I’ve never met a dancer who is not hyper specific about her taste in leotards.  Tight and supportive, soft and worn in, bright, dark, feminine, sporty, strappy, simple; There are a lot of options and even more opinions.  Of course, I am no exception to the rule, preferring my leotards supportive yet soft, and feminine but flattering.  Despite my mother’s insistence that my bust is fairly compact, my tendency for dramatics has me completely convinced otherwise, resulting in a certain inclination towards what I like to lovingly refer to as “boob-friendly leotards”, i.e. those which suit a slightly fuller chest.  I tend to favor dark colored (re: slimming) leo’s that cut high on the hip, dip low in the back, and offer some kind of unique feature to set it apart in a sea of basic black camisoles.

All details considered, you can imagine my apprehension in opening the package that contained a custom-designed leotard, made especially for my blog, by a young dancer (and I mean young!) whom I have never even met.  I held the package in my hands, waiting just long enough for my curiosity to swell into a tangible entity outside of myself.  A few nearby other dancers took note of my anxiousness and encouraged me to rip open the package.  When I did, we were all blown away.

It’s hard not to fall in love with this leotard instantly.  It collects little pieces of light from every beautiful balletic dream and weaves them all up into a fairytale of a garment.  But what surprised me about my experience receiving this leotard was the way in which every aspect that would normally send me running for cover actually became what I love most in this piece.  You know how sometimes when you try too hard to hide something, it actually becomes more glaringly obvious?  Well, there’s a widely revered characteristic in French women that I have always been envious of; They use their flaws and insecurities as defining features, promoting the effortless allure of unbrushed hair and a good run in your stockings.  In this leotard, I have finally reached an understanding of French female empowerment.  The light colors I habitually avoided now gracefully wrapped their way around my body, and feminine cut-outs along the neckline emphasized the bust I had always spitefully suppressed.  And you know what?  The change felt good.  I strutted my stuff through every rehearsal in the gorgeous creation, and I think my confidence showed; Almost every girl in the company approached me that day complimenting the new leo, and even asking where and how to get one for themselves.  If that doesn’t confirm a successful design, I don’t know what does.

With its soft, delicate, vintage-inspired front and a sporty, clasp-enclosed shrug style back, this leotard really does it all.  It’s so completely one-of-a-kind and like nothing I’ve ever had the pleasuring of dancing in before, and I am proud to know Setting The Barre is being represented so elegantly.  And because Miss Jones knows that no project is complete without a personal touch, she even embroidered my name into the hip.  Incredible.

So readers, I invite you to experience the bliss that is classic femininity with a decidedly modern twist.  Get your hands on the limited-edition Setting The Barre leotard, with a special reader’s only discount.  Use the code DANCE13 for 10% off at check out.

view the rest of the Miss Jones Dance etsy shop here.

Special thank you to Sarah Jones for her stunning design and Jenay Evans for her brilliant photography.