Treads & Threads!
What the Well-Dressed Swing Dancer Wears...
Debra ferrets out the best places to shop
in the Washington, DC area as well
as mail order suppliers.

Treads
No Lindy-Hopper is complete without the appropriate pair of kicks to complete their outfit! Personally, I own 11 pairs of black and white shoes and that's not nearly enough! You know you've reached the appropriate degree of obsession when you stop strangers on the street and ask them where they got their shoes.

Whatever you pick, remember that Lindy is fairly athletic and we need something with a lot of support. Ballroom shoes tend to be too flimsy and too thin of sole. Tom always says you need that half inch of rubber to cushion the impact. Bottom line, it really comes down to a matter of personal preferrence; some people like a slide-y bottom, some like a little bit of grip. Lots of us buy regular street shoes and wear them as they are; others (myself included) take them to a shoemaker and have chrome leather or suede put on the soles. What you want to do is find a pair of shoes you love dancing in!

Okay, so us girls and boys alike love a good pair of shoes. Where to get 'em? There are many sources, but only a few are fool-proof. Massage your little tootsies (still sore from kickin' up your heels last night, I'm sure) and zip through this list:

Bleyers
One of the first and favorites of the hard-core Lindy crowd, Bleyers are German-made dance shoes that come in a wide varity of styles and an almost-perfect surface. They are sold exclusively by our good friends at Dancestore.com. You'll definately want to visit their website and check out the selection. An extra added bonus--try those innersoles that Bleyer supplies. I finally got a pair and find them absolutely HEAVENLY.

Bass Saddles Shoes and Bucks
You just cannot go wrong with a classic pair of black and white saddle shoes! I actually wear mine more for street wear than for dancing--they are sharp! A current favorite is also the classic Buck in nubuck. They come in brown, light brown, and my favorite, white. Both the saddle shoes and the bucks are very comfortable and provide good support. (I had chrome leather put on the bottom of my white Bucks.) You can find them wherever Bass shoes are sold, visit their website, or call their Consumer Affairs department at 1-800-950-2277.

Designer Shoe Warehouse
Another good source for street shoes is DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) with various locations in the metropolitan area. Check their website at www.dswshoes.com.

Truwedge
This company out in San Diego, California, uses vintage machinery and vintage patterns to produce brand new shoes! They have some lovely styles and Glenn is very helpful and accommodating. See Truwedge and Truwedge/new or email Glenn.

Other places to check out
Don't forget to check out a variety of places for regular street shoes that you can either wear as-is or have chrome leather put on the soles. Tom likes Allen Edmunds', which are expensive but provide good support. Try Nordstrom's, Church's English Shoes, and maybe even some of the dude shops down on F Street or in suburban malls. Don't forget places like the Nordstrom's outlet in Potomac Mills, odd things like that. There is also a wide variety of vintage, thrift and second-hand stores to check. Raid your grandmother's closet--be creative!

The last word on shoes...
Please let me know if you come across something fabulous and I will go shoping immediately.

Threads
As I told Tom the very first time we went out dancing together, if you're gonna do that goofy dance, you better dress the part. So we went to a biker bar in Wheaton and, lemme tell ya, he was DEFINITELY the only guy in there wearing saddle shoes! So why is it that we think a guy wearing a pair of pants that come up to his armpits and are big enough to serve as a parachute is cool, but some teen-age kid in a pair of blue jeans hanging off his butt is a jerk? Because that pair of zoot pants cost $500, that's why!

I don't just love Lindy Hop, I love the 1930s and '40s. I love the furniture, I adore the clothing, and the music is like the blood pumping through my veins! Out in Los Angeles, the kids are doing an entire '40s trip, and I loved it! Seamed stockings, wonderful hairdo's, incredible clothing. But we don't live in California, so what do we do?

Tom has a tailor that he uses to copy his vintage pants. They guy can make them up in nice lightweight wools or whatever. This way, you can have the style and the look and save the wear and tear on your vintage stuff. The tailor's name is Bobshan Clothiers, phone 703/866-4858; or visit his website, bobshan.com. Tom's been working with him for a number of years and it seems he has a nice feel for recreating old clothes.

Dance God Charlie Wyler, our good friend from Baltimore, is now working with a tailor in Charm City to create custom-made vintage recreations of men's and women's clothing. Charlie came into America one Friday night wearing one of this guy's zoot suits and was looking VERY clean. You can contact Charlie via email at cmwyler@erols.com.

A lot of us (including myself) have zoot suits from El Pachuco, out in Fullerton, CA. They can sell you a used suit off the rack or make you a new one ($500). These guys are very accommodating and will do what it takes to make you happy. Call 'em at 714-526-3743; fax is 714-526-0411. Another good source is Siegel's Clothing Superstore, who evidently has been making zoot suits since before they were invented! Check them out at www.zootsuitstore.com.

Hit every vintage clothing store you come across. In Washington, DC, check out Meeps & Aunt Neensie's at 1520 U Street, NW. They don't have much '40s stuff, unfortunately (it seems to be all '60s and '70s these days) but sometimes you can get lucky or find things like ties or jewelry. Call 202/265-6546. One door away is Millennium, a fun furniture and collectibles shop that has some clothes. Further east on U Street, between 9th and 10th Streets, NW, you'll find Mood Indigo. In Takoma Park, visit Aunt Polly's and Takoma Underground. Check out theses websites for vintage clothes:
Kitty Girl Vintage
eBay Womens listings
Let me know if you come across any others!

A lot of us gals make our own clothes. Vintage patterns are availble both at G Street Fabrics and through catalogs, and you can also find new patterns that are reminiscent of stuff from the '30s and '40s. The vintage auction site eBay.com has changed my life. Watch, too, for fabrics that capture the era. But it's nice to be able to make dresses in wash 'n' wear fabrics!

The truth of the matter is, I've never been addicted to anything in my life--until I started visting sites that sell vintage patterns. I have to force myself to stop buying until I catch up on old sewing projects! Some of my favorite sites to visit:
Patterns from the Past
The Blue Gardenia
eBay Vintage Sewing

I own a terrifically fun book called "1940s Blueprints of Fashion," written by Wade Laboissonniere. It shows the covers of patterns from the 1940s, everything from dresses, pants, ensembles and skirts to gloves, hats, accessories. It's a great reference for colors, fabrics, styles. Wade sent me an alert recently that his latest book, "1950s Blueprints of Fashion," is now available. You may be interested in contacting Wade directly at DIZZBRAIN@aol.com.

Another website that came to my attention recently is a fun one for books on hairdos's, make up and vintage living; check out Streamline Press.