When I first wrote about what to wear to your first line dancing class, I was thinking about that first nervous walk through the door. You want to be comfortable, you don't want to look completely out of place, and you're probably wondering whether everyone else is going to turn up looking like they just stepped out of a country music video.
But once you've been line dancing for a while, something funny happens.
You start looking at clothes — and especially shoes — completely differently.
That gorgeous top? Will I cook in it after three dances? Those boots? Can I actually turn in them? That skirt? What happens when I spin? And those shoes might look great, but will my feet still be speaking to me three hours later?
I don't think I understood any of that when I started.
So, What Do Line Dancers Actually Wear?
The answer is: just about everything.
There really isn't a line dancing uniform. At a normal class you'll see tees, singlets, leggings, jeans, shorts, skirts and comfortable tops. At a social or country night, people might dress it up a little more with boots, dresses, denim, Western details or a bit of sparkle.
And then there are the dancers who are there for one thing only — to dance for hours — and they know exactly which top stays comfortable, which shoes let them turn and which outfit isn't going to annoy them by dance number five.
I think that's one of those things you only learn by actually dancing.
It Starts With Your Feet
I used to think line dancing shoes were mostly about the look. Cowboy boots and line dancing just seem to belong together, don't they?
But once you're doing turns, pivots and several hours on a dance floor, you start paying a lot more attention to what is actually underneath your feet.
Some dancers love boots. Some prefer a lighter dance shoe. Some change shoes depending on whether they're at a class, a social or dancing for a whole afternoon.
We've recently added proper dance footwear to Step Culture, and researching it has been a bit of an education for me too. There are suede-soled practice boots designed for indoor dance floors, and there are lightweight jazz-style shoes with split soles that are made to flex with the foot.
They're very different from simply buying a pair of fashion boots because they look Western.
If you want a deeper look at choosing footwear, I've also written What Shoes Should You Wear for Line Dancing?
Shop the Dance — Footwear
Made for the dance floor, not just the outfit.
Class Clothes and Social Clothes Aren't Always the Same
For an ordinary class, I'm much more interested in being comfortable than making an entrance. I want something I can move in, something that isn't too hot and something I'm not going to spend the whole class pulling up, pulling down or adjusting.
A social is different. That's when you can have a bit more fun with it.
Maybe it's a favourite line dancing top with jeans. Maybe a skirt or skort. Maybe a dress. Maybe boots and a hat because you feel like going full country for the night.
None of it is compulsory. That's the important bit.
The Top Has to Survive the Dancing
This is another thing I didn't think about enough at the beginning. A top can look fantastic standing in front of a mirror and be completely different once you've been dancing for an hour.
Can you lift your arms comfortably? Does it move with you? Is the fabric going to feel too warm? Do you prefer a longer top, something sleeveless, a loose singlet or a cropped style?
There isn't one right answer because we're all built differently and we all like different levels of coverage. But movement and comfort win every time.
Shop the Dance — New Tops
A few of the newest styles at Step Culture.
What About Skirts, Skorts and Dresses?
They're absolutely part of the mix too. The main question is still the same: can you dance in it?
If I'm going to be turning, travelling across the floor and dancing for a few hours, I want to know that what I'm wearing is going to behave itself. That's one reason skorts make so much sense for dancing — you get the look of a skirt with a little more freedom underneath.
Dresses can be brilliant for socials too, particularly when they're made from a fabric that moves with you rather than fighting against you.
Things I Wouldn't Want to Wear for Three Hours of Dancing
Anything that needs constant adjusting is already losing points with me.
I'd also think twice about shoes that grip the floor so strongly that turning becomes hard work, clothes that restrict my arms, or anything so warm that I'm uncomfortable before the night has really started.
Looking good is lovely. Being able to keep dancing is better.
You Know You're a Line Dancer When...
You pick up a pair of shoes and start thinking about the sole before you think about whether they'll match your handbag.
You judge a top by whether you can lift both arms in it.
You look at a skirt and immediately wonder what it's going to do during a turn.
And somehow, without really planning it, you end up with clothes that are your dance clothes.
Nobody warns you about that when you start either.
Wear What Lets You Dance
There isn't really a line dancing uniform — and that's one of the things I love about it.
Some women are happiest in jeans and a tee. Some love their boots and Western gear. Some want a lightweight top and flexible dance shoes because they're there to dance for three hours and don't care about anything else.
I think the longer you dance, the less you worry about what you're supposed to wear and the more you work out what lets you dance comfortably.
If you're right at the beginning and still wondering what on earth to turn up in, start with my What to Wear to Your First Line Dancing Class guide. And if you've already caught the bug, you might also enjoy 10 Mistakes Every New Line Dancer Makes.
As for the wardrobe full of dance clothes that seems to appear somewhere along the way?
I'm afraid you're on your own with that one. Mine seems to be growing too.