Remind me to post about current fashion trends in the swing world, will you?
Though I guess I could do it here and now…
1. tattoos. If from Seattle, or spending time with Peter Loggins, the ‘high end’ lindy hopper is sporting serious ink. Most of it is ‘vintage’ ink – no tramp stamps or tribal arm bands here.
2. piercings. Not as many as you’d expect from such seriously inked yoof – safety first.
3. body fat. Not. Fast music = lean, athletic, long distance runners’ bodies.
4. skirts. Short. On the girls.
5. satin shirts. On the girls. Not as many as last year, but still making a presence.
6. vintage, but not foofy-skirt, zoot-suit vintage. Thank god. Discrete, tailored, clean lined vintage. Think early 30s rather than early 50s. Thank god again.
7. nice, high waisted trousers, collared shirts, ties, tie pins, cufflinks, waist coats. Jackets on arrival. Young men with serious ink and serious tailoring do not displease. Fewer stupid white dress shoes, but still a few too many.
8. generally quite kewl casual wear. Tshirts with stuff on, jeans (tight/baggy/whatever’s cool), fashionable hair cuts.
For evidence, check out the camp jitterbug pics (the jump session show stuff is probably most interesting). That’s a crew that cares. Mostly because they’re young and haven’t yet realised the finest lindy hopping accessory is a very large arse, worn low and wide for comfort and facilitating the uses of the internets.
All of this, as per usual, escapes me. I am wearing the only outfit that fits my shrinking body: shorts (The Squeeze’s), cuffs folded up as they get longer and bigger on me; tshirts (home made or bought, from a selection of about 4); hiking shoes with sports socks. Hair… big. We have entered the season of the Long and the humidity is running amok with my curls. I am off the hair colour for a while. I am quite grey underneath, and it’s come as a bit of a surprise. I might colour it. If I can find a hairdresser who can cut curly hair decently.
So I’m not really the best example of lindy hopping fashion. Hells, I’m ten years older than most of them. And they’re mostly teenagers or in their 20s. Give them time, and they’ll also realise comfort trumps form. For the internet, anyhow.
