Tag: Balboa

BJ Dance Towels – By Dancers for Dancers, for Sweating in Style

L-R: The Savoy and The Aviator

I saw BJ Dance Towels at some point in the past year on social media and added it to my blog topic list, thinking, “Is a towel just a towel or something more? I’ll check this out later, this looks interesting.” As I was working my way down the list I got the kindest email from BJ Dance Towels creator Benedikt Jockenhöfer about reviewing his dance towels, then a follow-up offering to send me a towel to review. Subsequent communications were also humble and lovely and it can’t be stated enough how nice it is to receive this kind of correspondence, particularly where someone is trying to promote a product. He believes in these dance towels and now I believe in them, too.

To answer my question above, the towel is something more – it’s both a functional, sweat-wiping, absorbant microfiber towel that is incredibly soft and smooth, as well as a lovely fabric statement of style. Benedikt drew inspiration from classic menswear, the silk scarves that were often seen around necks and draped over lapels of the past and present. For his inaugural towel offerings, he chose shades of red, white, and blue, which coordinate with a lot of clothing, and drew his themes from two popular swing era topics – aviation and Art Deco design.

A vintage silk scarf from my collection on the left; a BJ Dance Towel on the right, fresh out of the box.

Let’s walk through the receipt of my Savoy dance towel. I opened the package from Germany to find a well-crafted box with the BJ Dance Towels logo and some lovely design work. I am immediately smitten and thinking that this box will be great for traveling, either to carry jewelry or flat hair flowers.

I open it up to find an inspirational quote from Dave Brubeck – am I bombastic? To your average non-dancer, I probably am the most bombastic, fearless, dancy-dancer and where did I learn to dance like this? How I forget sometimes that what we do seems like magic to others, but is actually a skill and we devote countless ours of our lives and all of ourselves to it because we love the music and the movement. But I digress – is there a towel in there?

Of course there is! The microfiber Savoy towel feels incredibly soft and substantial, something that will not shirk away from a thorough swiping of your face and neck. Once out of the box the wrinkling was minimal – this is definitely not something you need to iron or baby. I am recovering from hip surgery, so at the time I received this towel I wasn’t cleared to dance, but I did go for a brisk walk to break a sweat and patted myself down afterwards. Sweat was absorbed, with great softness and ease. The fabric seemed neutral in terms of response to my body temperature. I could see it being cool when I need it to be cool and warm if I needed to wrap it around my neck and run out into the winter night after a dance. I washed and dried it and it came out beautifully, looking as good as it did when I pulled it out of the box, even after leaving it in the dryer with bath towels for three days.

Also in the package with the box, quote, and towel was an invoice with a handwritten letter on the back from Benedikt, sharing his joy for these scarf/towels, a note about the label on the scarf with washing instructions (which is mandatory in the US and the tag comes off easily), and notes about the fabric. Let’s do talk about the fabric, which is really what makes this special. A lot of thought went into this and the BJ Dance Towels crew decided to go with microfiber for a number of reasons, quoted from the website:

  • Better for the environment – They are made from recycled plastics so they actually reduce the plastic in the world.
  • Better for absorbtion – 1/3rd more absorption than a kitchen towel
  • Antibacterial
  • Lighter
  • Dries 1000% faster (Yes, it’s three 0’s)
  • The towel absorbs about 300% of its own weight in water. That is about 170-180ml of water, or almost a full glass of wine. And it does that super quickly and dries impressively fast. We tested it all in this video for you: https://fb.watch/2Zi5LKuDnJ/

In researching microfibers, they discovered that the best microfiber is produced in China and, through a friend who works at Porsche, discovered the company Porsche uses to produce its high quality microfiber. This is definitely the closest I will ever come to owning a Porsche.

Pulling again from the BJ Dance Towels FAQ page, to answer in summary the question of why these particular dimensions (30 x 120) of fabric for a dance towel:

  • Style!
  • More surface area than a hand towel.
  • A smaller towel may get lost more easily or fall off the back of a chair. This towel was designed to hang on the back of most chairs and not touch the ground.
  • The German Swing Kids would wear elaborate opera scarves and this is made in that tradition – YES!
  • Can actually be used as a scarf for warmth.

You may be thinking, “OK, this sounds great, but how will I tell my dance towel apart from others at a dance event if everyone jumps on this train?” I recommend a few avenues to claim your dance towel – one involves a permanent marker and the other involves taking your towel to a local embroidery shop to personalize it with your initials or name. If you’re particularly adventurous, add fringe. Maybe sew a particular button on one end of it. Get creative!

Since you may not be 100% back to dancing in your part of the world, consider that summer is coming in the northern hemisphere and you may find yourself attending more outdoor COVID-safe events that would necessitate nicer attire than stretchy pants and a tee shirt. Rather than sweat it out, you could blot yourself with a BJ Dance Towel in one hand and fan yourself with the other hand.

Speaking of sweat, not only does the BJ Dance Towels offer beautiful sweat moppers, they also have a page devoted to troubleshooting sweating and dancing – definitely a helpful “But wait! There’s more!”

I’ll close with a quote from the BJ Dance Towels vision summary: “We want to honor…those who know that carrying a towel is a favor they do to everyone around them.” This is about caring for yourself and others. As someone who has left a dance covered in more of other people’s sweat than my own, I salute you.

EDITED 6/24/21 to add that BJ Dance Towels now has an embroidery machine so you can have your name/initials/special word added to the dance towel to make sure other dancers know it’s yours.

Dance hugs soon? Fingers crossed…

Dynamic Duo: Golden Levee Vintage and Crescent Pennant Co.

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

It cannot be overstated the impact COVID-19 has had on all aspects of our swing dance community and, while our old way of life seems distant at the moment, I see friends and colleagues finding new ways to both support themselves and endear them to us.  New Orleans based swing dance instructor Mia Goldsmith Halloran and jazz trombonist Charlie Halloran are two of my favorite people – I have been an ardent admirer of Mia’s dancing for so many years and Charlie is an incredible and versatile musician with whom both my husband and I have enjoyed sharing the stage – and I watched them on social media as they, like so many friends, figured out their next steps.

They did an adorable series of YouTube music videos (Quarantunes) and Charlie’s trombone duet with his neighbor from their respective porches went viral.  Then I saw Charlie had gotten a sewing machine, which has become one of the central pieces of my pandemic activities, and cheered him on.  Then Mia messaged me that she was starting an online vintage clothing business and we discussed logistics.

As is common with people with excellent taste, both of them have already excelled in their offerings.

Mia launched Golden Levee Vintage last month as an Instagram-based shop at @goldenleveevintage – I know Mia has collected vintage clothing for a long time and, like anyone who has, you likely have enough vintage to open up a de facto shop.  Beyond that, it looks that she may have been collecting in earnest to start a vintage shop, which has been a dream of hers.  Mia’s initial offerings in the past two months have been an excellent mix of 1940s through 1990s vintage, with a distinctly wonderful Mia viewpoint – even the later vintage has the nod to a prior era (hello, 90s tropical rayon does 40s dress I missed out on because I am SLOW) and everything is cheerful, embracing color.  If Mia’s shop was a mood board, it would evoke words like tropical, comfort, dance-friendly, lounge, elegant, fun, light, color, whimsical, basically an aspirational wardrobe for my fantasy life in New Orleans.  Follow her and watch for more goodness!

Charlie and his new sewing machine created Crescent Pennant Co. (@crescentpennantco), with handmade pennants in classic style featuring mostly New Orleans locations.  This might seem like a hyper-local focus to some, but since New Orleans is the cradle of jazz, the locations have meaning to a wider audience – particularly if you know what it means to miss New Orleans.  My absolute favorite pennant he’s created thus far is for Armstrong’s Secret 9, Louis Armstrong’s baseball team.  Within weeks of launch, local boutiques were already buzzing and he’s been working hard to fill orders and create new custom designs.

Follow these two Instagram accounts for more goodness in the future – cheers!

 

JJ Suspenders – Dual Use Braces and Suspenders for All Trousers

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Every so often a company reaches out to me for a product review and it’s usually not a good fit for my blog, but when I saw JJ Suspenders pop up in my inbox I was intrigued.  Then I went to the website and there were loads of lovely braces and I thought, “Is this a mistake? Or is this marketing?”

As a lurker in several menswear groups on Facebook, the distinction between braces and suspenders was a critical one, it meant needing buttons sewn in your trousers versus simply clipping them on; it also meant a level are sartorial in-the-know-ness (you may call it snobbery) about the type of person who wears one over the other.  While I prefer a set of braces because I’ve watched my husband struggle with his clip-ons for tuxedo gigs (both to put them on and have them stay on) and I’m particular enough to want that added level of security/not wanting a hassle,  I know that the thought of sewing buttons into one’s trousers (or paying someone to do it), for some, is like that extra thing that’s not worth someone’s time, effort, and resources.  I understand that not everyone shares my priority for absolute security in trousers being held up by elastic straps.  I’m not at the level of wearing both braces and a belt, though, so I’m still within reason.

BUT I DIGRESS, back to the lovely package that arrived on my doorstep a few weeks ago.  JJ Suspenders was very patient with me, because I already owned most of the colors I wanted and they were out of the burgundy, they waited until they got some more burgundy pairs in stock, notified me, and shipped me the pair.  As I opened the box, I was confused again – there were both clips AND leather attachments on the ends of the straps.  First thought, surely no one is THIS paranoid (takes a breath, looks closer); second thought, this is genius, they are delivering both so that you can choose and simply remove the type of trouser attachment you don’t want at the moment, with the option to reattach if/when you do, via a sturdy snap.  This means they can be worn with all of your trousers, at any time.

The packaging and extras are all so thoughtful – a small sewing kit with buttons (perhaps to immediately encourage non-sewers to pull up a YouTube video on how to accomplish the sewing of braces buttons onto trousers – the question of where do the buttons come from seems to be novel to my husband, so I’m glad they’ve eliminated this hurdle); two extra sets of suspender clips; and a lovely canvas bag to put it all in.

While I usually prefer a wider elastic, I opted for the narrower braces this go around and was pleasantly surprised at their sturdiness and quality.  The attachments are leather and the snaps sturdy.  I wore these all day with great comfort and would say these are a win for me.  I look forward to wearing them more this fall when I have more fall colored clothing items to coordinate.

The website has a large selection – from leather in seven colors to solids, stripes, tweeds, and a few patterns, I believe this to be a great resource for people who may be embarking on their first pair of suspenders/braces and for seasoned braces veterans.  The prices are on par with quality braces makers, like Trafalgar.  Now that I think about it, I’m not even sure I know of another quality brand of braces maker – and the lack of quality options was the impetus for JJ Suspenders coming into existence.  From their website:

“It started in 2014 when founders Jackson and Josh were shopping for suspenders to wear at a friend’s wedding and after visiting dozens of shops all they could find were a handful of generic, outdated and overpriced suspenders. When looking for alternatives online, they quickly found that about 90% of the suspenders on the market were low quality and mass-produced by the same factory. The only suspenders that met Jackson and Josh’s quality standards were from a very old company in England. But with this came high shipping costs, outdated designs, and poor customer service.”

My communications with JJ Suspenders have been exemplary – my contact, Misha Inglis, has been professional, courteous, and friendly and I am delighted that they found me and reached out to me out of the blue.  It is clear they are striving for quality and I appreciate and applaud their mission to provide quality braces and suspenders – both, actually, at the same time.

P.S. Yes, that is my 1964 Vespa 90 kitted to a 129 cc engine. I’ve enjoyed riding it more during the pandemic, since other hobbies have been on the back burner.

Vecona Vintage Reproduction 1940’s Loop Collar Shirt

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

We’re back to the written posts, because – even as the pandemic rolls on – clothing companies who have been planning for months, perhaps even years, on certain garments can continue to release those garments for consumption.  While we may not return to dancing for a while, summer approaches, style beckons as the world slowly begins to open up, and there’s no reason to know throw on something easy AND stylish.  I’m still investing in quality pieces made by small companies producing clothing I want to wear for dancing that I also can wear to work – dancing may be a further down the road dream, but my essential job is now.  I am also feeling less sad when I dress up, even a little.

I’ve written about Vecona Vintage before and I’m happy to see them continuing to produce lovely reproduction garments, particularly in the menswear department.  Their 1940’s Loop Collar Shirt caught my eye because it’s one of those pieces that works for so many occasions – translates well to vintage and modern casual, can be worn alone with trousers or with a suit to dress it up, and the vintage shirts are usually made in wonderful, buttery materials.

Vecona knows its audience and has designed this shirt with heat in mind.  Their description cites racing in Utah and recommends pairing with linen trousers, then they start describing the fabric: “Made from botanic cellulose Tencel is a sustainable and breathable material. It provides a very good moisture transport and thermal regulation. The material has a smooth hand with a nice drape. The fabric is crease resistant and soft to the skin, it prevents bacteria growth and thus offers a completely natural and anti-allergenic hygiene. A life cycle analysis proves Tencel’s environmental friendliness compared to cotton. Learn more about the material at https://www.tencel.com/sustainability.”

These are more than just words – Vecona has put together a dream of a shirt, designed with sweat (re: dancers) in mind.  Crease resistant, even!  Available in green, blue, and sand, I’m loving this new shirt.

You don’t even have to tuck it in, if you don’t want to

California Balboa Classic 2020 Vendors

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

The Hyatt Regency Newport Beach greets you with full California spendor

I attended my very first California Balboa Classic – aka Cal Bal – last month and I’d say I don’t know what took me so long, but I have another hobby that managed to conflict with this event year after year.  I made the decision to choose Cal Bal this year and Cal Bal did such a great job welcoming me with open arms that I didn’t want to leave.  It’s also the first event I’ve attended in several years that I was not hired as a musician, so there was ample time for dancing between DJ shifts, which I have sorely missed and desperately needed.

To set the vendor scene, you need to understand the layout of the hotel – this is a hotel event, but this is not your typical hotel.  The Hyatt Regency Newport Beach is more of a complex, with lovely outdoor spaces connecting separate buildings, taking advantage of what are usually mild temperatures in southern California.  The ballroom was a separate building within the hotel complex and to enter the ballroom, one had to walk down a little path and through a large covered-but-open-to-the-air space.  It was a bit chilly at night, so the covered outdoor space had some temporary walls and heaters, as well as couches for sitting (basking) under said heaters, a snack station, a cash bar, and all the vendors for the event.  Had the temps at night been a little warmer, the vendor location would have been truly ideal – during the day it was lovely.

There are so many colors in this, it goes with so many things!

Cal Bal had some great merch this year – you’ve already seen my post about the Kendra Dandy designed scarves and pocket squares, and there were also pins, bags, and tee shirt designs (one even featuring the Rendezvous Ballroom).  I was elated to see a green tee shirt with musicians on it, so that came home with me!  If you aren’t sure how to style your large Kendra Dandy Cal Bal scarf, Cleveland dancer and instructor Alexis Davila posted an awesome/adorable/creative video on Facebook of several different ways to wear it on your head – I believe you can still order one, it looks they are up on the Cal Bal web store.

At this point, I’m blessed that Re-mix Vintage Shoes owner Philip Heath knows me by sight and always gives me a little tidbit to keep me coming back for more.  This year, the buzz was the production of a gold Opera model, which had previously been relegated to suede (which I don’t prefer to try to maintain) – since metallics are my go-to neutral, this was a delightful new development and I was excited that this particular model fit my particular feet, having never previously tried on any Opera model.

I didn’t notice the new addition to the men’s shoes (maybe a Fairway or a variation thereof? I’m not seeing it on the website) until Nicholas Centino posted the photo below of their gloriousness, but there’s a new two tone brown oxford with perforations that is so subtle and lovely.  I’m also not seeing them on the Re-mix website, so pick up that phone…

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Subtle and sweet oxfords by Re-mix – photo courtesy of Nicholas Centino

Next stop in the circle of vendors was the new-to-me Swankys Vintage, who appeared to have mostly menswear and some women’s items, with a mix of Swankys reproductions and vintage clothing, with a very 1940’s/50’s California aesthetic in terms of styling and color palette.  The reproductions were almost seamless with the vintage at first glance, the textures, fabrics, and colors were so spot on.  Lots of clothing that evoked comfort, ease, and fun, as well as some really nice looking classics, like tweed trousers with a buckle back.  It was so nice to see more of a focus on menswear, which tends to be minimal to non-existent in terms of vending at events.

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California vintage and repro by Swankys Vintage – it’s hard to tell what in this photo is vintage and what is repro

I’ll also give an honorable mention to the gent who set up a mostly vintage men’s shop for Saturday night, who I asked for a business card and he said this was his last vending spot ever and that he was liquidating his collection and selling it to another vintage seller.  It is hard work running these vendor spots/booths at events, carting around inventory, being present to run the shop, paying vendor fees and for hotel rooms, so my hat’s off to all the vendors – whether you’re still in the game or getting out, this is an important part of events and I’m appreciative of everyone who shows up.

I’m always excited to see Jenna Applegarth‘s Applejacks shoes at events, as I’ve probably learned more from her than anyone about the extensive and often frustrating process of designing, producing, and shipping dance shoes – I’m completely invested in this storyline and here for all subsequent chapters.  Remember that this is a labor of love each time you buy a dance shoe made by swing dancers for swing dancers!  I know several of us are eagerly anticipating the new models (I swear I saw green on Instagram), but the models out right now are particularly well-suited to Balboa.  One of my friends noted that she didn’t necessarily know what she’d wear with the rose gold shoes, but that they felt so good on her feet that it didn’t matter.  Good thing metallics are neutrals!

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Applejacks’ army of Balboa-ready Seneca shoes

Next up in our tour of vendors was Swingbird Fashions, who I have previously blogged about in terms of an Etsy shop, but since that post this brand has expanded greatly and wonderfully.  I am terribly sad that I was not able to meet the creator of these garments, Leea Kuronen from Denver, Colorado (it’s hard to be at your booth at every minute of the day, I completely understand) because I was smitten with everything – the colors, the fabric selection, and all the lovely details.  There’s this one green dress with white soutache detail that is absolutely to-die-for – I saw both Teni Lopez-Cardenas and Heather Ballew had purchased one of these dresses and wore them in competitions that very weekend.  It’s an I NEED TO WEAR THIS NOW kind of dress!  Lovely trousers, skirts, blouses, and dresses all around – this corner of the room made me smile.

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Swingbird Fashions’ dress of the weekend – SOUTACHE, Y’ALL, BY HAND

Across the room Loco Lindo represented with their line of crepe printed dresses, blouses, skirts, pants, and, of utmost importance, their Venice Beach clip dress, recreated from the one worn by Genevieve Grazis in said clip, she of the many gored twirly skirt.  It’s honestly super gratifying to see a whole line of them on a rack, knowing the history behind the dress and the process of getting this dress reproduced – get your twirl on and your shuffle on, let’s do this!  On a related note, I’m sad I missed the crunchy sound of shuffling on sand the Monday of Cal Bal where everyone met on the beach near the site of the former Rendezvous Ballroom – living that beach clip dream…

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Beach Clip twirls as far as the eye can see…

Sharing the space with Loco Lindo was Jen Gomez of Bandini St., who typically also shares a space at Camp Hollywood.  It’s a great idea, to share space, share labor, and have that symbiotic relationship of pairing dresses with hair accoutrements immediately.  This is probably going to be super personal to my preferences, but I was particularly happy to see pairs of hair flowers that were an ideal size (Goldilocks here, not too big, not too small…), flat – but with enough texture to be interesting, and a color gradient so that it goes with various shades of whatever color it represents.  VERY SPECIFIC.  I need to go through my closet to see what I might need, as these are available on the Bandini St. Etsy shop in several colors.

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Basically my perfect size dance-friendly hair flower

Finally, we’ve reached the lovely Saint Savoy booth at Cal Bal, with a candy colored array of heels and flats.  While their Riviera model remains the most popular and is available in a wide array of colors, I heard lots of talk about their oxfords for women being particularly comfortable.  A few other notes: 1) I’m pretty sure their Grace shoe in Neptune is one of the most beautiful dance shoes ever made.  I own a pair and I only wear them for singing because I would Gollum-style freak out if anything ever happened to them; 2)  I’m having feelings about their The Whip oxford in Mulled Wine because I had a pair of Doc Martens in high school with a similar color gradient and broguing (a whole different level of nostalgia); and 3) it was nice to see their Grand Prix t-strap dance flat in person – loving all the variety in heel heights, thank you, more of this from dance shoe makers, please. 🙂

And that’s a wrap – I hope I haven’t missed anyone!  I loved all the vendors, thank you again for your time and energies in attending Cal Bal and creating products with the swing dance community in mind.

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Saint Savoy Riviera shoes in so many lovely colors

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Saint Savoy’s Grand Prix in neutrals – ready to be the work-horse of your dance shoe wardrobe.

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Bandini St.’s array of headbands

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Love this print on a peplum’ed Loco Lindo dress

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Cheerful yellow trousers from Swingbird Fashions

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Wrap dress goodness from Swingbird Fashions

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I love the little kiltie detail on Applejacks’ Newport shoe

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Excited to be here, got some loot!

Men’s trousers by Swankys Vintage, giving me pants envy…

Racks of candy colored shirts, by Swankys Vintage

The brand new gold Opera by Re-mix

The Minnie shoe just absolutely kills me with adorableness

 

 

 

A little geography on a PSDF bag

 

 

Kendra Dandy Teams Up with Cal Bal

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Maybe you haven’t met Kendra Dandy at a swing dance event, maybe you’ve seen her – she likes to dance near the band and has mad solo jazz skills, is usually carrying a fan emblazoned with the word SHADE and has loads of style to match.  I watched her from the stage at a few events and figured that she must be the coolest person in the room.  When she accepted my friend request and I began seeing her posts in my feed, that suspicion was confirmed – she’s got the sharpest memes, excellent taste in cocktails, and is an incredible graphic designer who has teamed up with companies like Vans, Anthropologie, Estee Lauder, Coach, and companies selling products in Australia and South Korea that my grabby little American hands can’t reach.

This week the California Balboa Classic made the announcement that is has teamed up with Kendra for a very special project – from Cal Bal’s Facebook post:

“The community of dancers who come to CalBal represent an incredible range of talents from fiction authors, to medical professionals, to mechanical engineers. One of those people is Kendra Dandy . Even if you don’t know her name, you’ve probably seen her at a swing dance event, and it turns out that Kendra is a successful illustrator and designer with a career designing surfaces for international brands and her own shop at https://theebouffants.com/.

We want CalBal to be a showcase for talent in the Balboa community, and we love her work, so we asked Kendra if she would be willing to design something for CalBal2020. And she agreed!

The result is a limited edition scarf inspired by Kendra’s experience of CalBal. It comes in two sizes, is 100% silk satin, and is available to order now at https://calbalclassic.com/product-category/merch/

We will have other merchandise, too, but the CalBal2020 scarf is an opportunity to take home a unique work of art to remind you of your time at CalBal2020.”

I was excited to see this partnership, as I love supporting visual artists in our community, and I also love the addition of this luxe merchandise item that is still practical within our community.  A silk kerchief could be tied around the neck, worn in the hair, or worn as a pocket square; that 32 inch scarf opens up even more options, perhaps a belt or head wrap (to cover a wet set or not).  Maybe you blot your sweat with silk kerchiefs, no judgment here!

This product release coincides with my very first Cal Bal, I’ll be attending as a DJ  in 2020 – looking forward to that California vibe Kendra depicted in her scarf design, warmth, sun, palm trees, dancing shoes, and some cocktails!

Jenna Applegarth’s Applejacks Shoes

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

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The Greenwood

This post may be premature, but I have been eagerly anticipating Jenna Applegarth’s line of swing dance shoes since I first saw her post about this business endeavor on Facebook.  A lot of people ask me about shoes and visit this blog for information about dance shoes, but Jenna is THE source, the person I know who knows about all the brands popping up all over the globe because she is traveling to teach at these places and trying out the shoes, but also because she has excellent taste, she cares about the shoes, and gives detailed feedback about the fit, look, materials, and functionality shoes.

I say premature because the Applejacks website does not have any shoes listed for sale, but Jenna has slowly been releasing posts about her work and, this week on the Applejacks Facebook page, photos of some of the shoes she has designed.  I couldn’t wait, you all need to know about this, and be sure to follow the Applejacks Facebook page for release updates.

From the Applejacks about page:

“Applejacks shoes are designed by dancers, for dancers. We want you to not only look good, but to feel good. To be able to stay on the dance floor all night and still walk back to your hotel. Our shoes are designed to help your body stay aligned and balanced. Room for your toes, secure on your ankles and happiness on your feet. We believe that Applejacks represents a fresh take on comfort and design.

We know feet are as unique as personalities, which is why we don’t believe in “one size (style) fits all.” That means we know our shoes may not work for everyone. But that is ok, because we founded this company to help fill in the gaps from the other companies already in business. Fit the feet that weren’t being fitted 🙂 Which means if our shoes don’t work for you, that is ok – they may fit your friends and family instead! And you can always check out some of the other great shoe companies out there with a different fit.

We have a goal to help reduce unnecessary waste, maintain high industry standards and choose sustainable durable materials.  What that means for you:

  • Simple labels – It gets thrown away anyway, so we only label what we need to.
  • Minimal packaging – From the factory to you, we do our best to only use what is needed.
  • No shoe bags automatically – but 1 free for every pair on request!
  • Leatherwork follows German PCP Regulations
  • Fair working conditions
  • Non-gendered/Non-roled sizing and styles

We are still working on building our brand and identity. We appreciate your feedback, and we hope you travel along with us on our journey.”

I love this approach and I can’t wait to see more from Jenna’s company.  I also have some nerdy glee about the company name being so perfect with Jenna’s last name and being one of my favorite jazz steps.   Here are the three previews released this week, from L-R: the Greenwood in teal, the Seneca in rose gold/silver, and the Seneca in purple.

Made in Lindy – Swing Dance Shoe Review

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I can’t find a record of previously blogging about this company, but I was aware of Made in Lindy shoes through several Texas swing dancer acquaintances, who purchased Made in Lindy shoes and recommended them on Facebook a few years ago.  Fast forward to 2019 and former Texas/now North Carolina dancer Allison Lemley was wearing a pair of her Made in Lindy shoes at the weekly Lindy Lab dance, so of course we started talking about her shoes.  I took a gander at the offerings on the Made in Lindy Facebook page and fell in love with a red pair of Mary Jane heels with a heart cutout – I mean, just look at this cuteness!

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Made in Lindy is based in China and the orders are placed via Facebook page chat and payment through PayPal.  I had a very helpful exchange with Made in Lindy, where I began by inquiring about a shoe and pricing – the shoes I ordered were $99.00 (including shipping) and the turnaround for an order is about 3.5 weeks for production and delivery.  I was offered an array of color options and, even though I wanted the red shoe from the photo, I was even offered two different reds to choose from.  I could specify 3cm, 4cm, or 5cm heel height.  Customer service asked about my sizing and offered advice.  I received a confirmation message when they received my payment and another message when the shoes were shipped with tracking information.

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2 a.m. in the lobby at Lindyfest

While I still find it a little odd to place orders through Facebook (even though I have done it many times now through Chloe Hong’s Facebook page) it helped to have the recommendation of a friend and that the customer service was so well-done.

Now for the shoes!  They arrived a couple of days before Lindyfest (along with an adorable orange satin shoe bag with pink lettering), so of course I packed my brand new pair and a backup pair in case of new shoe blisters.  I don’t often get to dance at events anymore because I’m singing, but Lindyfest was a mix of DJ’ing and singing for me, so I got ample dancing in on the two nights I was DJ’ing and not singing.  The Made in Lindy shoes were wonderful for mostly Lindy/some Bal and, for the first time in a long time with any pair of shoes, I did not get blisters (which was extra great, since I had forgotten to pack my friction stick).  I found the foot bed to be slightly wider than some of my other pairs of dance shoes and the 4 cm heel was comfortable and stable (photo of heel and sole after one night of dancing below).  Excited to have a new pair of dance shoes I love in my selection, I may even get over the loss of my beloved Aris Allen wedges (RIP).  Would buy again!

Bobby McGee’s Pin on eBay

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This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Props to dancer and instructor Corey Manke, who regularly pays tribute to the style of the original Balboa dancers in those Bobby McGee’s videos from the 70’s, for digging up this little bit of nostalgia on eBay.  Having a pin that says “Bobby McGee’s Loves You” is almost like saying “Balboa Loves You” in its own special way – just remember that whatever move you’re about to do, the old timers have already seen it.  😉

Mid-Winter Digest

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

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The alternate title for this post is I Have Too Many Things To Write About and No Time To Do It – my hope is that you’d rather have the news as it comes, rather than a comprehensive post about everything, so I’m giving you the tip of the iceberg here and trust that you’ll enjoy all the things at your leisure:

Zoe Vine – glorious dresses (with sleeves!) in lovely colors, based in the UK (because the UK has everything I want right now, right?), machine washable – gimme!

Hepcat Corner – tees, sweatshirts, bags, phone cases, and more, all with the swing dancer in mind.  Bonus points for graphic of shag dancing couple (labeled Charleston – could be either!).

August Three – I had hoped to cover this in a Lindy Focus vendor post that may never come to fruition, but I got to see the beauties from this new swing dance shoe company based in Thailand and the quality looks great and I loved the custom color options.  Would love to hear from others who have tried them!  Jenna Applegarth has endorsed these and she is essentially the international swing dance shoe expert at this point, I’m not sure there’s a swing dance shoe company she hasn’t tried!

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Pretty Retro – In December I discovered that my new favorite go-to clothing website, The House of Foxy, has an offshoot brand called Pretty Retro.  I’m not sure what the differences are, it all looks like more glorious, quality vintage-inspired reproduction clothing and I am here for it.

Angelus Lustre Cream and Leather Paint – having trouble color matching leather polish so you can try to restore some life into a tired, scratched pair of dance shoes?  Lauren Stowell of Royal Vintage Shoes recommends Angelus Lustre Cream (thanks for posting in the Women’s Swing Dance Shoes Hunt Facebook group!).

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Some sunshine for these gloomy winter days, from Swingbird Fashions

Green of Grey – I found another magical trumpet skirt in the wild (which has since sold out, but maybe custom order? That bow, AMIRITE?) and a number of other adorable swing-era-inspired items in this adorable Etsy shop.

Swingbird Fashions – a Denver-based Etsy shop, with trumpet skirts IN STOCK, adorable 30’s style shorts/skort, 30’s blouses, trousers (both wide leg and those pleated/tapered ones that everyone seems to compete in), some gorgeous dresses, really so many quality things!

Groovy Fox – what a fun name for this new swing dance shoe company!  Bulgaria jumps in on the dance shoe game and the results are lovely – we so spoiled with all these new shoe companies with lovely colors and styles.  Loving the lilac and mint and wanting to build a spring wardrobe around these colors…

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Memery – Vintage-Inspired Footwear

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

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The shoe blessings runneth over and, while this vintage reproduction shoe company doesn’t appear to be directly marketing to the swing dance community, all signs point to it being a default winner – Memery, a UK-based company, is making reproduction shoes from the 1920’s, 1940’s, and 1950’s with leather soles (but also a vegan option) and they are lovely, in some classic colors and some unexpected colors.  While it appears that they are getting a start on their shoe lines, it looks like they are off to a strong start, particularly with their 1940’s pump, which comes in six scrumptious suede colors and two heel heights (3 cm/1.18 inches and 6.7 cm/2.6 inches).  This is definitely a shoe company to watch!

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I have a 1940’s pair of oxfords with this same topstitching effect – love this attention to detail!

Etsy Holiday Gift Ideas

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

If you’re looking for a gift for the special swing dancer in your life (or really any super niche sub-culture), look no further than Etsy – here are some of my favorite swing dancer themed items that you may want to gift or that you may want under the tree for yourself:

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You don’t have to live in Austin to appreciate the beauty of The Fed, dance energy is universal – framed art prints make great gifts!

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For those stray ties, security is just a few clicks away – take your pick of a Leon James or (what appears to be) Kevin St. Laurent

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Did you know swing drummer/bandleader/dancer Josh Collazo has his own Etsy shop?  Pick up a mug for your favorite coffee/tee-loving dancer.

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Maybe you collect vintage bric-a-brac and these figurines are just the thing to fill a void in your collection?  Props for the “jazz” themed shirt/sweater and the rayon print dress.

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Lindy Hop or Swing Out?  Pendants and other goodies at LindyJewelsbySheri

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A print in celebration of this year’s transcription project bandleader? Even more adorable jazz musician critters at LauraGlaessArt

 

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Because your next change of shirt could be seasonal?

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I might need this shirt in my life…

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A 60’s-does-20’s set of Collins glasses with dancers

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Echo of Deco in the UK makes several different jazz dancers/couples, I bet you could order with customized colors…

 

 

 

 

Chester Cordite Twill High Waist Trousers

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’m excited to see more vintage inspired men’s trousers popping up from reproduction/retro brands on the Internet – as you may or may not know, the most searched for item on Lindy Shopper is men’s high waisted pants.  The latest offerings are from Chester Cordite, who I featured on this blog in January of 2017 with suits and spearpoint collar shirts, but they have since added even more clothing options to their stock.  However, I’m focusing on this particular pair of 30’s/40’s inspired twill trousers because they will likely be the most versatile for dancers in most seasons, depending on where you live – these are the most basic of basic men’s pants, but with all the little vintage details that make the difference: high waist, light pleat in the front (for mobility/movement, y’all, don’t get scared), braces buttons, machine washable, 2 inches to let out in the rear, and comes in five colors (khaki, cream, light gray, dark gray, and navy).  Again, the UK is killing it with the repro trousers – if you’re like me and you simply cannot find pants to fit you in the US, the shipping cost and risk of a return are worth it.

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