You don’t need to be a ballerina to jump on to the balletcore bandwagon

Here’s why the trend that is pirouetting across the Internet has caught the attention of many fashion designers and celebrities

Although it may sound like an intensive core workout that involves ballet moves, ‘balletcore’ is actually one of the biggest trends that hit the Internet in 2022, alongside Barbiecore, grandmacore and cottagecore, among others. Type #balletcore on Instagram and you’ll find more than 25,000 posts and reels that embody this aesthetic. Made popular on TikTok and Instagram by Gen Z-ers, the aesthetic borrows heavily from ballet dancers—from their delicate body movements to their clothing. We take a look at the sudden rise of this trend which has everyone from Bella Hadid to Alexa Chung in a chokehold. Fair warning—it comes with a heavy dose of pink.

Going back to the age of femininity

Inspired by the costumes of ballet dancers, the balletcore aesthetic personifies the idea of hyper-femininity. While the costumes and outfits that ballet dancers wear can fall under the larger umbrella of ‘athleisure,’ balletcore steps aside from the oversized version of athleisure that was made popular since the pandemic, to something that is delicately feminine. Think leotards, leggings, wrap tops, sheer shrugs, hair tied with ribbons and, of course, ballet flats. Think actor Natalie Portman as the pretty, petite, fragile “white swan” in the movie Black Swan (2010) or Olivia Rodrigo’s edgier version of the trend in her 2021 music video of Brutal, where she pairs black fishnets and ballet flats with her pink ballerina dress, or Carrie Bradshaw sporting a tutu in the opening sequence of Sex and the City.

Fashion seasons in late 2021 and early 2022 saw elements of balletcore embodied by designers both on and off the runway. British designer Simone Rocha presented a punk edge to the trend with voluminous jackets added over delicate, sheer tulles for their Autumn/Winter 2022 collection. 

In India, designer Ikshit Pande’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection for his label QUOD played with tulle and organza in the form of dresses and skirts, subconsciously being en pointe with the trend at the moment. With our collections, we don't want women to just be feminine; we want to give them a powerful edge. Hence you’ll see us mixing a lot of tulle with classic suits, which is a fusion of femininity and power,” says Pande, who, at the age of 30, trained in ballet while studying design at the Parsons School of Design in New York. “I'm inspired by the movement of the body and how the body reacts to a garment and vice versa. I felt the need to do this to understand the flow of the body in order to make clothes that flow better. Ballet got me in sync with my own body, making me aware of its constraints, which, in turn, helped me understand the flow of garments,” he explains.

But it’s not all frills and pinks. At the crux of balletcore is ballet shoes—the easiest way to nail the trend. Miu Miu's Fall/Winter 2022 runway collection saw  legwarmers and ballet shoes make a comeback, catapulting them to the most popular accessories of the season. According to theQ3 Lyst Index of 2022, Miu Miu’s ballet flats are the hottest product of the quarter, with a 1,100 per cent spike in searches after being spotted on celebrities such as actor Sydney Sweeney, popstar Rosalía and runway favourite Bella Hadid, all of whom played into the trend of balletcore. 

Balenciaga, too, had a grungy take on the ballet aesthetic with their scruffy and stained Leopold flats. “With the onset of the balletcore trend, people have started appreciating ballet flats once again,” says Ruchi Sally, managing director of Melissa footwear in India. “Ballet flats have always been minimally designed and elegant, adding a feminine touch to one’s outfit. I always felt ballets never went out of trend internationally,” she adds, crediting their style and comfort for their popularity.” The Brazilian footwear label’s pieces from their collaborations with designers and brands Jason Wu and Campana are still their bestsellers when it comes to ballet shoes. 

But with every trend once co-opted by fast fashion brands, the question remains whether balletcore will finally become a wardrobe staple? 

Is it just a passing trend?

Owing to the rise of streetwear and loungewear during the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, we swapped style for comfort in the form of oversized silhouettes. While balletcore is an extension of the athleisure trend, its base is being in tune with femininity, a refreshing change from the boxy silhouettes of loungewear. But with these so-called trending hashtags coming in and out of fashion—some lasting for even less than a season—is it worth splurging almost $700 on those Miu Miu satin ballet flats or $800 on Chanel’s tweed ballerinas? 

“Ballet flats are here to stay and will be appreciated, more so now since people have started to dress minimally. A pair of ballet flats is humble yet polished and a perfect go-to fashion statement that transcends fads,” says Sally. Pande, on the other hand, believes it’s more of a personal choice. 

For those  leaning towards this trend,  start small,  like incorporating pastel colours into your wardrobe before you decide to fully pirouette around balletcore.

Also Read: The white tank top has entered it’s era of resurgence

Also Read: Why is everyone obsessed with hot pink right now?

Also Read: How ‘ugly shoes’ have become a style statement of our time