Author: Lindy Shopper

Vintage jazz dancer, DJ, songbird, blogger

The Ruffled Jacket

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Every season, snow or sun, it appears that designers have forgotten how to make cute dresses with sleeves. There are notable exceptions, but the majority of the festive holiday dresses I have found this season are without sleeves, or even straps for that matter. I don’t like being cold and, when the thermometer reaches below freezing, I don’t feel right stepping out of the house without something on my shoulders, even to a dance, but I hate covering up my dress with a sweater or jacket.

Perhaps the solution lies somewhere between a bolero and a shrug – this adorable ruffled jacket, by Etsy seller dominiqueansari, covers the shoulders, leaves enough dress showing, and even enhances the loveliness of your ensemble. It reminds me of some 1930’s dress tops I’ve seen, with lovely, flattering draped ruffles over the sleeves, only you can add this jacket to any dress for the desired effect. The large sleeve openings make this jacket danceable and comfortable, with a modern nod to vintage. The Ruffled Jacket comes in 7 colors and will only set you back $39.98, plus shipping.

More Swing Dance Shoes on eBay

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

‘Tis the season to get rid of your dance shoes? One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, so we don’t mind here at Lindy Shopper! Here’s this week’s eBay offerings to get your feet ready to go for the next dance:

Red Remix Picasso Wedges, Size 10
Remix Pleated Toe Wedge in Black, Size 6
Aris Allen Camel 1930's Velvet Oxford, Size 10.5

1920’s French Art Deco Beaded and Sequined Dress

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Consider this dress the companion to the tuxedo I posted yesterday – classy, elegant, and perfect for a New Year’s Eve or Christmas cocktail party, with a starting price of $9.99 – affordable elegance at its best! I simply love beaded 1920’s dresses and this one from eBay seller malinalco is truly exceptional, with an amazing combination of beading and sequins straight from the Champs Elysees. I am at a loss for words….it’s just so beautiful!

1930’s Three Piece Tuxedo with Arrow Tuxedo Shirt

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

You could be dressed up like a million dollar trooper this holiday season in this fantastic 1930’s tuxedo, available on eBay from seller catalpa1961 with a starting bid of only $9.99! I do wish the seller had pressed the tuxedo and shirt before taking the photos, but you’ll have to imagine it after a pressing. Even with wrinkles, it’s easy to see that this tuxedo has some wonderful detailing, like the satin lapels, satin stripe down the leg, double breasted coat and vest, and, my favorite detail, checkerboard satin covered buttons on the coat and vest. This tuxedo has the rare added bonus of a period Arrow tuxedo shirt in good condition. Just add socks, shoes, studs, and cufflinks and a bow tie and you’re fit for any fĂȘte.

Black Suede 1940’s Oxfords

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Black is a staple color and I’m sure most of you have a pair of basic black dance shoes, but there was something about this particular pair of black oxfords, offered by Etsy seller Raleigh Vintage, that caught my eye and made me wish I could make this pair mine. They have a graceful shape and this lovely “stitched” detail throughout, which gives the appearance of either large stitches or a thread of ribbon running through cutouts in the shoe. At a size 6, they are small, but not so narrow, as the shoe width comes in at 3 inches.

Jacqui Oakley Illustration on Etsy: Lindy Hop GiclĂ©e Prints

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Lindy Hopper Jacqui Oakley is a dancer, instructor, and illustrator from Toronto, who has created several Lindy Hop-inspired illustrations and offers prints of her vivacious and colorful originals on her Etsy site. At $35.00 a pop, one of these prints would make a fantastic gift for your favorite Lindy Hopper, or treat yourself to one of these cheerful prints. The illustrations remind me of old comic book illustrations, the Dick and Jane books, a little bit of Disney circa All the Cat’s Join In, and photographs of Bobby White and Kate Hedin.

Shabby Apple: All That Jazz Collection

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

If you are looking for a last minute holiday dress, you may find something you like at Shabby Apple in their vintage-inspired All That Jazz collection. I love the photo shoot for this collection, as they’ve done a fantastic job of accessorizing with hats, gloves, jazz musicians, and vintage cars. Shabby Apple makes great basics that are easy to wear to both the office and swing dances and this collection is no exception.

Also, starting today, and for the next 12 days, stop by the Shabby Apple fan page on Facebook for a coupon code for 20% off one great product each day between the time they’re posted and 5:00 p.m. MST, 7:00 p.m EST. It’s a 12 days of Christmas sale!

Just look at the peplums! Here’s what I’m loving from the collection:

Moon River Dress
Miles Dress
De'lovely Dress
Ain't She Sweet Dress

Shock and Awe: Trashy Diva’s Holiday Dress Collection

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Sadie dress with bow appliques

I decided this blog post’s title was appropriate after I checked the Trashy Diva website yesterday to see if anything new was available. As I clicked through to the main page my jaw dropped as I saw the most awesome collection of holiday dresses this season, in vibrant pink, teal, and purple with sequins and beading. My awe quickly turned to shock as I noticed the prices on these dresses. Trashy Diva has always been in the upper register of prices I feel comfortable posting on Lindy Shopper, but these dresses have surpassed the comfort level. I’ve been torn as to whether or not to write about this. On one hand I love Trashy Diva, Candice Gwinn has impeccable taste in patterns and fabrics, and I want to support retailers who provide dancers with durable reproduction clothing. On the other hand, the price. I decided to let your wallets decide and show you the goods. If anything, these dresses should be admired.

The holiday collection includes a number of beautiful dresses with sleeves, which is a rare thing to find in any designer’s collection. The Sadie dress, a staple of prior collections, has been morphed into a gorgeous confection of drapery and sparkle, two giving a nod to what could be considered and what I would affectionately call big band singer dresses or Golden Girls dresses, and another with Art Deco beading around the neckline. Other favorites, the 40’s dress and the Obi dress, are reinvented in the gorgeous, vibrant colors of this collection. All the dresses in the collection are made from heavy weight silk crepe de chine – if you are not familiar, it is quite possibly the most luxurious fabric I have ever touched and drapes like a dream.

Here’s what I’ll add to my closet when I win the lottery:

Sadie dress with Art Deco beading
1940's dress in glorious pink
The Rosalind dress is two tone awesomeness - with sleeves!

Swing Dance Shoes on eBay

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Yes, I own a lot of shoes, but I rarely pay full price for them. Why? I am patient and if I wait long enough, eBay will deliver what I need at a reasonable price. If you buy cheaper shoes, you can buy more of them, theoretically, or have more money leftover to pay for all these amazing swing dance events coming up in the next few months. Lindy Focus, anyone? 😉

There were too many new auctions popping up for Remix and Aris Allen dance shoes, so I’m lumping them all together in this post. Here’s hoping they are in your size…

Aris Allen 1930's Oxford, size 9.5
Aris Allen 1930's Camel Velvet Oxford, size 9.5
Aris Allen Black Rugcutter Wedge, Size 7.5
Remix Piazza in green, size 9
Remix Open Toe Spectator in Brown, size 6.5-7, $0.99 starting price
Remix Greta Wedge in Green, size 6.5-7
Remix Open Toe Spectator Wedge in brown, size 8

Tweed Bow Tie from Urban Outfitters

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’ll probably catch some flack from my fellow bloggers, but I couldn’t resist posting this tweed bow tie from Urban Outfitters that I ran across while looking for Christmas presents on the UO website. This is tie great because it could essentially go with anything and is sort of an everyman’s bow tie – it provides an unassuming upgrade to your outfit in neutral color that works with both patterned shirts (as pictured) and plain shirts. The tweed could be dressed up or dressed down – wear it with a three piece suit or a simple button-up. It was also in the gift section for under $20, which makes it a deal whether or not you buy it for yourself or for someone else. 🙂

Mod Cloth Sale

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Well…everyone is having a sale today, but I’ve been particularly smitten with Mod Cloth‘s recent offerings, especially their holiday dresses. That’s one of the beautiful things about swing dancing, is that there’s always a dance party to attend, with a little sparkle added during the holidays.

Mod Cloth also has some great gift ideas for guys and gals – I found some great things to stash under my Christmas tree for friends and family.

Here are some goodies to make your Black Friday bright and cheerful:

Classic Beauty Dress
City of Lights Dress
Dream a Little Gleam Dress
Blumengarten Dress
Peppermint Pansies Dress
Cocoa Cozy Dress
Proscenium Dress
Under the Dark Sky Dress
Oberek Romper
All Aboard Heels - actually a pair of divine Remix shoes, on sale for $100, size 9.5 - last pair!

My Baby Jo

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

My Baby Jo has a little bit of everything to help you embrace your inner pin-up girl, and some essential menswear clothing and accessories for the swing era gent. My Baby Jo has a retail store in Los Angeles, CA, but thankfully they also offer their excellent 1940’s and 1950’s-inspired clothing, shoes, and accessories online.

The website has a great selection of women’s dresses, swimwear, undergarments, hair flowers, jewelry, shoes, handbags, cosmetics and men’s jackets, shirts, pants, shoes, hats, pomade, ties, and vintage watches. The vintage men’s watches are especially good, with watches from the 1920’s through the 1950’s that look like they are in sturdy, wearable condition. Their swimwear selections feature the best of Esther Williams’ swimwear line. The site also offers some fun pieces that may fill gaps in your wardrobe or Halloween costume (like that Rosie the Riveter jumpsuit – where else do you find that?). They also have an extensive selection of men’s hats and hat-care items, including brushes and felt cleaner.

There’s so much goodness here, I’ll try to narrow down my favorites:

Mrs. Moore Day Dress, comes in 5 colors
V-cut Plaid Jacket - lots more of these on the site in different fabrics
Alika dress, also comes in red and in a pencil skirt style
Motorcycle sweater
Marilyn eyelet tie top, also in blue
Leading man two pocket shirt with topstitching
Riveting jumpsuit, also in blue stripes and black
Melton captoe by Johnston & Murphy
How cute is this sailor outfit?
Tailored double pleated trouser - available in 13 different fabrics
So many hair flowers, but the orchids are my favorite
There are tons of hats in traditional colors, but this green fedora was my favorite
Love the face on this 1937 watch

Groupon for American Apparel

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

The Groupon for Raleigh/Durham today (and for the next three days) is $50 worth of American Apparel goods for $25. The best part? It’s for online sales only, so technically you could live anywhere and use this 50% discount. Huzzah!

(Edited to add that the link takes you to the main Raleigh/Durham Groupon page for the day, but on the right side of the screen there’s a box that says “More Great Deals Nearby” and the American Apparel Groupon link is at the bottom of that box)

Time to stock up on the basics. Here are a few of my faves from the site:

Shirt Dress
Classic stripe sweater
Wrap dress
Striped socks
Round collar shirt