People sometimes associate swing dancing with zoot suits and black-and-white saddle shoes. They did this in the 40's. We don't really do this anymore! We're FAR too lazy!

Most people dress casually for modern swing dancing. Typical outfits are jeans or pants and T-shirts or short-sleeved button-downs for guys, and loose pants or stretch jeans and nice tops for women. The key is comfort - try not to wear skirts that will fly up when you turn, tight clothes in fabrics that don't stretch, or shirts with constraining shoulders that prevent you from raising your arms above your head.

The same goes for shoes. You should wear comfortable shoes for swing dancing. You can pretty much wear anything you would wear to work or wear out to a restaurant or a pub. Most women will try to avoid high heels or shoes that might fly off while you're dancing.

That's all there is to know! For special occasions or performances you might find dancers dressed in "period" (1940's) style clothes, but that's only really for the stage (or people who are really into 40's clothes), and not at all required or common for social dancing.

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