Dear Fashion Industry, Enough With Balletcore
Every year there seems to be an aesthetic trend that the fashion industry just can’t get enough of. From cottagecore and dark academia, to coastal grandma and e-girl, there seems to be an aesthetic for everyone. At this moment, the fashion world is obsessed with balletcore. If you are unfamiliar with the trend, allow me to elaborate and explain why I, a dancer since childhood, am not too fond with the trend.
According to the Aesthetics Wiki, balletcore originated on TikTok in 2022. The style is often inspired by the outfits of professional ballet dancers both onstage and in the rehearsal studio. Key colors are pink, white, gray, nude, and black, with many of these outfits featuring knitwear, chiffon, bodysuits, activewear, and ballet flats. Many have flocked to the trend due to it’s femininity and comfortable nature. Since this aesthetic started to trend, a number of retail stores and fashion brands have made campaigns and collections inspired by the trend.
Now a little bit about me, I have been dancing for well over 15 years and ballet has been one of my biggest loves. I love the precision of the art form, the beauty, the costumes, the music, the artistry, I love it all. Though I never made it a professional career, I continue to dance and share my love of ballet with others. And I do enjoy seeing ballet referenced in other forms of media. But ballet and the fashion industry often leave me with mixed feelings.
Now many people have stated that they were drawn to balletcore because it makes them feel comfortable and super feminine. I want to clarify that I’m not trying to criticize anyone who wears this trend. Fashion is all about expressing yourself and wearing what makes you confident. In fact, I have seen quite a few lovely example’s of ballet inspired fashion. But here’s why I want this whole trend to be less mainstream.
For one, many of these outfits look more inspired by what toddlers wear for ballet classes. A majority of dancers don’t wear half of these items past a certain age. And sometimes wearing certain items just doesn’t work. You know, leg warmers have an actual purpose right? Dancers wear them to keep their muscles warm and help prevent injuries, not just for fashion statements. Why do many of these outfits feature leg warmers worn inside of shoes?! They’re not socks people.
Another issue I’ve seen is that some outfits take inspiration from 19th century ballet dancers. Many influencers who dress in this aesthetic often wear corsets, frilly shorts, skirts, and ribbons in their hair and on their legs. Do any of them realize that these old school ballerinas were often super young (14–18 years old) and the objects of males affections? Back in the days when Degas was painting ballerinas, dancers were looked down upon and many only made a living due to older gentleman paying for them.
And the other issue I have is that many of these fashion ads feature non-dancers. Now I know what you’re thinking, “It’s ballet inspired that shouldn’t matter!” Well it does matter when the models are wearing pointe shoes. Pointe shoes should only be worn by dancers after years of training, it is not safe to wear pointe shoes without that proper training, even if you’re just sitting down. Why not hire dancers to model your clothes and that way the clothing can be modeled in actual ballet poses?
To be completely honest, I feel like balletcore is people playing dress up, like “Don’t I look like a ballet dancer?” But how many of these people dressing in this aesthetic actually took a ballet class? Have any of them ever seen a professional ballet company live? Do they even know how hard it is to be a ballet dancer? Do they understand the inspiration behind the outfits they’re wearing?
You want to know what I wear in ballet class? A leotard, tights, sometimes a skirt, and usually at the start of class, a giant hoodie or sweater. In fact, many dancers wear wrap sweaters and sweatpants, but usually with the purpose of keeping the body warm. Some even wear t-shirts over leotards because they don’t like showing skin. Many of these “ballet” outfits put these items together with no real cohesion or reason. We layer for warmth and comfort, not to look cool.
If you’re attracted to the balletcore aesthetic and it makes you feel good, then by all means go ahead and rock your style! But maybe look into the history and actual style beforehand. And to the fashion industry, please hire dancers to model and stop making the outfits look tacky. JessaKae recently had a ballet inspired collection and that was feminine and elegant without being stereotypical. And to make it better, it featured dancers of various ages, shapes, and skin tones. Legendary fashion brands Chanel and Dior have featured professional ballet dancers in their fashion campaigns as well. These examples are a step in the right direction, ballet representation that we deserve.
