SHOPPINGOn Point(e): Inside The 'Balletcore' Dancewear Trend — Get The Look
Apr. 25 2022, Published 6:05 p.m. ET
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Over the past several months, ballerina-esque styles have taken the fashion world by storm, with leotards landing on our TikTok For You Pages, pale pink corsets gracing glossy magazines and flowing tutus jetéing into high-end collections. Just last week, Rodarte released their ballet-inspired fall 2022 campaign, depicting a series of Hollywood it-girls including Charli XCX, Taylour Paige and Lana Condor dressed like avant-garde prima performers. Featuring high-fashion takes on ballet staples like lace-up ribbon shoes, flouncy skirts and neat, slick-backed buns, the installment is only the latest instance of dance impacting modern trends.
"We were thinking about things that were a part of Rodarte and in our DNA," Rodarte designer Laura Mulleavy told Vogue of their inspiration, adding that they "wanted to play" with ballet-inspired elements, from classic silhouettes to "a soft pastel color palette."
And it's not just Rodarte. Balletcore, as it's often called, is one of 2022’s most comprehensive and accessible style movements. An amalgamation of several popular trends like body-con pieces, soft colors and sheer, flowing fabrics, feminine dancewear strikes a unique balance between simplicity and style, a fact fashion blogger Chazlyn Yvonne recently explained to Nylon.
"I love this aesthetic because I feel like you can find it almost anywhere," she said after noting that "the goal of balletcore is simply to have fun with the version of ballet that we see from an outside perspective."
From elegant shrugs to pointe-shoe-like footwear, here are three ways to wear balletcore this spring.
Play It Tulle
Fashion Pointe(s)
Shrug it off
Play It Tulle
The most straightforward way to hop on the balletcore trend is by embracing classic dancewear silhouettes and colors –– and what's more quintessentially "ballet" than the tutu? Channel your inner ballerina by sporting a light pink tulle gown that's fitted around the torso with a flowy, voluminous skirt, a wearable nod to the iconic leotard/tutu combo. While any neutral color could successfully convey the just-finished-my-fouettes look, you can't go wrong with soft pink.
Selkie's Bubble Puff Dress retails for $325 at bhldn.com.
Lulus' Just Like Royalty Pink Glitter Mesh Skater Dress retails for $78 at lulus.com.
Fashion Pointe(s)
Beyond pink, feminine gowns, no ballerina look is complete without a pair of pointe shoes. Allowing performers to dance on their tippy-toes, pointe shoes are designed to elongate the lines of the body, lengthening the legs for a more graceful look. To capture this elegant effect sans the years of training it takes to actually dance en pointe, reach for a pair of high heels with ribbons that tie around the ankles.
Lulus' Alta Blush Pink Satin Lace-Up Heels retail for $39 at lulus.com.
Christian Louboutin's Sandale Du Desert 100mm Crepe Satin & Tulle Glitter Red Sole Sandals retail for $895 at neimanmarcus.com.
Shrug It Off
Although feminine frills and ribbons may be key elements of this trend, balletcore also touches on a few more practical elements of dancewear –– rehearsal fashion. For a polished, off-duty soloist look, turn to ballet class for inspiration, rocking neutral-toned sweaters or a shrug layered atop a form-fitting tank.
Alo Yoga's Thrill Seeker Shrug retails for $52 at aloyoga.com.
Alo Yoga's Ribbed Cropped Whisper Cardigan retails for $68 at aloyoga.com.
