The Annie Style
The stylish inspiration for today’s article is senior Annie Anselmo. Annie defines personal style as “your fashion style and how you express yourself.” For Annie, developing her style was pivotal in finding and getting to know herself better. In previous articles, we’ve already briefly covered how important it is to be unique to yourself, so I’ll stop lingering on that topic. The general point is that fashion statements should be something you choose to wear each day. Your fashion sense is ultimately up to you and you alone. Yes, trends can influence what you decide to wear, but you always have to remain true to yourself and your clothing preferences.

Annie’s preferred style falls anywhere from Streetwear (a style we’ll cover in a future article) to what she calls “girly.” Her first outfit perfectly reflects the streetwear style. With a stylish yet casual look, Annie can walk the hallways comfy and carefree. Annie’s second outfit inclined more to the “girly” side of fashion that she had previously mentioned. Even though it’s cold out now, Annie doesn’t let the weather stop her from wearing what she wants. (Let me preface by saying, please wear a coat now that it is getting colder! If you’re reading this, you’re most likely from, or currently living in, Ohio. Our winters are cold!) The fabrics that Annie typically wears are cotton and denim. She says that “you can’t go wrong with crochet” as well. Anything comfortable for Annie, she will wear.

When asked how she accessorizes an outfit, Annie responded that she usually reaches for belts when stuck on an outfit. Just like Stella Rosen, Annie can find the versatility she needs in a belt to elevate her look further. Jewelry is a staple accessory in Annie’s wardrobe. She mentioned that she switches between a few different necklaces and pairs of earrings when deciding what to wear each day. Annie also explained that shoes are a big deal when picking out an outfit. She loves to match her shoes to her outfits.

Annie said she gets most of her clothes by thrifting and enjoys making and upcycling old clothes when possible. We love a resourceful fashionista! Going to the mall is a must when shopping for Annie; her favorite store is Forever 21. Another store that Annie mentioned was “Pull & Bear Clothing,” which I had never heard of. According to her, they are based in Europe but ship to the U.S. That’s a store I’ll have to cover in a future article!

The Balletcore Style: What is it?
The more recently named aesthetic in fashion, appropriately named “Balletcore,” takes its main inspiration from what ballet dancers supposedly look like while dancing. I say supposedly because it’s more of an inspiration of the vibes you get from dancers versus the clothes classically trained dancers wear while dancing.

According to the research done by Heather Bloom of The Australian Ballet, the “reciprocal relationship between ballet and fashion dates back as far as the art form’s 16th-century origins.” This article will mainly focus on the last thirty or so years. With the rise of TikTok and Pinterest, interest in this trend resurged about two years ago.

Media Presence
Sarah Jessica Parker, who played Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and The City,” is known for her colorful and fun outfits. However, most of her outfits incorporating light pinks and whites tend to fit the Balletcore aesthetic.

Audrey Hepburn, a famous actress from the ‘50s and ‘60s, often wore shades of light pink that fit the color pallet of the Balletcore aesthetic.

Balletcore first started to trend on TikTok in the spring of 2023. With more and more fashion influencers on TikTok promoting the Balletcore aesthetic, the trend began to take off. You can now find hundreds—if not thousands—of Balletcore style inspiration videos and photo collages on TikTok and Pinterest.

Fabrics
Balletcore is about tapping into your “inner femininity” and being active. Lighter fabrics that allow for movement are usually what you’ll see most in this trend. Cotton and ribbed knit will make up most of the cozy pieces, with silk, chiffon, and tulle incorporated into smaller details. A heavier knit sweater can also be considered part of the Balletcore aesthetic.

Styling
Unlike the last trend, layering is not a key feature in Balletcore fashion. Although you can layer pieces like boleros (a clothing item that covers your arms and shoulders), shrugs, and tie-front cardigans on top of your outfits, it’s not the biggest feature of the trend.

As previously stated, this trend takes inspiration from what dancers wear as they prepare to dance. While the trend doesn’t call for the most accurate pieces of clothing to the inspiration, the vibe is supposed to be feminine and delicate, just like a ballet dancer. Staple pieces to style with this trend include leotards or bodysuits—a more recent fad in fashion—tank tops, leg warmers, sweaters (cropped and normal length), skirts and wrap skirts, dresses, and pairs of sweatpants. Regarding styling, pairing a skirt with a leotard or tank top and leg warmers makes an easy Balletcore-inspired outfit.

If you’re a shoe-loving person, pay attention to this: round, almond, and square toe shapes help elevate any Balletcore look. (Square toes give the illusion of pointe shoes used in ballet.) If a more athletic style is what you’re looking for, neutral or pastel-colored tennis shoes will also go with any outfit.

For accessorizing, white or light pink tights, white socks visible under shoes, ballet flats, and Mary Jane shoes fit the aesthetic best. Bows are the most common symbol in Balletcore fashion, further representing the feminine fashion presented throughout the trend. Bows may be styled on pieces of clothing (the easiest way is to tie them on straps of a tank top or leotard), in your hair, on necklaces, or around socks to mimic ballet slipper ribbons.

Hearts and crystals are popular motifs in jewelry associated with Balletcore. Usually speaking, you will find hearts or crystals on necklaces, earrings, and rings. Dainty jewelry, such as tiny hoops and small pendant necklaces, make up a majority of jewelry you’ll see on Pinterest boards. If you want to add a bit of a classy vibe, pearl or crystal stud earrings are the way to go. There is no obvious choice between silver or gold jewelry with this trend, but you will more often see silver when scrolling through TikTok for outfit inspiration.

The color pallet for this trend tends to lean towards more pastel and neutral colors, with white and light pink being the highlight colors. Creams, dusty blues, light blues, tans, beiges, and shades of grey are also frequently utilized.

Shopping Recommendation
Upon investigating where you can find these pieces of clothing, I stumbled upon almost every basic store you can find in Great Northern Mall and SouthPark Mall. Forever 21, Aerie, American Outfitters, American Eagle, Brandy Melville, Amazon, and SHEIN are all reputable places to shop for Balletcore outfit inspiration.