A plastic bin overflows with my pink tights, ribbons and leotards. My history as a ballet dancer is laced up in each pointe shoe and stitched into the leg warmers, but I haven't danced for three years. My plan was to throw things away. But why waste what have now become perfectly good street clothes?
I have walked into clothing stores only to be surrounded by leg warmers, leotards, tights and even shoes that could be worn in a dance studio. Cotton-spandex blends abound. Girls today wear footless tights under miniskirts, something I once did simply for convenience between rehearsals. Throwback to last week: I visited Free People and saw tutus hanging from the ceiling with cartoon drawings of girls dancing en pointe. Do women want to look in the mirror and return to the Pretty Pretty Princess playing days of childhood?
So many girls took dance lessons when they were younger, and it certainly wasn't to have some old Russian women poke them in the stomachs and turn their legs out. Designers have latched onto this inkling of desire of women to possess the elegance of a ballerina. Women still want to float like a swan in Swan Lake; they should be able to twirl like Giselle. Alexander McQueen (right), Rodarte and Ralph Lauren cater to this fantasy with fall collections that manipulate tulle and taffeta in intriguing, modern ways. Actresses like Natalie Portman and Keira Knightley (left) have lithe, delicate and classic features; they could easily pull on tutus, put their hair in buns and pose to recreate a Degas.
There also are the leotards, tights and ballet flats that I've seen everywhere on campus and in magazines. It's like Flashdance, Center Stage and Save the Last Dance are dominating our wardrobes. I still get my Discount Dance Supply catalog and swear that I could order some of the leg warmers from there and be able to wear them out (with only a bit of ridicule).
I understand why rehearsal-inspired clothes have found a home outside the studio. They're comfortable and stretch a lot, while at the same time flattering your body with form-fitting layers originally meant to keep muscles warm while still revealing the dancer's body to her instructor. Leg warmers and leotards fit the type of alternative style of girls striving to be ahead of the curve. Or perhaps to look at themselves in the mirror and see Jennifer Beals staring back.
So we have two dance-inspired looks that can be modified for Dartmouth fashion: rehearsal and performance clothes. 1980s versus 1880s. Which pieces allow for both arabesques and walks to class (not that I've done this before or anything)? Balance it: Footless tights with a miniskirt and ballet flats are easy to pull off. A cotton-spandex top from American Apparel, matched with a pair of jeans, can be the simple version of an '80s dancer.
Prefer the romantic, performance ballerina? For the low-key ballerina, Anthropologie has some demure sleeveless tops. But if you need a tulle party dress that can be confused for a dessert, go to Betsey Johnson, who takes frilly, dreamy tutus to a whole other level. Put your hair up into a bun and style it with icy bobby pins and Sugar Plum Fairy headbands. Tie a satin sash around the waist with a cardigan or simply wear a pair of dainty ballet flats. In no time, you'll embody the dreamy decadence of Degas ballerinas.
Dylan is a staff writer for The Mirror.
