"You've either got or you haven't got style
If you've got it you stand out a mile ...
When you wear lapels like the swellest of swells
You can pass any mirror and smile...
You've either got or you haven't got STYLE!!
----
Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin
"Robin and the Seven Hoods"
Yup, this is Sinatra's world and we just live in it. The swinger style is nothing new. It's not a passing trend or "new thing that all the cool kids are doing". It's more than wearing the right clothes and knowing how to do the jitterbug. It's an attitude and way of life that was perfected by those like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Though we may not ever be quite as hip as them, we can have fun trying and remembering the way it was when our grandparents were young.
Now we all know that no one quite had the style and class that Frank Sinatra had. He epitomizes the image of the classic swinger that we all think of and attempt to emulate. In 1994, Chicago writer Bill Zehme began a correspondence with Frank Sinatra that three years later led to Zehme's book, The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin' (Harper Collins). Here are a few words from that book in which Sinatra describes how to live (and look) like a class act swinger...
How to wear a tux:
My basic rules are to have shirt cuffs extended half an inch from the jacket sleeve. Trousers should break just above the shoe....Pocket handkerchiefs are optional, but I always wear one, usually orange, since orange is my favorite color. Shine your Mary Janes on the underside of a couch cushion.
Qualities in women that cought his eye:
The first thing I notice about a woman is her hands. How they're kept. Grooming is so important.... I like a woman's clothes to be tasteful and subtle. I don't like excessive makeup.... I don't go for topless. I've never seen a topless bathing suit, but I don't have to see one to know I wouldn't like it.
Mind your manners:
I notice today that good manners -- like standing up when a woman enters, helping a woman on with her coat, letting her enter an elevator first, taking her arm to cross the street -- are sometimes considered unnecessary or a throwback. These are habits I could never break.
[A note from the webmistress: Feminism did not kill chivalry. Women today may be stronger and much more independent, but we still love (and miss) a little chivalry...]
Even ol' Blue Eyes got dumped once or twice....
It's happened to all of us and never gets any easier. I understand, however, that playing one of my albums can help.
[Another note: "For Only the Lonely" is a fav among my circle of friends.... in my circle of friends only one of us actually owns the album, and it just keeps getting passed around...so who has it now anyways??]
His best advice yet!:
You gotta love livin', baby! Because dyin' is a pain in the ass!!
- * - * - * - * -
So you want to be a swinger?? Well what the heck are you doin' here then?? Ok, I'm not going to claim to be the hippest chick on the block, and I am certainly not going to tell you what I think is cool and whats not. To me, the swinger style is all about having fun!! Now how much fun is it to go around trying to look just like everyone else?? None at all!! Swing is more than a cool zoot suit and oxford shoes, it's about music, a good martini, and having fun with your own "rat pack". So what the heck are you still here for?? Get out there!! Have fun and find your OWN style!!
Here's some places that may help you find the style your looking for....or at least a good pair of saddle shoes...
- Zoot Suits from El Pachuco Custom built zoot suits from the same place that the Flying Lindy Hoppers buy theirs.
- Dee Dee Swing Dee Dee Swing sells new vintage-style 40's dresses created by Hollywood designer Deborah Lancaster, plus swing videos, cd’s and books.
- Vintage Clothing Patterns from Michelle Well if you can't find that swing dress in the antique stores (in your price range at least!) try your luck with the needle and thread and make your own!! You'll find great patterns from the 20's and more on this page!
- Softworld's Sewing Resource Guide A very difinitive list of sewing links and patterns from the 20's through 50's.
- Past Patterns More vintage patterns on the web!
- Boyd-O-Productions Here's a nice little on-line store with fine t-shirts, CD's, and connections to dance instruction in S.F.
- The Rusy Zipper A great site with one of a kind collectables, vintage clothing, and books.
- KittyGirl Vintage Clothing and Jewelry Specializing in fashions and costume jewelry from the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Rayon dresses, Gabardine wool 40's jackets, coats, seperates, and the cool Bakelite, Lucite, and Celluloid Jewelry to go with your swing outfit!
- Victorian Millinery Lots of swing clothes, shoes, and hats.
- Darrow Vintage Clothing Great selection of pristine fashions and accessories for men and women from the 20's to 60's.
- A Victorian Elegance Specializing in vintage clothing, hats, purses, shoes, costume jewelry, and other accessories.
- Zoots by Suavecito More Zoot Suits!! Plenty of full color pics of everything they've got, including wingtips, fedoras, and chains!!
- Lindy Hoppers Homepage Guide to Vintage Clothing stores Locations and descriptions of many vintage clothing stores in the southern California area.
So now you have the look, but you need to learn the walk?? Here's some places to learn the steps and places to buy the music to practice to....
- USC Dance Club The USC Dancing Club is for people who love music and dancing. The Club meets weekly for dance lessons, goes out to local dance spots, and throws on-campus dance parties such as the Salsa Dance Party and SC Swing Night.
- USC Ballroom Dance Team Check out the homepage of USC's own ballroom dance team! Dance On Trojans!!
- Crazy Joe's Sunset Surf Lounge Views, music, art, entertainment, and information from surflounge.com.
- Hepcat Records This is the on-line place to order modern Swing. From Do-wop to Psychobilly, Hepcat is the resource!
- Rockhouse Music Mailorder Rockhouse Music Holland - Music mailorder since 1973 offers one of the biggest jumpin jivin and swinging databases online. Including their own releases on Rockhouse with bands such as Torello's Jive Bugs, Blue Moon Special, etc.
- Starbound Records Starbound Records is an up and comming record label that is bringing swing music into the 90's. You'll find tons of swing and big band music here, plus everything there is to know about their label.
- WJUX - New Jersey Radio Tie up your office's ISDN line with live streaming swing music in the evenings!
- The Dance Store You'll find a large selection of swing music and instructional video tapes by Lindy Hoppers Frankie Manning & Erin Stevens.
- The Flying Lindy Hoppers Lindy instruction, videos, performance, etc, in the Ventura/Los Angeles area
- Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association The PBDA holds swing nights in Pasadena every 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Saturday of the month!! Check the announcements section of this site for more info, or check their site!!
- John Cooper's Starlight Roof in S. Pasadena Classic American Music and Video. "The store they don't want you to know about"
- Work That Skirt Learn how to Street Swing dance to your favorite swing bands. Also, check out our calendar of San Francisco based swing/rockabilly events.
- Swing Dance VidBook Guide Free multimedia swing dance lessons, including the hustle, Charleston and Lindy hop.
- Henry Neeman's Dance HotlistA great page with endless lists of links to dance resources including places to learn swing and other partnered dancing all over the U.S.!!
- People Who Dance The Swing studio of Jay Byam. Located in the Moorpark/Los Angeles area
- The Hollywood Jitterbugs Lindy instruction in the Los Angeles area
- Buddy Schwimmer, the King of Swing Located in the Moreno Valley/Los Angeles-San Diego area
- Swingtime Dance Studio Dance instruction by Phil & Michele Adams located in the Bellflower/Long Beach-Los Angeles area
- Yeah Man Dance Productions Lindy hop instructors Rob Van Haaren & Diane Thomas teach in the San Francisco Bay area
- Lola's West Coast Swing Patterns
- Swing Dance Steps from Ross Mernyk
Check out my Swing Links page for even more swing dance resources....
So what's your poison? Not sure? Need a few new recipies or just lookin' for some fun facts or a little history on your favorite drink?? Well you're sure to find that here and much more. Scope out these sites and find out all you ever wanted to know (and then some) on your favorite cocktails.
And the last thing?....Learn to talk the talk!! Now I obviously wouldn't recomend you memorizing this dictionary then go running down to the Derby trying to sound like the next Bogart, but it's certainly fun to read!! Here's a few places to learn the hard-boiled swinger slang!
