Tag: teen fashion

Dancewear en l’air: The Cap-Sleeved Retro Leo

Looking for a leotard that covers without looking dowdy? The Bombshell leotard by Vala has just the right amount of allure without exposing excessive skin.

The Bombshell is great for dancers who prefer to wear a bra in class. The retro neckline covers nicely, and the sultry cut and silky Supplex fabric are anything but boring. Princess seams and shaped inserts enhance your lines and create a gorgeous silhouette. A classic black cap-sleeve leotard looks great in any season, but especially when its done this right.

Dancewear en l’air: The Cashmere-Feel Thigh-High Warmers

Legwarmers are an absolute staple for ballet dancers. You can throw them on with practically anything to keep your gams toasty and cozy in a chilly studio, and they come in a wide variety of lengths and fabrics. Perfect for barrework and stretching, the Bloch Francessca W0948 thigh-high style is an ideal option.

The CBT loves the stirrup-free long length of these warmers, which protects you from achilles to quad in a soft acrylic blend while allowing you to accessorize with a skirt or a pair of cute shorts. Or wear them alone for a clean, unencumbered look that your teacher will love.

Dancewear en l’air: The Tulle-Strap Dance Dress

Anyone who’s taken pas de deux class while wearing a wrap skirt knows what an annoyance those ties can be in the middle of supported pirouettes or allegro work. Skirts can be fun to wear and can accent your movement nicely, but in partnering class they can be a distraction or irritation to you and your partner. Time for a one-piece dance dress, like Degas’s delicately refined 2519.

The CBT loves how Degas accents some of its pieces with light touches of tulle on the straps and bodices of its leotards and dresses (or tunics as they refer to them), especially on 2519. This tone-on-tone dress features a classic pinch-front, square-neck cut. Tulle for the straps and the attached short – but not too short – skirt makes for a lovely balance of fabric weights while giving it a real “ballerina” look.

Dancewear en l’air: The Geometric Leo

If you are looking for a fun leo that will transition you from ballet classes to jazz classes in style, check out Yumiko Dancewear’s Alex cut. Yumiko’s sporty, sleek designs have become the favorite of many professional dancers and students in the past few years because each leotard is individually designed by the customer off of one of their unique base models which feature interesting, abstract cuts and binding.

Like many Yumiko models, Alex is a good choice for a day when your schedule is packed with not only ballet classes, but modern, jazz, conditioning and even hip-hop. Available in an endless combination of colors and fabrics, you’ll probably feel ready for just about anything in this leo.

Get The Goods

When I was a young dancer, Discount Dance Supply was best mail-order company for dancewear. (No internet back then, kiddos!) They would special order styles, colors or sizes that didn’t appear in their catalog. Though they are still pretty good, they no longer provide special order service – If you want a special size or item you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Many excellent dancewear retailers have a wider selection and better service than DDS. If you still can’t find what you want, quite of few of them will special order, cut-to-order or dye-to-order your item. Some do not show up easily in Google though, so you kinda have to know where to look. Lucky for you, the CBT is in the know! Here’s the 411 on the best places to get the goods:

ADA Discount Dancewear
http://www.adadance.com

All 4 Dance
http://www.all4dance.com/

Amazon.com (For real – Just search for what you want in sports apparel!)
http://www.amazon.com/

Back Bay Dancewear
http://www.backbaydancewear.com/

Capezio Dancewear Shop
http://www.pagelinx.com/cpzo/

Dance Distributors
http://www.dancedistributors.com/

Dance Express
http://www.dancex.com/

The Dancer’s Shop
http://www.thedancersshop.com/

Dancer’s Warehouse
http://www.dancerswarehouse.com/

DWC Dancewear Corner
http://www.dancewearcorner.com/

Just For Kix
http://www.justforkix.com/

New York Dancewear
http://www.nydancewear.com

River’s Edge Dancewear
http://www.riversedgedancewear.com/

Tutu.com
http://tutu.com/

I have not included here the it-sites for costumes or for designer dancewear manufacturers who direct-sell on their site, but I’ll make separate posts for that eventually. Send me a message on the Contact the CBT page if you want to see that info sooner rather than later. Happy Shopping!

Dancewear en l’air: The Lacey Leo

Looking for a ballet leotard that will make you stand out in an audition without looking too showy, sporty or – heaven forbid – neon? It can be tough to find elegant leos that aren’t simply more of the same classical cuts, but Ainsliewear has pulled it off rather nicely with 114la, a wine-hued capsleeve model from their 2010 collection.

This leo features a delicate lace detail at the neckline and a gorgeously low V-cut back to highlight your elegant épaulement. And they even make a lovely matching skirt for the perfect pairing. You won’t get lost in the crowd this audition season! Sugar Plum, anyone?

Dancewear en l’air: The Stretch Knit Legging

The CBT is always on the lookout for warm-ups that keep your muscles protected with minimum bulk. K.D. Dance brings it to the table with their ultra chic stretch legging, style AL114161.

In typical K.D. Dance fashion, this cozy number is both stylish and functional. The acrylic/lycra blend provides softness with just the right amount of cling, and K.D. Dance offers an outrageous range of color choices for this item.

These tights are an excellent piece for wear between classes, to and from classes, or during rehearsals and classes. And if you have a teacher like me that only allows streamlined warm-ups that don’t obscure alignment, you’re definitely in luck here.

Dancewear en l’air: The Plush Tank Leo

For me, nothing ruins a good classical line like a busy leotard. With the rising popularity of the Natalie brand’s fussy, strappy confections, it seems like every time a student detournés, I am accosted by a web of criss-cross straps and camisole lines.

For my taste, nothing flatters a young dancer like the clean lines of a classic tank leo. Enter the Body Wrappers / Angelo Luzio P300 plush tank leotard. A modern take on the classic standby, its gorgeuos, soft fabric features an elegant bust detailing on an empire waist (and that’s “ahm-PEER”, btw, not “EHM-pyre”, kiddos.) The CBT loves that it looks lux while not looking overdone, and could easily pair with a matching skirt or with warm-ups for a more casual look.

Dancewear en l’air: The Wrap Skirt

What items look good for ballet class, but aren’t going to annoy, me, your teacher? You can count on the CBT to let you know here, in Dancewear en’lair.

I thought I’d start off with one of my all-time favorite dance skirts, the ubiquitious Mirella S12.

In a wide variety of colors – though no florals or prints, boo! – this little number is a must for the dance student. I restrict my female students to the classic black leo and pink tights, but for pointe, variations/repertoire and partnering I allow skirts, this being my favorite due to its quality fit which doesn’t hide alignment.

Unlike any of the many, many skirts I’ve purchased over the years, the Mirella S12 never fails to flow into a perfect soft line along the body. It’s cut to flatter many different body types, and Mirella even makes an S12A style available for larger frames. It’s not everyday that a dancewear company recognizes that we dancers are not all delicately framed with long legs and short torsos! Kudos, Mirella.

If you are looking for a skirt you won’t regret buying and that will serve you well over the years, this is the one. Just be sure to check your school’s dress code first!