The New Classic

As dancers, our wardrobe starts and ends with a basic item - the leotard.

It comes in all sorts of ways, long sleeves, short sleeves, high cut ... And we always look for something special that will make us stand out! But how can we do it when we've got a dress code restricting us? Easily! 

So today I'll be talking about 7 leotards from my wardrobe, that will help you stay unique while being all classy in black :)

A classic, stunning leotard with gorgeous printed mesh ( Italian mesh ) that gives a twist to the leotard, it features a high cut and has bust lining, it has a beautiful open back ( comes to the mid-back ). This leotard is the ultimate leotard to give a fun and fresh twist to your black dress code, and the fun part is that it doesn't show sweat at all!! 

Yumiko is obviously one of my favorite brands of all times, the quality, the design, the uniqueness... Nothing shouts more UNIQUE than Yumiko!

The style shown here is the Larissa - which is a simple tank front with a stunning open back that features a shape of a teardrop and clasps with 3 buttons. 

In here I've got it with 3Q sleeves, which is my favorite length of sleeves ( after cap sleeves! ) in N. Black and N. Retro ( discounted color ) and I got it from the Berlin boutique so it was already made... This style is all about being edgy and refreshing, and it's an extremely flattering style! So another way to break the boring dress code is to add sleeves and a colorful trim to break the black!

And the cool thing about Yumiko that you can customize them completely from scratch at their website, you can choose the fabric ( Nylon, Techni, Microfiber and Velvet ), the cut, lining, length of sleeves, colors and basically everything! They take a long while but they're SO worth the waiting! They are breathable and they're so stunning and unique so ...

This leotard is probably one of my faves if not my fave! I adore leotards with mesh inserts so this one definitely has my heart!

So this gorgeous leotard is the tiger from LuckyLeo Dancewear - a Dancewear company by two talented ladies, Chelsea Early and Heather Walker that specializes in custom made dancewear. 

So shown here is the Tiger in black with black mesh, a classic but a heart breaker. Seriously that mesh! Haha 

The fabric is awesome cause it's really breathable and it doesn't show sweat so you can spend hours in the studio with this one and its so comfy!

So adding mesh inserts in your leotards can also freshen up and break the black dress code without actually breaking it :)

So here's another yumi - the Tamara in all black. This style is so modern with this gorgeous back!

It features a camisole front and has two triangles at the sides that connect to a long strap and the strap is connected to the two straps of the leotard - now what's awesome about this style that the straps are adjustable so you can move them around the long strap and it creates a whole other look! ( see the pictures above )

So modern leotards - fun and a refreshing addition to your black dress code!

Solo Dancewear is a German based Dancewear company that specializes in custom Dancewear. Their styles are to die for and there's a variety of fabrics to choose from, Lycra Matt, Lycra Shiny, Mesh, Lace, Velvet and Printed fabrics. 

Here we have the Polina which features a square neckline with mesh straps that goes into a butterfly back. 

So again - mesh, lace, add a touch of them to bring out something new then just plain and black! 

The colors shown here are Black Lycra Matt  and Giollo Fluo mesh. 

What else if not Yumiko? Haha so here we've got the Veronique which is my favorite style from Yumiko!

It's a simple tank front but the back is to die for - it has some sort of an ellipse back that simply flatters the back so much!!!

It's simple yet so unique and this is something that I find important in leotards :)

The color combo shown here is N. Black with V. Purple trim ( I love combining normal fabrics with Velvet trims! ) or you know just play with the color of the trim, it will always add that extra little touch that you've needed so badly to stand out!

So in the Fall of 2014 Mirella ( Bloch ) had a stunning collection of gorgeous leotards with polka dot mesh and luckily for me I was able to put my hands on a few of them. 

So Bloch ALWAYS makes stunning leotards with some really awesome fabrics so they'll always have the perfect solution for the black dress code ( so keep your eyes on them! ) 

So this one is a full sleeved polka dot mesh leotard with a high back that features this gorgeous buttons detail and an awesome front with an overlay of the mesh. It also has a really delicate trim and it's seriously so comfy! And well Bloch basically has my heart thanks for their high cut leotards! Haha

Black dress code 101 - search for leotards with the little details like really delicate trims or an awesome mesh like this polka dot mesh. 

So I hope that I've helped you focus on what to look for and to give you some new fresh ideas for breaking the black dress code without actually breaking it, there are so many options out there so just be creative!

Till next time,

XO Neta