Beyond that, it champions a nostalgic, comforting femininity. As we usher in the cold weather and wade our way through a never-ending cycle of doom news, clothes that are practical, comfortable and easy to throw on are a bonus, all while channelling the effortlessness of ballerinas – minus the brutally long hours spent in the studio.
Leg warmers, then, emerge as a natural progression of balletcore. Currently, TikTok is littered with tutorials on how to wear them (with chunky Mary Janes, according to @madokacams) and how to make them (cut the sleeves off an old hoodie and wrap a couple of hair ties around the bottom to keep them from slipping, says @sarasakurah). There’s a DIY aspect to the trend which holds appeal for Gen Z, too, as a new offshoot trend emerges in the form of (deep breath) ballerina sleaze.
Building on the micro-trend of balletcore and the more widely embraced phenomenon of indie sleaze, it combines the grunge styles of, say, Sky Ferreira, with the delicate-but-dark femininity associated with Natalie Portman’s Nina Sayers in Black Swan.
While “ballerina sleaze” might feel like yet another TikTok-born trend, it speaks to fashion’s appetite for subverting the elegance and daintiness of rehearsal clothes, as a way of giving them a harsher edge. A prime example is MM6 Maison Margiela’s SS23 collection, which played on the inherent seductiveness of warm-up clothes to create a collection anchored by leotards and bodysuits.
Figure-hugging, layered and purposefully frayed, pieces that often convey a sort of delicacy were subverted, as though yanked out of the dance studio and lured onto a seedy dance floor. Micro-trends like balletcore and ballerina sleaze might come and go, but this autumn, they’ve coalesced into a wider mood adopted by fashion designers: rehearsal dressing that prioritises comfort and practicality. And we could all do with a bit of that, right? Now, from the top. 5, 6, 7, 8…
