Ballet Leotards

If you find yourself shopping for a ballet leotard and you find yourself interested in some trivia associated with the garment, read on.

Ballet Leotards

Did you know that leotards were strictly a male item of clothing many moons ago? Today, an item of clothing adorned by a variety of athletic performers including gymnasts, ballet dancers, acrobats and circus performers, the leotard was originally designed for the male!

First worn in public by the leotard creator, French circus performer Jules Leotard during the mid nineteenth century, the leotard was initially named the ‘maillot’. Next came the female leotard, which was similar in appearance to the male version only without legs.

For more about the leotard read on… We all know a leotard as a unisex close fitting garment that is so skin tight that it appears as though a second skin. A leotard does not cover the legs as a rule just the upper torso. Following its heyday during the 1970’s, the leotard became more an item of clothing a female dancer would wear and less one a male dancer would choose.

All is not bleak for the male leotard any more as they have grown in popularity ever since the millennium. It seems male dancers cannot get enough of their skin-tight leotards especially ballet leotards.

To put on your ballet leotard you must enter though the neck. Many leotards are designed with scooped wide neck openings and when combined with the elasticity of the garment, this should be a piece of cake for you.

Should you wear underwear with your leotard? Many leotards are cut very high on the leg revealing underwear if it is worn. Generally underwear is not worn with a leotard however you can purchase special undergarments for wear with your leotard. With some dance studios forbidding the wear of undergarments with a leotard it is best to enquire prior to attendance.

When wearing your leotard, whether you are a man or woman, it is often preferential to wear your tights underneath the garment.

Whether dancing is your game or any aspect of exercise and fitness, the leotard ought to be on your shopping list. If you are into ballet, contemporary dance, yoga or circus performing, the leotard will never let you down. If you enjoy ice skating, gymnastics or dancing, whether you are male or female, your leotard will prove good value for money for it will always be a feature within your change bag.