The Balletcore Spin On A Little Black Dress Adds A Touch Of Whimsy To The Classic Trend

The balletcore fashion aesthetic embraces the delicate femininity of ballerinas. It involves incorporating shades of pale pink, tights, bows, lace, tulle, and similar elements into your look, evoking the style of traditional ballerinas with your own twist. You can also implement balletcore into your hair and beauty routines — for example, you can try a chic balletcore hairstyle by pulling your hair into a tight bun.

Many fashion designers have unveiled new looks with a balletcore slant. However, you don't have to be a real-life ballerina or even a runway model to participate in this trend. One of the wonderful things about the aesthetic is that it is accessible to anyone. If you're compelled to give the balletcore aesthetic a try but are not as interested in the thought of pastel pink dresses and silk wrap skirts, don't fret. 

You can easily combine the girly aesthetic with the classic little black dress for a more unique, fashion-forward take that suits your own personal style. 

To bring your little black dress (LBD) into the world of balletcore, you need to focus on finding some pastel accessories worthy of a prima ballerina. One example is a nice set of tights. In a video from TikToker Kayla Nicole (aka @missxfemmexfatale), she pairs a lace-fringed LBD with dreamy cream-colored tights. Her tights even have tiny bows running up the front — another staple of balletcore. 

Nicole also chose some black platform Mary Janes and matching black socks — an edgy twist on a classic shoe and a great option if you want to make this aesthetic slightly grungier. If you keep your dress and shoes black but wear your tights in a contrasting color, your look will also adhere to the sandwich dressing rule. 

However, if tights are not your thing, you can instead choose to wear something like pale pink leg warmers or even add a pop of pastel color with ballet flats in your favorite shade. 

Another option to turn your LBD into a balletcore staple is to add a pastel shrug or wrap sweater over it. A shrug is a kind of sweater that is cropped right below your arms. A wrap sweater, meanwhile, closes by being tied on one side instead of buttoned down the front. Either of those styles fits the ballerina aesthetic perfectly. You can also add pastel elements in the form of hair accessories, like ribbons or bows, to complete the look. 

Instagram user @kysabashir combined a puffy LBD with a pretty pink hair bow. She also wore an eye-catching pair of knee-high pink boots and carried a matching pink purse, solidifying that pink is the quintessential shade for this aesthetic. However, any light shade — baby blue, mint green, pale purple, etc. — will work. Urban Outfitters even released a balletcore collection inspired by the trend. 

It features many of the accessories and pieces mentioned above, including leg warmers, ballet flats, hair ribbons, and shrugs. The collection also has multiple variations of the LBD, such as the UO Mallory Cowl Neck Slip Dress and the UO Gemma Lace Strapless Mini Dress. If you want to elevate your little black dress with an elegant, dreamy twist, grab some pastel accessories and grand jeté your way into the world of balletcore.