on and forget about my chest, which is a fantastic feeling when you are jumping up and down during a jazz routine, or navigating your way through a swingout.

The pros and cons are outlined on Moving Comfort’s very user-friendly website. I would agree with the reviews that the Fiona is comfortable, moisture-wicking, snug fitting, lightweight, and stylish (in the sense that I could actually wear this under a lot of dresses due to the shape of the bra, having the deep V in the back and a scoop front). The only con I agree with is the uni-boob feedback (“flattens bust”), but that’s to be expected with a bra that doesn’t have separate cups. I disagree with the review about poor craftsmanship, as this is the sturdiest bra I own and I found the materials to be quality and comfortable. My only personal con is that I can’t wear this under a dress with a V neckline in the front.

Now that I have found this bra, I’m even more willing to try other bras on the Moving Comfort website. You can shop for bras by cup size (A-E) or by style, and each bra is different, based on what cup sizes it is best suited and for the level of activity it for which it was designed (low, medium, and high impact). There are a few styles with separate cups that I may explore for wearing under dresses. If you have tried one of these bras for dancing, I’d love to hear your feedback, as well.

I’ve been following Allure Original Styles for a while, from her initial offerings through eBay as seller buddhaboogie (which is still used to sell what appears to be samples), to a full-fledged Etsy store where you can purchase custom made reproduction swing era garments. Allure Original Styles distinguishes itself from other reproduction sellers by creating an extensive line of pants and complimentary blouses. The fabrics range from wool gabardine to light-medium weight denim, to cover both dressy and casual pants needs. I am probably most excited about having wide leg denim options – while I love to dress up, sometimes you have you wear jeans for more casual occasions and shopping for jeans is only a step above shopping for a swimsuit on the loathsome activity scale. What could be more comfortable for everyday wear than a pair of flattering wide leg lightweight denim jeans?

There are also some great dresses and other separates from the store. So much to love here…I might learn to love wearing pants again:

Adorable - high waist belted denim trouser with contrast top stitching, complimentary seersucker blouse with neck tie *drool*

1940's reproduction overalls - so stinkin' cute

Classic wide leg trousers with side buttons

30's/40's belted skirt

Desperately want this dress in my size...

1930's blouse - love the bow and the zig zag seam below the bust line

1930's sailor skirt with fantastic seam detail

Sailor shorts! There are also pants available in a similar style

Vests don't have to be formal - see how great this tweedy vest looks with denim.

Unless you’ve been dancing under a rock, you’ve probably noticed an increase in the number of leads wearing vests at swing dances. The phenomenon is so prevalent in the Balboa community that Eastern Balboa Championships organizer and MC Chris Owens noted during one of the Balboa competitions at EBC 2011 that 10 out of 16 male competitors were wearing vests.

What makes a vest so great? Having worn a few myself, including a vintage one of Black Watch plaid wool my mother made in the 1970′s, I can tell you that a vest can really pull an outfit together; where something was just a shirt and pants (or skirt in my case), it becomes an ensemble with that one addition. It’s an upgrade without being too formal; it pulls things in at the torso without inhibiting movement; it leaves your arms free to do work, while the rest of you remains business. If fitted properly, it can make you appear more trim and elongate your silhouette. It looks great with or without a tie.

David Lochner in a vest on Governor's Island, NY

Since my experience with vests is limited, I asked one of the most dapper gents I know, dancer and clothier David Lochner of Philadelphia, PA, to weigh in on the topic:

“I wear vests for many reasons. They help keep you warm, they add a flair to one’s outfits, they help keep sweat off of a follow while dancing, and they help keep your tie in place. They also add a cleaner line by covering the bulk created by shirts becoming untucked, belt loops, and belts.

Social dancing is an art form and line and proportion are essential in art. But the line only comes when pants are worn properly at one’s natural waist. If the trousers aren’t worn at a proper height then the vest hinders this effort by allowing the shirt tail to peek out the back and destroy the look. Dancing is not only about the communication between partners but communication of beauty through movement and line to the audience watching.

I purchase vests where I find ones that fit. Being a long, they can be hard to come by, but I look at major retail stores, online, thrift shops, vintage stores, and eBay. Knowing one’s measurements can help ensure a proper fit. Also, taking along a man who knows menswear never hurts. Most women don’t know menswear so they can’t be reliably counted upon. (No offense!)* You don’t want something in style since style is constantly changing. It is important to take someone with you if you are not seeing a tailor since most salespersons will “Yes” you to death. Nothing is worse than buying a piece of clothing, then realizing it doesn’t fit properly while wearing it out for an extended period of time.

I hope this helped. I know my views are looked on as a bit harsh by some. But I say them because I take what I do, selling vintage menswear and swing dancing, very seriously.”

We believe you, David, and we salute you.

I think David has some great advice here, particularly about fit and style. I hadn’t considered that, with menswear, buying something fashionable now would limit wearability down the road, since menswear changes so little overall. However, the subtle details make a difference in menswear (skinny 50′s neckties, narrow 60′s suits, wide 70′s collars), so going with a classic, nondescript thrift store find may be a better choice in the long run than the trendy vest you may find at the mall.

Vest in action - Jaredan Braal with Gabriella Cook

There really is no go-to source for vests. In many cases, they come as part of a suit. In vintage and thrift stores, they are often orphaned pieces. In my area, the vintage store with the most vests is the least likely place to find something from the swing era. I also hear the mid-west has a great selection of vests, based on Jaredan Braal’s extensive vest wardrobe acquired during a single shopping trip in a mid-western city…

I find that if you are looking for a particular something, you will start to notice these things as you are out and about, so keep your eyes open and you may come across the vest you desire where you least expect it. If you see someone in a vest, ask them where they got it – you may get some ideas of your own about where to look in your area.

Incidentally, if you are in Philadelphia, you should make plans to visit Briar Vintage, a vintage store devoted entirely to menswear and manly “collectibles and oddities.” David is the manager of the store and I’m sure would be happy to help you “invest” in some great pieces for your wardrobe.

*None taken, David. You are the man.

I love the micro-economies that pop up at swing dance events. I hope that vendor areas continue to develop at events and bring dancers closer to the goods and products they need and want.

I’m not at Lindy Focus this week, but it’s hard to ignore all the Facebook status updates. I had hoped that my friends who are attending would take photographs of their purchases so I could live vicariously through them. A photograph of Sharon Crawford in a top hat caught my eye, as I scanned my Facebook wall, with the description, “See Sharon Crawford if you’d like this vintage Beaver Top Hat from London to be yours.”

The post was from Bill Speidel, collector of sartorial antiquities, who acquired several top hats from an estate sale and decided to sell one of them at Lindy Focus through Sharon Crawford’s vending table at Lindy Focus. This top hat is spiffy – a Herbert Johnson of London beaver top hat, size 7, sold by Fifield and Stevenson of Chicaco, IL. Bill is asking $125.00 for the hat, which, given the condition and wearable size, is a good price for this topper.

If you are interested in the top hat, there are two ways to go about acquiring the hat: 1) if you are at Lindy Focus, find Bill Speidel or find Sharon Crawford’s table in the vending area – she’ll be the one sewing custom boutonnieres and fascinators; or 2) if you are not at Lindy Focus, email Bill at wspeid@cox.net to arrange for payment and shipping. Buyer pays shipping costs.

The top hat would pair well with one of the tuxedos I posted yesterday…