Shall We Dance?

Shall We Dance?

How to dress your inner ballerina...

Edger Degas- French painter of ballerina’s

Plie, tendu courtesy!

Looking through Vogues issue for September it is hard to resist not noticing that there are many heavy influences on designers from the Ballet world.
Could it be Paris’s premier House of Ballet that is so heavily influencing designers such as Alexander McQueen this year? Or is the flood of ballerinas that look so graceful and elegant, almost dream like when you see them on stage. They are the perfect image almost angel like when they practically float across stage.

Ballerinas have such a tiny figure and most could easily pass for a working model at a fashion show just as easily as they could pass for the swan in Swan Lake, so it’s easy to say they would fit in perfectly in the fashion world.

It is the beauty and essence that is alluring to top designers in the fashion industry. Every little girl has at least once dreamed in their lifetime that they wanted to be a ballerina and what’s better then now bringing their distinct styles into our fashion industry. It’s easy to pick up hints throughout the big and small names in the industry that are being impelled by the romance and beauty of ballet.

We admire a ballerina’s life for many reasons; they live such a strict lifestyle. They are extremely devoted to ballet. Ballet is an extremely competitive, hard (physically, emotionally and mentally) and unrewarding for thousands and thousands of ballerinas’ only la crème de la crème actually become world renowned ballerina’s such as Canada’s very own Karen Kain. They must absolutely love ballet and give up everything for it at a young age to pursue there dream that may never come true. It is very much like the fashion industry we see today.

Not only is it high couture designers that we see this elegant hand made ballet inspired pieces showing up in the fashion industry but popular stores available to consumers such as ourselves. An example is American Apparel. Many of there 80’s fashions have some sort of warm-up or layering pieces of clothing that have been influenced by the dance world. Leg warmers or spandex body suits are both pieces you would find on an everyday ballerina heading to classes to practice.

Even today’s media is influenced by the dancing world. One of audience’s favourite television shows this season is Dancing with the Stars. Everyone is unleashing there inner ballerina’s.

It all started a few years ago with the introduction of the “ballet flat”. This turned into almost every woman now on the planet in North America owning at least one pair of ballet flat inspired shoes. They were a huge hit in the industry years ago and now designers and stores are motivated even more by the ballet world this year.


This season when you’re shopping for new items to update last year’s wardrobe, bring out your inner ballerina. Whether it is buying a pink item, tutu inspired skirt or even trying a take on the modern ballerina bun.

Big designer Alexander McQueen showed us this year his “Ballerina Frock” dress that was inspired directly from the Ballet in France. Its beautiful tight corset flowed by the tutu influenced bottom that bellows out from the waist.

Models in any magazine can now be seen wearing tight buns on there head showing off there angular faces. There is something both sophisticated and exquisite about these women wearing buns in there hair that draws attention to this new upcoming do. It is matched with light nude make-up. Paler skin tones which most ballerina’s have to give off that feminine romantic look.

We are even taking up the shoe industry a notch. Imagine replacing your comfortable and stylish black ballet flats that match everything with these Christian Louboutin shoes. From flats to points, it’s quit the transition some die hard fashionista’s may take into consideration!