I need the look of an old time swing dancer!!?

Question

were doing this thing in my class at school

i need the look of an old time swing dancer because were doing this thing where we sing and dance so if you could give me a url of a pic that would be great

Answer 1

Well that's a complicated question!

What era are you specifically looking for?  20's, 30's, 40's, or 50's?  Because the fashion from each of those era's is completely different.  Also are you going for a hollywood style swing dancer or a harlem style swing dancer?  They also had different styles.

I'm sure I'm confusing you, but that's ok.  You'll probably want to familarize yourself with a dance called "Lindy Hop".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_hop

You should also look up some video's of "Whitey's Lindy Hoppers", "Frankie Manning", "Dean Collins", and "Jean Veloz" on YouTube, to see what the original dancers looked like.

Now interms of fashion I find that this website is the best resource:

http://www.revampvintage.com/1920.html

http://www.revampvintage.com/1930.html

http://www.revampvintage.com/1940.html

http://www.revampvintage.com/1950.html

You can see how the fashion differs from decade to decade.

My guess would be you'd want to shoot for a 30's or 40's look, as those decades were most associated with swing!

Now that you have an idea of what fashion was like, it's time to think about the most important thing about you outfit . . . YOUR HAIR!!!

Hair was a big deal in the 30's and 40's, and had a very unique look, so you'll have to learn how to do your hair (or have it done) right by going to this website:

http://www.nocturne.com/swing/hair/hair....

They have step by step instructions and photos on how to style your hair.

The first thing you have to do is determine if you can do the style that you want . Hair was cut to the same length everywhere on the head (so i you have too short of hair, or bangs, you won't be able to do these hair styles). Long hair is ok, and actually a good thing because it let's you do more with your hair. Also don't worry about dying your hair a certain color. Back then natural was the only way to go (that or blue!).

To prep your hair, you'll need to curl it (don't use a curling iron). You'll want to use "Setting Lotion" when you curl your hair with sponge curlers or pin curls to get your curls to be uniform (let set until dry, or sleep in your curlers). When you curl your hair, you'll also want to do it in layers as indicated on the website (think rows of where you want to put rolls). You'll want a row of curls (curling the hair back) that follows your face around the top and sides.

When styling your hair, don't get frustrated if it takes a while. You will need a lot of hair spray and bobby pins. Even using this, your hair may not do what you want it to do, because it takes a while to train your hair to style the way you want it to.

You'll probably want some waves or curls on the front top and sides, then put the rest of your hair in a hair net or snood (you'll want to brush it out big after you curle it so that it fills the hair net uniformly).

Practice, practice, practice! As you style your hair like this more often, it becomes easier, and your hair easier to manage. I have a friend who does WWII reinacting and she can put her hair in pin curls while driving to work!

I hope that helps!

Answer 2

hair/makeup:http://blogs.manchestereveningnews.co.uk...

clothes: http://hollywoodcostumesandparty.com/pic...

this is way cute~ good luck on your project!