The Lindy Hop does not necessarily involve dressing up, retro or otherwise - indeed, when a group of Swedish pioneers revived swing dancing in the 1980s, they did it in true 1980s style. Even so, more and more swing dancers begin to fashion up their look. We explore why.

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Contributors to this episode:

Voon Chew, New York-based ambi-dancer/DJ and vintage dress enthusiast and collector

Dr. Elisabeth Frottier, head of the costume and fashion collection of Vienna’s University of Applied Arts

www.dieangewandte.at

Yana Sanamyants, Moscow-based swing dancer with a background in textile design

Laura Windley, frontwoman of the North Carolina-based Mint Julep Jazz Band, main contributor to Lindy Shopper, the popular blog about swing dance clothing

www.laurawindley.com

Rani-Patricia Dirnhofer, founder and owner of shoemaking company Saint Savoy

www.saintsavoy.com

For additional materials and some suggested reading, please visit www.fromthetoppodcast.com/episodes/6

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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov

www.alexei-korolyov.com

From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov