Dancewear: How Fashion For Dancers Differs From Ready To Wear

The dance wear industry makes many different types of garments that are used by those in the performing arts. Dance supply companies offer garments such as jazz pants, lyrical costumes, ballet leotards and many other types of clothing and accessories based on specific dance genres. Is dance clothing that much different from what someone can buy ready-to-wear?

It appears that garments made for dancers have a few qualities that can be difficult to find in ready-to-wear street fashion. Dance garments are made for movement, uniformity of appearance, use specialty fabrics and may have to be custom-made for stage performances. In addition, many performances require character costumes that cannot be found in street wear fashion shops.

Dance Apparel Is Made For Movement

Although many ready-to-wear garments can be found in stretch fabrics, they are not specifically designed to allow full range of motion. Dancewear is definitely not the same as club wear. A dancer must have complete freedom of movement in order to execute body movements properly. Practice garments for dancers are constructed in non-binding ways to allow for bending, turning, jumping and practice warm-ups. Even dance shoes for jazz, ballet and hip hop come with split-soles for flexibility of the foot during performance and in class.

Specialty Fabrics Are Used For Easy Care And Durability

Dance clothing for classroom practice is typically made of easy-to-care-for fabric blends like lycra-spandex or a cotton-lycra blend. These types of easy care fabrics can be tossed into a dance bag in between practice sessions and still come out looking presentable. They are made to last through many, many sweaty dance practices and also help wick moisture away from the body to prevent overheating.

Performance Clothing Vs. Ready To Wear

Professional dancers often have to have garments custom-made to create a character or fit into a certain theme on stage. There are special costume supply companies that offer character costumes for dance performances. These garments cannot be found outside of the dance wear industry. Performance apparel is also designed for maximum visual appeal and may include embellishments, trims, Swarovski crystals and other fashion details not found on ready-to-wear items.

Dance Fashion Accessories Are Made For Drama

Accessories for dance are another item that must be purchased through reputable dance supply companies. The most important accessory for any dancer is his or her shoe. Jazz, ballet, ballroom, lyrical, tap and many other types of dance all have their own shoe that cannot be purchased at just any shoe store at the mall. Dramatic stage accessories like headdresses, tiaras, rhinestone gloves and performance props like rhythmic gymnastics batons with streamers cannot be found in regular stores.

In professional dance schools, it may be unacceptable for students to wear anything but a regulation practice garment that comes from a reputable dance supply company. In order for a student or a teacher of dance to succeed with training, the right garments have to be worn.

Ready To Wear Fashions Are Not Tailored For The Rigors Of Dance

Dance apparel is completely tailored to the physical needs of dance training. They are specialized forms of clothing that are distinctly different from the average ready-to-wear street garments that can be found in every department store. The world of dance training requires its own type of garments. Professional dance apparel also gives a uniformity of appearance that would not be possible if each dancer were to purchase garments made for street wear.