For dancers with larger busts, finding dancewear that fits well and provides adequate support can be a significant hurdle. As dancer and therapist Colleen Werner points out, in a world where body image in ballet is already challenging, ill-fitting dancewear adds another layer of unnecessary difficulty. While the dancewear industry has made strides towards greater size inclusivity in recent years, the struggle to find comfortable and flattering garments persists for many. Werner, who shares brand recommendations on her popular Instagram account and partners with brands like Discount Dance and Gaynor Minden, still encounters countless unanswered questions from her followers, particularly regarding where to find supportive and appropriately sized dancewear options, such as rehearsal tutus.
Pointe magazine spoke with Werner and other dancers to explore size-inclusive brands that cater to dancers with larger busts and to highlight the importance of accessible and well-fitting dancewear for all body types.
Understanding Size Inclusivity in Dancewear
The term “size-inclusive” itself can be complex, according to Werner. While some brands might extend their sizing to 3X, this still excludes dancers who require even larger sizes. True size inclusivity, in Werner’s view, would involve offering custom sizing options. However, she acknowledges the logistical challenges and potential cost implications for smaller, niche dancewear businesses in providing custom orders.
Júlia Del Blanco wears a burgundy camisole leotard and matching ballet skirt and pink ballet slippers. She is shown in a dance studio doing a tendu devant in effacé with her left leg extended and her right leg in plié.
Júlia Del Bianco, a passionate advocate for body diversity in ballet and a dancer and teacher from Brazil, emphasizes that size inclusivity goes beyond simply increasing garment sizes. “You have to know about fashion, about fitting,” she explains. Simply scaling up a leotard pattern might result in straps that are too thin and dig into the skin or a bust area that lacks sufficient support for a fuller figure. Del Bianco firmly believes that comfort is paramount to technical proficiency: “I don’t think you can make your technique greater if you don’t feel comfortable.” Alt text: Júlia Del Bianco, a ballet dancer with a larger bust, models burgundy dancewear, demonstrating size-inclusive fashion and comfort.
Werner echoes this sentiment, stressing the importance of brands working with fit models of various sizes. She suggests that offering different fit options, similar to jeans with “curvy” or “tall” fits, would benefit a wider range of dancers, including those with larger busts or curvier waistlines, even within smaller sizes.
Teyonna Johnson, a recreational dancer at Steps on Broadway in New York City, adds another crucial dimension to size inclusivity: fashion. For her, “size-inclusive means not compromising on the fashion of it.” It’s not enough to offer a single, basic leotard style in extended sizes; true inclusivity means providing a full range of fashionable and desirable dancewear options for all body types.
Teyonna Johnson is shown taking a full-body selfie with her right hand holding the phone in a theater dressing room. She wears a blue cap-sleeved leotard and a black ballet skirt, and poses with her left foot popped up on demi-pointe and her left arm slung casually over her head. She looks up to the right with a sly smile.
Teyonna Johnson highlights the importance of fashionable size-inclusive dancewear. Alt text: Dancer Teyonna Johnson in blue leotard and black skirt, emphasizing fashion in size-inclusive dancewear for dancers with larger busts.
Brands Offering Supportive Dancewear for Large Busts
Werner offers encouragement to dancers struggling to find dancewear in their size: “It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you as a dancer. It means there’s something wrong with the system.” Fortunately, the system is gradually evolving, with more brands creating dancewear that not only fits dancers with larger busts but also looks stylish and provides the necessary support.
Here are some brands recommended by dancers for their size inclusivity and suitability for dancers with larger busts:
- Jule Dancewear: Werner, a brand ambassador, praises Jule Dancewear for designing leotards specifically for individuals with larger busts. “They specifically create their leotards for people with larger busts,” she says. “They’re very compressive and super-supportive. I can wear their leotards with no bra, and jump with no issue.” While their current sizing extends to XL, Werner hopes they will expand their range in the future. Alt text: Jule Dancewear logo example, a brand known for supportive leotards designed for dancers with larger busts.
- Bunting Dancewear: Bunting Dancewear offers ready-to-ship leotards up to size 3X and provides affordable custom options, ranging from approximately $50 to $70. Alt text: Bunting Dancewear banner, showcasing size-inclusive options and custom dancewear for diverse body types.
- Supuhr Designs: Werner recommends Supuhr Designs, a custom leotard brand, for its extensive fabric choices and excellent bust support. She notes that the designer, who is also a dancer, is responsive to feedback on improving the fit of leotards for larger bodies. Alt text: Supuhr Designs custom leotard example, highlighting fabric variety and bust support for dancers with larger chests.
- Ma Ballet Shop: Júlia Del Bianco highly recommends Ma Ballet Shop, a Brazilian brand (currently without international shipping), for its diverse styles and fabrics. She also appreciates their willingness to incorporate feedback to enhance the fit of their products. Alt text: Ma Ballet Shop product image, representing Brazilian brand praised for diverse styles and inclusive sizing for dancers.
- Royall Dancewear: Werner highlights Royall Dancewear for skirts, particularly in colors beyond black, which she has found challenging to find in inclusive sizing. Many skirts are “one size fits all” or, even in XL, are often too short for dancers with larger stomachs due to inadequate fit testing. Royall Dancewear, offering sizes up to XL and affordable custom sizing, stands out for its variety of colors and fabrics and its classic School of American Ballet-style designs. Alt text: Royall Dancewear skirt collection, showing various colors and fabrics in size-inclusive dance skirts for dancers with larger figures.
- Body Wrappers: Werner suggests Body Wrappers tights, some of which are available up to size 4X. Alt text: Body Wrappers tights packaging, advertising extended sizes in dance tights for size inclusivity.
- Snag Tights: Snag, a size-inclusive clothing brand, recently launched a line of dance tights. These tights are convertible, high-waisted, moisture-wicking, and come in seven sizes and three colors. Alt text: Snag Tights dance tights range, featuring diverse sizes and colors in size-inclusive dancewear tights.
By supporting these and other size-inclusive brands, dancers with larger busts can find dancewear that not only fits comfortably and provides the necessary support but also allows them to express their personal style and feel confident in their bodies.
