why are ballet uniforms so dam expensive ??

[mummyloveslucy]

My daughter needs a blue ballet uniform for september. A leotard, scirt and wrap cardie comes to £38 and with ballet shoes thats £50.
There is no detail or work in any of it. I could make the skirt myself with a bit of net and some elastic.
Why on earth do they cost so much?
Anyway, rant over. I should've put this under "an I being unreasonable" I suppose.

[peanutbutterkid]

Our dance school sells bits 2nd hand, lets girls wait a few lessons before they have to get the uniform.
Of course, DD lost all interest once we finally got all the bits of expensive uniform .

[FanjolinaJolly]

Aldi were doing a full ballet set for £9.99 recently but I reckon they were pink.

(I was looking at them wistfully but dd has sn and splints so the chances of ballet are pretty much zilch...independent walking would be nice!!!saddo emoticon!!)

[mummyloveslucy]

Bless her little heart. I hope she'll be twirling around in that ballet before you know it.

[mummyloveslucy]

That was ment to be ballet dress.

[SqueakyPop]

Can you get them on Ebay?

When DD first took up ballet, we went to a ballet school to get her kit and it was $$$. We soon discovered that we could buy it for a fraction of the cost from Walmart/Kmart/Kids R Us (we were living in the US at the time).

The ballet school stuff was much nicer, but not worth the extra expense in DD's case.

[FanjolinaJolly]

Thank MML I hope you find something soon!!

[mummyloveslucy]

I'll have a look on e-bay. I'm so tight !.

[Romy7]

oh - i've got pink, and black, and green lol... no blue. if it makes you feel better, ds 1 does it as well as the two girls, and he has to have a white leotard and black shorts... we move every two years and every darn time we end up with new colours. drives me bonkers! good luck with e-bay!

FJ, dd2 has athetoid cp and does ballet - she started using a walking frame and has a ball. took me ages to find a class that would take her, and she's only got a year left, max, before she gets kicked out to let them concentrate on exams, but it can be done! in the states they have whole classes with 1-1 support, sigh.

[mashedbanana]

i got my dds ballet bits off ebay.all really good condition and great prices.worth taking a look.

[Clary]

mml that seems like a lot

At our class they sell stuff 2nd hand too. DD always has pass-on tap shoes, then the teachers sells them again so you spend v little.

She had a new skirt recently but I'm sure it only cost £8 or so.

Her leotard is the same one as when she started - she was just 4 and is 7 now

It still fits tho!

[Lilyloo]

Def ebay i learnt this after buying all new.
I now sell on all dd's dance things on ebay too.
Sadly i only have pink leotards and skirts !

[snickersnack]

dd's ballet school doesn't do second hand sales and insists on incredibly specific styles in very unusual colours - so very hard to find cheap alternatives. And they've just changed the uniform, for no reason I can see. That was £30 for a dress and cardigan . Told her she'd have to keep wearing her old (and somewhat snug) shoes for a while longer!

[seb1]

Try here, super fast delivery

Dance direct

[mummyloveslucy]

Thanks seb1, that's more like it.

[islandofsodor]

Often it is the exam board requirements. BBO is the worst as you have to have the stuff with their logo on. At least with RAD the leotard and voile skirt can be any brand as long it is the right colour and style.

Dance Direct is very good for cheaper RAD uniform. I can get RAD. ISTD and BBO at trade prices from another catalogue if you are stuck.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I have a blue leotard you can have! It's mid blue, stretchy cotton, size 1 (I think will fit a 7 year old or perhaps a bit smaller). It is a bit like a swimsuit in style - no sleeves, and I think is ISTD standard (although DD1 had it for an RAD class). CAT me if you want it!