Think of ballet, and what comes to mind? Frothy tulle, satin ribbons and cute leotards in hues of pale pink, white and black? What about dark-purple bruises, oozing blisters and bandaged, bloody toes? The latter list may not be quite so instagrammable, but they are some of the less aesthetic realities of wearing those pretty pink pointe shoes for hours on end.
Times have changed since balletomania (no hashtag) first took flight in the 1920s and ’30s, thanks largely to the Ballets Russes in Paris, whose designs influenced the likes of Jeanne Lanvin, Madeleine Vionnet and Coco Chanel. Today’s #balletcore trend arrives at a time when fashion is having to do a lot of reckoning in all sorts of areas – from inclusivity and diversity to sustainability – and when the industry is being called out for bad behaviour on any and more of these fronts.
For those who never had the opportunity to study ballet (or gave up the lessons early on), it’s easy to see the appeal of balletcore. It can be pretty and elegant, with