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Do you have a child doing dance this year? I recently asked readers the ways they save on dance apparel. Here are some of their suggestions. Let me know your savings tips if you have some to add!
7 Ways to Save on Dance Apparel
Have your child fitted at a local store
I’d highly recommend having your child fitted at a brick and mortar store so someone can evaluate your child’s foot/fit of the shoe. Yes, even for tiny dancers. Once you know what kind of sizing you need, then you can look for deals elsewhere to and get a better deal!
Buy quality items
While you may not want to do this if your child is very young and quickly growing out of sizes, as your dancer gets older, invest in high quality items. It may be more expensive to buy a certain quality of shoe up front, but if she can wear them for a year, it might be worth it.
Shop online
I like to shop Discount Dance and Dancewear Solutions online. Target has some cute dance leotards. Zulily usually has cute ballet leotards, as long as you can wait for them to go on sale.
Shop consignment, thrift stores, and resale stores
I get most of my little girl’s leotards at Once Upon a Child!
I would search your local resale shops and thrift stores. We have a store where people sell their old clothes, shoes and toys to the store. I’ve found most of my kids’ athletic shoes and my daughter’s dance clothes and shoes, which is much cheaper than new. However, they don’t always have her size. If I find a larger size, sometimes I get them knowing she will eventually fit into them.
Ask at your dance studio
I would ask the dance studio if someone has donated any! When my daughter took dance, there was a kind of consignment table (at the studio) where you could purchase gently used items.
Do it yourself
While you probably can’t make shoes yourself, here is an easy tutorial for a ballet skirt if you have a bit of sewing experience!
Ask other dance families
I think if you ask around in your dance group, there will be people who are selling stuff that their children have outgrown, so be sure to ask the parents of older children. One of the challenges will be if your child is a new dancer. Sizing for dancewear (at least to me) is so different from street sizing, but once you know the sizing you need, you can keep your eye out for others who are looking to sell or pass on items.
Do you have any other ways to save on dance apparel? Let us know in the comments!
