Leotards
Leotards come in many different types, sizes, cuts, brands, fabrics and colors. There is a whole world of wonderful leotards for you to choose from out there! Different types of leotards include camisole leotards, tank leotards, halter leotards, short-sleeved leotards, and long-sleeved leotards. Other kinds include boat-neck, off-the-shoulder, one-shoulder and turtle-neck leotards.
Brands:
Brands include Capezio, Mirella, Bal-togs, Eurotard, Prima Soft, Gilda Marx, Gaynor Minden, Danskin, Harmonie, Natalie etc.
Choosing a leotard:
For the first time dancer, it is highly recommended that you Go To A Store In Person to try on leotards and choose your first leotard. Why? Because your leotard should fit you just right…not too tight, or baggy, or uncomfortable. And the sizing of leotards is a bit different than Real World sizes. Sizing, Type, Style, Cut….every leotard fits differently! And most brands are cut and sized differently than other brands. Going to a store allows you to try on different sizes, different brands, different types of leotards and different styles. Yes, ordering online looks nice and easy, but choosing a leotard is not easy. Trust me on this…I went to a store and tried on about 40 different leotards (and these were only the black ones!) before I found the perfect one for me. What type of leotard you get is completely up to you, but it has to fit your body. Also, check with your studio to see if they are preferential to one particular type or color of leotard. Once you get the general idea of what fits your body and what you like, then ordering online will be just fine.
Trying on a Leotard Part 1- Fitting and Comfort:
Ok, so you finally made it to the dance store near you…and you have allll these leotards to try on! Yay!! So you grab your first 10, and head to the dressing room. But what should you look for in a good leotard? And what are the signs of a bad leotard? And what are some things you should do while trying on leotards?
Fit: Does the leotard fit you right? Is it too tight or loose across your butt, stomach, shoulders or breasts? Is it long enough or short enough for your body, length-wise? Is it too tight over all, or too loose?
Ok here’s the real deal….Some people wear a size small in the Real World, and in the Ballet world, they wear a size small too. And some people wear a size small in the Real World, but in the Ballet World, they actually wear a size medium. And that’s perfectly normal. There is nothing wrong or shameful about going up (or down) a size or two when trying on leotards. Your leotard has to fit YOU just right, without being constrictive or baggy.
The leotard should fit you right all over. Look out for a leotard that is too tight in the crotch area…a leotard that is too short is not a good idea. Likewise, a leotard that is baggy is also not a good idea. A leotard should fit kinda like a glove…close to your body, but not too tight or too loose. A leotard that is too tight, or that doesn’t let you move, or one that doesn’t cover all your areas right, is NOT going to be a good leotard to dance in. Basically, you don’t want to be constantly adjusting your leotard while in class or have a leotard so small that its ready to pop seams every time you move.
Tall Dancers or Girls with Long Torsos: A few different brands make leotards in X-Long…to help fit the long torso that many girls have.
Bigger-Chested Dancers: Looking for a leotard that will give you ample support in class? Most leotards have some sort of lining on the front of the leotard, but they don’t offer much in the way of support. A few different kinds of “bra” leotards exist. Mirella makes two leotards that are good for girls who want more support: Mirella Leotard with Cups, and Mirella Square-Necked Leotard with Underwire. Gilda Marx also makes a few leotards that are good for bigger-chested dancers. If you wish, you can also wear a comfortable bra or sports bra under your leotard, but check with your teacher first to see if this is allowed. Some studios or classes are more lenient about this, and some are stricter and don’t allow straps to hang out of the leotard.
Comfort: Is the leotard comfortable? Does the leotard pinch or not stretch right across certain parts of your body? Does it ride up in the behind? Does it hurt your neck or shoulders? Are the straps in a good place for you?
Comfort in a leotard is something that is also important. Leotards shouldn’t pinch your back or shoulders, or ride up in the back. Straps that hurt your shoulders or neck aren’t such a hot idea either…who wants to deal with neck and shoulder pain from a leo that isn’t comfy?? A leotard that makes you uncomfortable or hurts while in class will not a happy dancer make. And you want to be as comfortable in your leotard as you can be…Especially if you plan on taking more than one class a week, or even more than one class a day. Who wants to spend lots of time in something that is not comfortable at all? Yeah, not me either. So make sure your leotard is comfortable. And to do that, you can try some of the things below to ensure good comfort and fit.
Trying on a Leotard Part 2- Moving About:
Another thing to keep in mind when trying out leotards is to practice moving in them while you are wearing it in the dressing room. Do a bend forward and a back bend…See if the straps and front of your leotard stay generally in place. Does the leotard pull away from your chest or do the straps dig in or move around? Beware the leotard that you can fall out of! So make sure that your leotard stays on for all the different moves that you would do. Also do leg lifts, and see what the leotard does when you are moving your legs about. Does it give you wedgies? Does it pull uncomfortably? This is the sign of a bad leotard for you, and you should probably put this leotard back on the rack. A good leotard should have some give, and stretch nicely when you move your body and legs about.
If everything is fitting right, everything is comfortable, and everything stays in place while you move about…then this could be the right leotard for you! Don’t worry if you go through most of the store’s leotards and only find one or two that you like…that’s perfectly ok. And if you find a leotard that you like, but it’s not in a color that you need for class, no worries! Get the brand, size, and make of that leotard and order it online in the color you need.
A great online store:
www.discountdance.com
Leotards come in many different types, sizes, cuts, brands, fabrics and colors. There is a whole world of wonderful leotards for you to choose from out there! Different types of leotards include camisole leotards, tank leotards, halter leotards, short-sleeved leotards, and long-sleeved leotards. Other kinds include boat-neck, off-the-shoulder, one-shoulder and turtle-neck leotards.
Brands:
Brands include Capezio, Mirella, Bal-togs, Eurotard, Prima Soft, Gilda Marx, Gaynor Minden, Danskin, Harmonie, Natalie etc.
Choosing a leotard:
For the first time dancer, it is highly recommended that you Go To A Store In Person to try on leotards and choose your first leotard. Why? Because your leotard should fit you just right…not too tight, or baggy, or uncomfortable. And the sizing of leotards is a bit different than Real World sizes. Sizing, Type, Style, Cut….every leotard fits differently! And most brands are cut and sized differently than other brands. Going to a store allows you to try on different sizes, different brands, different types of leotards and different styles. Yes, ordering online looks nice and easy, but choosing a leotard is not easy. Trust me on this…I went to a store and tried on about 40 different leotards (and these were only the black ones!) before I found the perfect one for me. What type of leotard you get is completely up to you, but it has to fit your body. Also, check with your studio to see if they are preferential to one particular type or color of leotard. Once you get the general idea of what fits your body and what you like, then ordering online will be just fine.
Trying on a Leotard Part 1- Fitting and Comfort:
Ok, so you finally made it to the dance store near you…and you have allll these leotards to try on! Yay!! So you grab your first 10, and head to the dressing room. But what should you look for in a good leotard? And what are the signs of a bad leotard? And what are some things you should do while trying on leotards?
Fit: Does the leotard fit you right? Is it too tight or loose across your butt, stomach, shoulders or breasts? Is it long enough or short enough for your body, length-wise? Is it too tight over all, or too loose?
Ok here’s the real deal….Some people wear a size small in the Real World, and in the Ballet world, they wear a size small too. And some people wear a size small in the Real World, but in the Ballet World, they actually wear a size medium. And that’s perfectly normal. There is nothing wrong or shameful about going up (or down) a size or two when trying on leotards. Your leotard has to fit YOU just right, without being constrictive or baggy.
The leotard should fit you right all over. Look out for a leotard that is too tight in the crotch area…a leotard that is too short is not a good idea. Likewise, a leotard that is baggy is also not a good idea. A leotard should fit kinda like a glove…close to your body, but not too tight or too loose. A leotard that is too tight, or that doesn’t let you move, or one that doesn’t cover all your areas right, is NOT going to be a good leotard to dance in. Basically, you don’t want to be constantly adjusting your leotard while in class or have a leotard so small that its ready to pop seams every time you move.
Tall Dancers or Girls with Long Torsos: A few different brands make leotards in X-Long…to help fit the long torso that many girls have.
Bigger-Chested Dancers: Looking for a leotard that will give you ample support in class? Most leotards have some sort of lining on the front of the leotard, but they don’t offer much in the way of support. A few different kinds of “bra” leotards exist. Mirella makes two leotards that are good for girls who want more support: Mirella Leotard with Cups, and Mirella Square-Necked Leotard with Underwire. Gilda Marx also makes a few leotards that are good for bigger-chested dancers. If you wish, you can also wear a comfortable bra or sports bra under your leotard, but check with your teacher first to see if this is allowed. Some studios or classes are more lenient about this, and some are stricter and don’t allow straps to hang out of the leotard.
Comfort: Is the leotard comfortable? Does the leotard pinch or not stretch right across certain parts of your body? Does it ride up in the behind? Does it hurt your neck or shoulders? Are the straps in a good place for you?
Comfort in a leotard is something that is also important. Leotards shouldn’t pinch your back or shoulders, or ride up in the back. Straps that hurt your shoulders or neck aren’t such a hot idea either…who wants to deal with neck and shoulder pain from a leo that isn’t comfy?? A leotard that makes you uncomfortable or hurts while in class will not a happy dancer make. And you want to be as comfortable in your leotard as you can be…Especially if you plan on taking more than one class a week, or even more than one class a day. Who wants to spend lots of time in something that is not comfortable at all? Yeah, not me either. So make sure your leotard is comfortable. And to do that, you can try some of the things below to ensure good comfort and fit.
Trying on a Leotard Part 2- Moving About:
Another thing to keep in mind when trying out leotards is to practice moving in them while you are wearing it in the dressing room. Do a bend forward and a back bend…See if the straps and front of your leotard stay generally in place. Does the leotard pull away from your chest or do the straps dig in or move around? Beware the leotard that you can fall out of! So make sure that your leotard stays on for all the different moves that you would do. Also do leg lifts, and see what the leotard does when you are moving your legs about. Does it give you wedgies? Does it pull uncomfortably? This is the sign of a bad leotard for you, and you should probably put this leotard back on the rack. A good leotard should have some give, and stretch nicely when you move your body and legs about.
If everything is fitting right, everything is comfortable, and everything stays in place while you move about…then this could be the right leotard for you! Don’t worry if you go through most of the store’s leotards and only find one or two that you like…that’s perfectly ok. And if you find a leotard that you like, but it’s not in a color that you need for class, no worries! Get the brand, size, and make of that leotard and order it online in the color you need.
A great online store:
www.discountdance.com
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