4003  Dress and class in tango

Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2005 12:43:32 -0600
From: Barbara Garvey <barbara@TANGOBAR-PRODUCTIONS.COM>
Subject: Dress and class in tango

Sorry if a blank message went through -- my computer has a mind of its own.

When we first went to Argentina in 1987 and for many years afterward
announcements of milongas specified "elegante sport", which meant dress
shirts, suits or sport jackets and ties for men and dressy (there's an
old-timey word) dresses for women. Dancers in San Francisco followed
suit (!); most still do dress well. By the mid nineties some of the
women in BsAs began to wear "dressy" pants, chiffon or silk. The first
time we saw more casual clothing in the milongas in BsAs was in 1998, at
places like La Catedral where the crowd is quite young and avant-garde.

There was (is?) a strong feeling in tango circles about respect for the
dance, and clothing was a reflection of that.

It was also an expression, in my opinion, of the several other
characteristics of Argentine society. One of these is a strong desire
(may I say overwhelming, judging by national statistics on cosmetic
surgery and eating disorders?) to look good, to present an elegant
pinta. Another is the idea that Argentina was considered to be a largely
middle class country. And the third was the previously mentioned concept
of class aspiration.

My favorite theory is that of respect for tango. The idea of "respeto"
is crucial among the Argentines we've met, and the older dancers express
their respect for the dance in a number of ways, including the way they
dress.

Al and I are trying to instill a little of this in our fledgling tango
community in Puerto Vallarta, but it's challenging in a place where
formal dress means that men's toes don't show!

Which reminds me to invite any of you who are visiting this lovely town
to our Tuesday night practica, 8-10 pm at J&B Dancing Club, 2043 Blvd.
Francisco M. Ascencio. Visit our website for more information.
Abrazos,
Barbara
www.tangobar-productions.com