LinMM Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Ive looked at the .com site and couldn't get on with it at all....but am on an iPad. Everything was so small and I couldn't get up any info on sizes. The UK site seems much better and easier to navigate and get info from. I really fancy that long sleeved Degas though!!! I didn't even look at the price...my friend in Oz says they are lovely but come at a price!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 The degas is no 9917 .....delicious!! However 92 US dollars not sure what that is in pounds but about £60-70 I think!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 DD has a wear moi leotard for school and found she needed a smaller size than in her other leotards, mostly capezio or freed I think. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 You give me hope!! Perhaps their size 16 will be the one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Yes dd is in a child age 10-12 in her school wearmoi Her previous capezio leotard was an XS ladies 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 And of course, adult sizes have VAT on them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 AndI would need the lining as well!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Taxi4ballet I sent a really nice email to Degas hinting it would be nice...and there is a market for at least another size up etc and how much I coveted 9917 if only etc etc But I got quite a curt reply saying that Degas France have no intention to change their size chart and that anyway their T5 should fit me!! But their T5 is a sort of 12-14 size and I know that from all other leotards I have tried on in the London shops size 14 (usually the extra Large size) even if I can squeeze into them just doesn't feel comfortable. These dance wear people on the whole have their market and are not interested in extending it apparently! Basically there seems like no option other than to have especially made......maybe this Wearmoi size 16? ....could be okay but have now written off Degas as I am pretty sure their T5 will not fit! They are a bit too pricey in the end but I still love the look of that long sleeved one....ideal for winter nights!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 JustBallet just in case you've seen the Degas T5 size....how does this compare with your largest size? Sorry am back on my six monthly bleat about leotards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moomin Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Yes, it's amazing isn't it Lin, you would think there was a market for leotards over a size 10/12 (small 12 at that!). Even when I was a skinny size 6/8 I would have needed a bra but practically everything is too open backed for that. I've just compared mine. The mirella is a little larger on the waist than the Bloch, otherwise they are the same size. The just ballet large is the same size as the Bloch/ mirella large more or less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Well Moomin have just jumped in the deepend and ordered a size 16 Aliana style leotard lined at the front (in case it's too low at the back) in navy from Wearmoi UK!!! If this doesn't fit I really will have to consider the made to measure option which both Wearmoi and Justballet offer. I'll let you know how it goes but am waiting with the usual anxiety.....however so far this is the largest Ive seen!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 It's not really like me but have just sent a bit of a snotty email back to degas in reply to their curt one. This is because they have no size details on their website for T5......only goes up to T4......and then have the cheek to tell me that they are sure it will fit me!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I find that most brands just don't make their leotards big enough, I know the average professional dancer is very slim, but there are a lot of us recreational dancers who would like to wear nice leotards too but it's rare to find anything bigger than a size L, which is usually around a UK 12 and not really designed for anyone taller than about 5'4"! I'm a size 14 and 5'7", most leotards are too short, pinch under the arms and cut into my crotch. The only ones I've found so far that don't do that are Roch Valley's size 6 (some size 5s are ok too) and Revolution leotards in size L or XL. Another issue is that the bra supports are always useless for me, the manufacturers assume that if you have a 38" bust, which is what the sizes I wear usually claim to measure, that you must have a broad ribcage and fairly small boobs, whereas I have a 32" underbust measurement and DD boobs, so the elastic under the bra lining is always too loose and just rides up, I haven't found a single leotard yet that I can even consider wearing without a bra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porthesia Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 There I was thinking if I shed another couple of stone that I could go back to ballet. After reading all the posts above I'm going to have to lose the whole lot before I will be able to get into a leotard and even then I may not get one to fit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 Yes it's a bit depressing on the leotard front. In the end I had one especially made by Wearmoi UK and I am very pleased with it. Normal brands don't seem to take height or frame width into consideration so don't pull up properly. Wearmoi also added an inch onto the front and back so that it could be worn with a bra if you wanted but was fully lined etc. However naturally it was more expensive than an off the peg one but none of the main leotard suppliers in the main Dance stores seem to be interested in recreational dancers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 That doesn't have to stop you Porthesia, most people in my class don't wear leotards at all, most of them just wear leggings with a t-shirt! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Hello TabbyCool and welcome to the Forum. We look forward to hearing more about your experiences. You mentioned height as an issue when buying leotards. A number of lady professionals (especially in Europe and the USA) are taller than 5'4", albeit slim. Would they have similar problems with getting leotards that fit? I ask as a non-dancer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legseleven Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 I would be interested as to whether height is an issue for taller professional ballet dancers re leotard sizing, as my DD has a short body and very long legs, so leotards, swimming costumes and T shirts etc aren't a problem length wise, whereas trousers, tights, jazz pants etc definitely are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porthesia Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Thanks for the encouragement TabbyCool. I still need to shed a ..... "shedload" before I'd be comfortable in T shirt and leggings! Its a very, very, very long time since I did ballet so I think quite a lot of practice at home first as well! Sorry, I've taken us off topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loubylou Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 blimey this sounds complicated - and is my next task....have managed to get away with tights, short leggings and any top until now but have to go into the "proper gear" next term yikes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Ive been dancing the last three years now without wearing a leotard!! So you definitely don't need to Porthesia! I usually wear tights some sort of Uniglo top(great for dancers) and then a tunic on top of various shapes that Ive mainly bought from H and M TKMax and Peacocks!! However I now do have one decent outfit of a leotard and longish ballet wrap so I can more or less look the part occasionally.....especially when doing workshops at the ROH!!! Lots of people doing adult ballet classes don't wear leotards but whether out of choice or because they can't get one to fit I don't know! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancer Sugar Plum Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 To make things more complicated, finding leotards to fit is not the end of the 'problem'. I have been able to find leotards that work for me in Bloch, Capezio and Wear Moi, but there are a lot of styles I need to write off because of the bust area. There is just not enough coverage for the bust area! As an example, empire line leotards have a line that should sit on the rib cage but I find it sits on my bust instead. If I pull it down to where it should sit, I look borderline indecent! If I wore it to class, I think I would be revealing too much when doing port de bras down to my feet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 It's a combination of height and overall size for me, leotards are like tights, sometimes a taller slim person might wear the same size as a shorter but fuller figured person as what they gain in stretch one way, they sacrifice for the other direction, if that makes sense! But when you're 5'7" and a size 14, size L leotards are usually too small. If I were the same dress size but a bit shorter, or the same height but slimmer, they'd likely be fine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 This is exactly what I have found. Going by height alone just isn't enough. Even those L and XL sizes don't allow for you to have an ounce of fat anywhere!! So if you're 5ft 8ins broad shouldered and covered with a degree of flesh at least you're not going to succeed with leotards. Also most modern ones are pretty much cut away at the back with just these thin straps which means its impossible to wear a bra so they have to be lined properly at the front. Anyway as Ive said Ive given up with off the peg ones and will just have to have a couple especially made. I still think that these companies are behind the times but what can you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 I don't wear camisole ones, only tank leotards and sleeved ones if it's not so warm. I'm not really overly fussed about my bra showing at the back too much if it's a sports bra, but I to try my best to get ones that at least attempt to cover most of it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 (edited) A lot of brands list girth as a measurement on their size chart along with bust, hip, height etc, that's probably more useful for most of us. Unfortunately the average size L leotard is made for up to around a 62-63" girth and my girth is 66". If you're not familiar with girth measurement, it's the measurement you get if you wrap a tape measure under your crotch, over one shoulder, then back down to the crotch, so it takes into account your height as well as the fact that you have boobs and a bum! Edited December 18, 2013 by TabbyCool 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Yes my girth is 65 inches. I also found my waist measurement of 34 inches is quite a bit larger then most leotards which are about 30inches. Shoulder tip to shoulder tip is quite good to(mine is 18inches) as I think if you are on the broad side it's difficult to get the leotard to stretch over the shoulders......they just feel very uncomfortable! It can be a similar scenario with swimming costumes so often have to get them in a bigger size than really required .......so I end up with too much bust on mine!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 At least swimming costumes are available in bigger sizes, I've never had a problem finding swimming costumes in a 14, they fit nicely too, but if they were tight I could get a 16 easily. Leotards tend to only go up to a 12, it's just ridiculous! I tend not to pay attention to the waist measurement on leotards, there's always enough stretch in the fabric across the waist, it's the leg holes cutting into the crotch, bust cut too low and straps being too short that I have problems with. I don't have broad shoulders, my waist tends to fluctuate but is usually around the 32" / 33" kind of region. It's my hips and chest that are the main problem, I have a 38" bust but it's all boob rather than being broad and fairly flat-chested, which is what they seem to expect if you have a 38" bust, then my hips are 40" at the narrowest part, ballooning out to around 45" at the widest part around my bum. Basically, I'm a pear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 I'm a 38 too but I must admit is more in the back measurement than the front if you get my meaning!! My trouble with swimming cozzies is when I go the next size up my bust size seems to be at the smaller size level still so not always such a good fit there!! However I have been losing weight nicely in the last year or so and am now nearer a size 14 than a 16 which made buying a new swimming costume last September much easier than the previous time. So have you found a leotard which you are happy with to date? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Some of the teenage dancers at our studio have come up with their own solution for the narrow ribcage but bigger boobs problem. They have bought unlined leotards and bought dance bras in their size and have then removed the straps to the bra and sewn them into the leotard themselves. I have to say I would not have known from seeing the girls in their leotards had my DD not been complaining about the shelf lining in her leotard so they let her in on their method. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 I recently bought a couple of Revolution ones in the sale at Dance Direct, both L and XL fit fine. I got an L in the tank style and an XL in a short sleeved style, just because they were the only sizes they had in each, I got them for £8 or £9 each too so that was a bargain! They're nice for winter as they're quite a thick fabric, although I'd like something in the same kind of fit in microfibre for when it's warmer, black microfibre is great for not showing the unsightly under-boob sweat, haha! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loubylou Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 LinMM - did you not get on with your Wearmoi size 16? Am assuming not as you've said since you've had one made... TabbyCool - really helpful posts, thankyou :-) Do you think the Revolution ones would be good for shorter people too (5 foot 2 and half (that half is v. important! )) ? Talking of swimming cosies, I was surprised how hard it was to find one when I started swimming again a couple of years ago, mainly too low at the front or not enough at the sides of boobs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 The people at Wearmoi were lovely exceptionally helpful! So they rang me when I placed my order for the size 16 leotard to check a few things. She asked (Sheena) for my measurements and decided my waist and girth were a bit bigger and when she found out I was an "older" lady she asked if I would like it slightly higher at the front and back which I thought I probably did!! So went for a custom made one in the end. Expensive though. Even though this is beautifully lined and I could wear without I will probably wear with as I tried it out with one of my bras and it was fine. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now