Intro
I love how ballet is becoming more accessible to everyone—especially for women who always dreamed of dancing but never had the chance growing up.
Now that I’m an adult with a bit of free time, I decided to finally take a local evening ballet class at my college.
But one thing immediately made me hesitate: all those synthetic clothes!
The idea of sweating in polyester or nylon made my skin crawl. So, I did some research and challenged myself to create a completely natural ballet outfit—free from synthetic fibers.
Here’s everything I found and wore for my synthetic-free ballet look.
If you’re curious why I avoid synthetics altogether, check out my post on 6 Reasons Why I Switched to Wearing Natural Fibers.
Leotards
I tried Pact brand leotards, which are made of 95% organic cotton and 5% elastane. They’re breathable, soft, and stretchy—perfect for ballet practice.
The only downside is that they don’t cinch the waist, so the fit isn’t the most flattering. Still, I found them very comfortable and easy to move in.
You can also check out Quince for similar organic cotton bodysuits (95% organic cotton, 5% elastane).
🩰 Brands to try:
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Pact organic cotton leotards
Tights, Leggings, and Pantyhose
Finding natural tights is so hard! Most options are either for babies or mixed with polyester fibers.
After a lot of searching, I discovered Little Spruce Organics, and I’m so glad I did. Their tights are 98% cotton, and they feel amazing.
I couldn’t find the color I wanted, so I ordered the grey pair and dyed them myself—highly recommend if you love a specific shade!
🩰 Shop:
Ballet Slippers
Amazon has both leather and cotton canvas ballet slippers. I bought the Stelle canvas pink slippers from there.
Leg Warmers
These aren’t required, but they’re wonderful for warm-ups and chilly winter classes.
I bought 100% wool leg warmers from Little Spruce Organics, and they’re cozy, breathable, and naturally temperature-regulating.
🩰 Options:
Skirts
For skirts, I made a small exception and wore a polyester wrap skirt since it didn’t touch my skin.
However, if you want to go fully synthetic-free, Licia:Florio has beautiful mini wrap skirts made from natural fibers.
🩰 Try:
Boleros / Shrugs
I was surprised to find that even Walmart carries some affordable cotton boleros (95% cotton, 5% spandex).
For a more sustainable and organic option, Etsy has lovely organic cotton shrugs from Tea and Thread Designs (TTD)—perfect for layering during class.
🩰 Try:
Final Thoughts
And that’s my completely natural ballet outfit—no synthetics, no polyester, just breathable, skin-loving materials.
This little experiment made me appreciate how elegant and comfortable natural fibers can be, even in a traditionally synthetic world like ballet.
If you’ve found other great natural dancewear brands or want me to review a specific item, let me know in the comments below!
✨ Thanks so much for reading, and may your next twirl be soft, breathable, and chemical-free.
