When attending classes, almost any casual clothing that you feel comfortable in is fine. If you are about to attend your first class, we have some extra pointers about this and other tips here: Your First Dance Class.

Evening parties tend to be a little more dressy, but you will still want to be comfortable all night long. For dance events, there are two aspects you will want to consider when choosing what to wear: function and style.

FUNCTION

If you're going to be dancing for several hours at a time, often in venues without air conditioning, then of course a certain amount of sweating is to be expected. However, it’s unpleasant when it gets to the point where you feel like a wet sponge to your dance partner, so choose a fabric that enables you to stay cooler and drier for longer. Cotton will hold moisture for longer, so lightweight polycotton blends or synthetic fibres are a better option. Also, wearing dark colours makes those inevitable damp patches less visible. Some people opt to bring several changes of shirt to dance event so that they can feel fresh and dry throughout the night. Wearing a waistcoat is also a stylish way of creating an extra moisture barrier without it being so heavy as to cause you to overheat.

If you wear braces, the buttoned ones are preferable to the elasticated clip-ons, which can spring loose and cause injury while dancing.

Ladies will want to give some consideration to skirts as some can flare precariously high when spinning! If this is the case, you can opt for something discreet like dance knickers, or decide to be have fun with it e.g. by wearing vintage slips, patterned hosiery, or decorative knickers such as tap pants. 

Also it is best to avoid open-backed or loose tops, as they can be uncomfortable or awkward for your leader to handle.

STYLE

Many people who enjoy swing dancing are fans of the swing era in general, and so they choose vintage styling when attending large social events. This is not a requirement, of course, and anything you feel good in will be absolutely perfect.If you would like to dress in vintage style, there are two main options available to you: genuine vintage or repro. Lindy Shopper discusses the relative merits of each here. If you choose to buy genuine vintage, be sure to choose garments that are robust enough to withstand the rigours of dancing. You may prefer instead to opt for some of the reproduction vintage-style clothing that is readily available in high-street stores, or to buy from one of the smaller, more exclusive labels that specialises in retro clothing. If you are handy with a sewing machine, you could even purchase some vintage patterns and make your own. 

HAIR

During the swing era, women wore their hair pinned up and men wore their hair greased back. Such styles are not only appropriate stylistically, but they are also practical because they prevent long hair from flying into your partner's eyes and also prevent sweaty fringes from flicking moisture at your partner! Even if you do not go for the all-out vintage styling, it is worth taking these practicalities into account at a dance event.