Pas de Trois: Ballet, Fashion and Internet obsession

Suddenly, the world was tied up in bows. Twenty-somethings embraced small fuzzy Sylvanian creatures, and ballet flats made their triumphant return to the streets for the first time since 2010. Despite the chaos of the world, the rose-tinted renaissance of girlhood lulled a portion of Internet users back to a simpler time — one far removed from the fear and injustices of reality.

This wave of hyper-femininity saw frills and lace arriving at the office as a subtle stance against the patriarchy. Toys of the past were reclaimed to nurture our inner children while taking up ballet lessons in your 20s became a gateway to embracing feminine elegance. Designers like Sandy Liang and Simone Rocha championed adjacent style in their collections, proving we shouldn’t be afraid to swaddle ourselves in silk and tulle. Though it seems the adult fascination with ribbons and palm-sized creatures may be cooling off, ballet has gracefully tiptoed into unexpected pockets of style and subculture, with no signs of a reverence anytime soon.

Dubbed with the internet's favourite suffix, ballet-core has been pirouetting around mainstream fashion for a few years. From fleeting love affairs with leg warmers to a collective obsession with Ferragamo pumps, ballet has firmly taken center stage. This is hardly news — ballet has held an enchanting allure over culture for centuries. From the delicate paintings of Edgar Degas to the enduring legacy of Margot Fonteyn, society has always been captivated by ballet dancers, portraying them as ineffably graceful aliens who silently glide through scores. Yet, we are at constant odds: admiring their perfection while confronting the immense pain and discipline taken to achieve it.

In fashion, it’s light work to spot an element of ballet in an emerging trend or collection, from the leggings and hot pants combo of an indie sleaze revivalists, to the wrap cardigans and clean lines of 90s minimalism and undoubtedly the uniform of tulle, lace and ribbon the coquette aesthetic adheres to. It seems to have tentacles extending far beyond one singular corner of style. Ballet’s dominance in fashion seems to fall largely into two camps, the theatrical and the subversive capturing the life of a ballerina on and off stage, think both sides of Natalie Portman's wardrobe in Black Swan.

The pas de deux of ballet and mainstream fashion has been glaringly obvious in recent collections. Ferragamo’s creative director Maximilian Davis brought the houses long lasting relationship with fashion into the limelight for SS25, embodying the off-duty dancer, featuring ankle laced silk ribbons, leotards, wrap cardigans and oversized jackets to honour dancers freedom of movement capturing a paired back glimpse at a ballet dancers every day uniform. While Chanel’s SS24 collection looks at aspects of the art form’s inherent romance with visions in tulle denoting on stage looks, while Loewe’s SS25 precollection campaign by photographer Jurgen Teller features a ballet dancer set for stage to showcase one of the house’s handbags. The fashion industry appears to be covering the entirety of a ballerina’s wardrobe.

Emerging designers like Madomorpho are also championing innovative takes on dance wear. The eccentric Berlin-based brand plays on the theatre and fantasy of ballet, notably their ballet boots and pointe pumps reconstruct the iconified pointe shoe, while Lucila Safdie's farewell princess collection encompasses satin in pastel hues, three quarter length leggings and micro shorts of dance rehearsal. Nastyamasha capture elements of ballet with sheer white tights and costume corsetry resulting in an effortless drama.

But there’s more to it than tutus and white tights, despite the hype, it doesn’t take much to look beyond the graceful art of ballet and see its imperfections. With a long history of discrimination against bodies, race, and gender, this trend isn’t as pure as it seems.

In the context of a tumultuous resurgence of heroin chic aesthetics and the influence of Ozempic, there’s a renewed cultural obsession with skinny bodies. For a long time, ballet has been strongly associated with eating disorders, celebrating a waif-like figure as the ideal which plays into the current corporeal exclusivity we see on catwalks and in mainstream shows. Prejudices continue to persist around much of ballet culture. For instance, Bloch, one of the world’s leading dancewear companies, only introduced pointe shoes for dancers of colour in 2020.

Ballet seems to be evolving beyond a fleeting fashion trend into a cultural obsession. For years, gym culture has dominated the fitness world, with endless talk of reps, egg whites, and creatine suffocating any other conversation about exercise. However, another world is now sweeping into our feeds: a growing fixation on pilates and barre workouts. Embracing a more mindful philosophy and favouring gentle movement, these practices serve as a reaction against the rigid intensity of gym culture and the Huel-ification of fitness.

Pilates, in particular, has taken over TikTok, becoming Gen Z’s new favourite thing. Studios are popping up everywhere, and major fitness brands like Gymshark are introducing leotards and wrap cardigans to cater to the trend. This shift away from the vigorous gym rituals feels more accessible. Instead, it emphasises correct posture, muscle strengthening, and overall well-being.

The current mania for ballet-inspired aesthetics and practices, from fashion to fitness, is more than just another fleeting Internet trend. It isn’t merely a nostalgic balm to soothe the chaos of modern life — it’s multifaceted. Balletcore represents a more feminine take on minimalism, seamlessly incorporating dance staples into everyday wardrobes. It’s a reaction against the conformity of mainstream fashion, celebrating romance, creativity, and costume. It also heralds a new era of fitness that doesn’t demand heavy equipment or pounding club tracks at 8 a.m.

Despite its flaws, balletcore offers a reclamation of softness and creativity in daily life. The key, however, will be ensuring it pushes back against the deep-rooted prejudices within the ballet world, enabling this movement to pave a new ethos of inclusivity and freedom.