Balletcore is dominating social media. Pinterest reports that this aesthetic has seen a 1566% increase in search volume. The hashtag #balletcore has been viewed over six million times on TikTok.
Best Choice | Keep you deliciously warm in the icy days of winter, in great style! Full Length Mink Fur Coat with Shawl Collar & Bracelet Cuffs (Demi Buff, XS) |
Best Choice | 39" Slick wool wrap coat with exaggerated collar and tie belt Adjustable button closure |
When we first think of the rise of balletcore, Miu Miu’s Fall/Winter 2022 show springs to mind.
Soure: Getty
Ballet’s archetypal silhouettes are thick ribbed socks and chiffon accessories. Also, satin briefs in baby pinks and ballerina roses peek out from the tops of low-slung skirts.
The collection’s pièce de résistance? The maison’s use of ballet slippers as ready-to-wear footwear.
Source: Getty
Ballet flats are a staple of the balletcore wardrobe. They recently made a comeback to the mainstream and international runways.
While many designers have been embracing the resurgence, including London’s Molly Goddard and our very own Zimmermann, the style is seeping into the celebrity style set with the likes of Alexa ChungPaloma Elsesser was spotted in the timeless classic
Harry Styles even makes a case for the ballet flat as the best genderless option. He shows off the androgynous style on his cover upcoming album.
Source: Getty
Simone Rocha, an Irish designer, is the most prolific and pioneer of balletcore. Her romantic sensibilities and feminine silhouettes are well-known.
For Rocha’s FW/22 presentation, her contemporary take on Victorian era dressing took inspiration from Irish Folklore, specifically a fabel where princesses are turned into swans by a ruinous stepmother.
If you think this premise sounds similar to a prominent ballet, you’d be correct. Rocha’s employment of Swan embroidery is just another signal that balletcore will reign supreme this year.
It’s not hard to see why.
Post-pandemic dressing saw a rise of body-conscious silhouettes. ‘youthquake’new sexiness in which midriffs are exposed.
However, after a year of forgoing our oversized, minimalist attire and slouchy tracksuits, we’re coming full circle by returning to the ease and elegance this athleisure-adjacent trend provides.
UK-based creative agency The Digi FairyThis trend was actually predicted back in 2021. They attribute the rise of the microtrend to a variety of reasons, including the Black Swan nostalgia seen in Rocha’s show.
They also point out that Miu Miu isn’t the first to dub pointe shoes as practical footwear, with magazine editor Diane Vreeland pioneering this trend back in the wartime era.
Best Choice | Chilliwack Down Bomber Coat in black with stretch rib waistband and cuff, exterior pockets, adjustable tunnel hood Shell: 50% polyester, 50% cotton |
While you may think that the rise of balletcore will have everyone looking like they’ve just stepped out of barre class, we think subliminal and sartorial styling of key tropes will lend themselves perfectly to a transeasonal wardrobe.
A ballet-inspired wardrobe is built around a few key elements: a wrap top with thick socks, leotards and vintage-inspired lingerie, as well as a tulle tutu in a greyscale or nude colour palette with pastel accents.
For marie claire’s edit of the best ballet inspired pieces to shop, keep scrolling below.
Daisy Faille Long Pointed Collar Shirt Dress, $1046 Simone Rocha
Annabelle Pumps, $668 Molly Goddard
Jocelyn Linen Ramie Smock Dress400.00 Joslin
Khaite Puff-sleeve Peplum Blouse, $1,791 at Farfetch
Jacquemus Le Bandeau Valensole Knit Bralette$225 MyTheresa
Khaite Off White Shelly Tank Top$570 SSENSE
Ballerina Wrap Skirt, $499.13 Orseund Iris
Little Rosie Set$350 Caitlin Crisp
Dancer Halter Top$395 Zimmermann
TOTÊME Cork Stretch-jersey Leggings,$277.64 NET-A-PORTER