What is 'Balletcore'?

What is 'balletcore'?

Natalie Portman in
Black Swan (2010) 

   If you are not on the fashion side of TikTok you                 might not have heard the term 'balletcore', but 

   there's a good chance you've seen it in action. For the     past few years,   the internet has made it a habit 

   of adding the words   'core' or 'aesthetic' on the end         of words and making an entire brand out of it. 

   Around a year ago, 'balletcore'  began to takeover 

    the for you pages. This aesthetic was based all                   around, yup you've guessed it, ballet. Ballerinas     

    typically wear things like leotards, tights,

    shrugs, wrap skirts, and most obviously - ballet     

    shoes.  All of these items became very popular to     

    wear as streetwear, even by people who have never   

    taken a   ballet class in their life. What makes balletcore stand out from other fashion fads is that it has now taken on   a life of its own and is bigger than ever over a year later. 

Balletcore turned mainstream

The problem with most TikTok trends is that they never seem to make it out of that seasons trend cycle, meaning if you bought a full wardrobe to match the 'coconut girl aesthetic', there's a good chance none of that is trendy anymore. However, balletcore has seemingly done the impossible - made its way out of TikTok. It's been over a year since people started dusting off their old ballet flats and stealing their mom's leg warmers from the 80's, but the trend seems to have no end in sight. Even big brands such as Urban Outfitters are dedicating entire collections to this aesthetic and not being shy about admitting to following balletcore. 

When will it end?

From TikTok to YouTube to Pinterest to anyone who is interested in fashion, balletcore has been a hot topic for a while now. As I mentioned before, most TikTok fashion trends are short lived and leave with you with a closet full of clothes you'll never wear again; which brings forward the question - when will balletcore die? Well this might be hot take, but I think balletcore is here to stay. One of things that sets balletcore apart from other trends is that anyone can partake in it. You don't need to have a specific body type to wear ballet flats or tights, balletcore is for the masses. When you really think about it, parts of balletcore have always been in style. Ballet flats 

were a staple in my elementary school closet. It's hard to find a store these days that doesn't sell a bodysuit, which is basically just a fancy name for a leotard. Even if 'balletcore' itself is a relatively new idea, the core of the trend is nothing new.

If you look at this photo of an actual ballerina warming up, you could just as easily picture this outfit worn by anyone to the grocery store. That's the thing about balletcore, the rules are very loose and easily to follow. There's nothing too bold or uncomfortable about it. I know that I for one am happy to break out my ballet flats and bows.

Do you think balletcore is here to stay?