Swing-Era Apparel Terms Glossary

(check back soon for a more complete glossary!)

Be sure to check out the shoe terms glossary.

Having been swing dancers for more than a decade - we have picked up lots of tidbits about fashion - specifically fashion of the Jazz or Swing Era - the Twenties, Thirties and Forties.

We're avid collectors of vintage apparel, footwear and catalogs, nevertheless; expect that while most of this is fact, some of it may be legend... we don't know - we weren't there!

WOMEN'S WEAR

SKIRTS/DRESSES:

ALINE:
Shaped like the letter "A" the A-Line is common in Forties dresses and skirts due to the need to conserve fabric because of World War II rationing.

BATWING:
Shaped like... guess.

CIRCLE:
Shaped like a complete circle when you lay it flat. Can be cut from one piece of fabric or many (sometimes accomplished with kick pleats or gores). Showed up with gusto after the end of World War II rationing.

MENS WEAR

PANTS:

OXFORD BAGGIES:
A term given to pants from the Twenties, Thirties and Forties - baggy pants were the norm, then a necessity - in the Twenties, if you were thin it was a sign of poverty - so baggy pants were a nice way to cover up your chicken legs. In the Forties, due to shortages and rationing, many were thin - and coupled with the fact that pants were repaired instead of being replaced (check this out on your next trip to the vintage store); one was likely sporting pants that were one or two sizes large.

ZOOT SUITS:
Popular in the Thirties, the Zoot Suit became a way to "thumb your nose" at the government during World War 2 - as using 3-4 yards of material to make just one suit was considered wasteful in the light of shortages and rationing because of the war effort.

NOTES ON HEMMING:
It's best to pay a tailor to hem dress pants. Want to be authentically "Jazz Era" in your extra wide trousers? Tell your tailor to make your cuffs no smaller than 1.5".