The swing dress started life in the dance halls of the 40s, when girls wanted to swing and lindy hop the evenings away with handsome young men, flashing some leg when they swirled on the dance floor.
What is a swing dress?
The swing dress is usually a knee-length dress, fitted at the waist and flared so that it swings with the dancer. It was worn in the 40s and 50s, the 1940s versions tending to use less material because of fabric rationing, and in the 1950s skirts got bigger and fuller to reflect the fit and flare fashions (although swing skirts weren’t worn with the big frothy petticoats of more formal fashions).
For a 40s look pair your swing dress with some medium heeled shoes and seamed tights or stockings, and for a 50s look add some bobby socks and flatter shoes, then get ready to swing the night away!
Here are some of my favourite vintage and brand new swing dresses for you to look at, which is your favourite?
Vintage swing dresses
- Turquoise Blue Vintage late 40’s Swing Dress Cotton with Sailor Collar
- RITA Swing dress
- Vintage Swing Dress 50s Black & White Check Voile
- Canary Yellow Illusion Top Swing Dress
- Vintage 40s Swing Dress Pattern Simplicity 3420 Factory Folds
- Vintage 40s Dress
Modern swing dresses
- Blue Butterfly Swing Dress by Franny Lou Frocks
- Kitty Navy Pinstriped Sailor Swing Dress
- Purple Swing Dress by Halston Heritage
- ASOS PETITE Swing Dress with Long Sleeve
- ASOS Swing Dress With Embellished Collar
- ASOS Swing Dress with Dropped Waist
- Anne Klein Dress Sleeveless Belted Swing Dress
- Shirt Dress In Fluoro Jacquard Spot
Dress Types and Styles
[…] The Swing Dress is fitted at the waist and flared out. It the dress most associated with swing dancing in the 40's. Learn more about swing dresses at We Heart Vintage. […]