What to wear to barre class: So you’ve just signed up for your first barre class and might be doing pirouettes of happiness around your kitchen when all of the sudden a thought strikes you: What on earth do people wear to these trendy barre classes? Do I have to buy a leotard? Tights? OMG are they going to make me wear a tutu?!

Quell your barre clothes bewilderment, for I have put together a few suggestions for proper barre workout apparel. You don’t have to dress like a ballerina to work out like one! Unless, of course, you want to wear a leotard and tights to your barre studio. But that’s entirely up to you.

Barre Workout Clothes- What to Wear to Barre Class:

Shirt:

Pick a top with a longer torso and (preferably) elastic at the bottom. Because flexibility is emphasized in barre, making sure your shirt doesn’t ride up during certain poses and movements is key.

Women	Men

Pants:

Shorts can be awkward when practicing the splits, and full-length pants will obscure your ankles and feet. Form-fitting knee-length workout pants are the happy medium for barre classes.

Women	Men

Footwear:

Barefoot is definitely the preferred method, even among professional dancers (who invented “foot thongs” to get as close to dancing barefoot as possible). However, if working out barefoot doesn’t appeal to you then thin, grippy, absorbent socks work as well. Sock it like a dancer by rolling your socks off the heel and halfway down your foot.

Barefoot	Half Socks	Socks

Variations:

If you’re liking the ballerina style, then nothing is stopping you from dressing like one when you work out! Here are some other ballet barre workout clothes that are functional, dance class style staples.

Tops	Bottoms
Leotards	Booty shorts + tights
Shrugs	Leg warmers

Ready to Raise the Barre?

• Subscribe to Barre Tone by LA Lakers Girl, Jaqueline Umof: A month-long video-based barre program for at-home workout sessions.
• An Introduction to Barre Fitness
• Basic Barre Terms and Vocabulary
• What to Wear to Barre Class