Renea's Swinging Style

Last year, during my no-new-clothes challenge, one of my favorite people, Renea, let me come with her on a particular shopping mission: finding the perfect clothes for swing dancing during Texas summers. The clothes needed to be cute, but still lightweight and comfortable enough to move and sweat in. A little retro aesthetic in keeping with the swinging spirit would help, too. Finally, the clothes needed to be multi-functional so that they could be worn on or off the dance floor. Here's what Renea ended up with:

Lightweight, cotton-blend shirts in a variety of patterns:

one of my favorites!

Stripes + lace in a comfortable tank top = the perfect choice for a night of dancing.

Cute top + cuffed jeans + cute flats seems to be the pattern so far, and Renea nails it. Keds are apparently the footwear of choice for lots of swing dancers.

 

The hat and shades make this outfit perfect for a night of swinging to the sounds of Sinatra and the Rat Pack.

All of those tops would work well with slacks or skirts, and at least two of them are nice enough to wear to work.

3 dresses in classic patterns. 

 All these dresses are in a breathable jersey material and have a fit & flare design, which is flattering on just about everybody and also makes for maximum twirling impact. 

This dress would work as is anywhere from work to a wedding.

 I'm beginning to marvel at Renea's amazing collection of cute flats.

Taking a breather from all that dancing.

Polka-dots give just a touch of retro style. The dress's wearer adds a touch of sass.

Thanks, Renea, for letting me work out my shopping urge with you last year, and for sharing all these great photos of your lovely outfits. This weekend, Renea is letting me help her shop her closet, so maybe we'll have even more cute outfits to share.