Many moons ago, I used to do ballet and my favourite thing in the world used to be going to Porselli and getting my shoes fitted and buying all the gear that I needed – wrapover cardigans, leotards, tights.
Well, the moons have passed, I have stopped doing ballet (drunken pirouettes in the street do not count!) but I still love dancewear shops and lots of people have yet to tap into (geddit? ‘tap’ dancing? ho ho) this source of inexpensive ballet flats, jazz shoes, tights, cardigans, leggings. Surprisingly fashion forward gear for much less dough!
If you don’t live near dancestores, just type in ‘dancewear’ into Google and you’re sure to find a massive plethora of stores!
Here is a selection from Dance Depot:
There’s nothing worse than having sheer tights on during ballet class which is why ballet tights always have REALLY good opacity. I like to get the pink and white ones. The convertible ones are cool too because they can be footless or not. If you’re feeling the 80’s revival, then the coloured stirrup ones are perfect….. I would wear the stirrup over a pair of round toed heels.
I would so wear all these shoes out and about. The ballet satin warm up shoes are maybe a little hard to wear on the streets but if you’re just visiting a friend’s house or walking short distances, they’re still do-able. I like to buy the warm up ones to take with me on plane journeys – very comfy travelwear and an alternative to the Louboutin cashmere travel slippers. The glittery jazz shoes are really funky – kind of like mens’ Oxfords which are very apt for the androgynous trend going on these days. The tap shoes on the right are a little noisy but you can get your shoe guy to take out the tap heel and you have these 1930’s-esque low pumps left!
I love the back strap detailing on dance leotards and when it gets warmer, I might wear one with a skirt over it or maybe even a t-shirt under it. They also make you suck in your whole body so you do end up feeling more graceful and streamlined! For some reason, ballet knitwear has the best cut low v’s and they also have the v at the back as well so they’re ultra flattering! The warm up pants would be good for that lux sportswear look because of the sheen of the material. I would wear them with some pointy flats and a loose-ish silky top. That could be a no brainer going out outfit.
I absolutely love this article (blog? essay? what would you call it?)! I myself am a ballet dancer, and with 6 classes a week, there is not much time to change clothes. So I wear dance gear most of the day! It’s so wonderful and comfy. It’s also quite cute.
And those ballet warm-ups are super comfortable.
Love this post! Check out Repetto, they are a dancewear compagny but have incredible shoes ranging from ballet shoes to boots.
great post. love it. those silvery- glitter type ballet flats remind me of marc jacobs.
That’s exactly what I do. I took ballet (dancing) classes for ages and still love to wear all the stuff I have left. Great link btw. ♥
this blog post is awesome!! i dont do ballet, so the thought of ballet attire being everyday wear never crossed my mind. love your post and the previous ones too! great insight and point of view :))