The most important in a nutshell
- Basically, any sportswear can be used for pole dancing, the only important thing is that it is stretchy on the one hand to withstand the tricks, and on the other hand that enough skin is exposed to find support on the pole.
- There are also own pole dance clothes, but otherwise products from the dance, yoga or acrobatics area are often used.
- In addition to the classic outfit consisting of a sports bra and shorts, there are also additional products such as grip gloves or special socks that originally come from the yoga sector.
What factors must be taken into account when buying clothes?
When buying your outfit for pole, on the one hand, you need to make sure that enough skin remains free of fabric, and on the other hand, especially the pants should be suitable for acrobatic tricks.
Probably in one of the first lessons, you will “climb” on your pole dance pole for the first time. In order for you to stick to the pole at all, you first need the resistance of your arms and legs.
That means you need a short t-shirt and shorts that provide enough bare skin and consequently support. At later levels of difficulty, you will also do figures that require the skin resistance of your waist or armpits. This is why many pole dancers train exclusively in sports bras instead of shirts.
Did you know that, much like yoga, the figures in pole dancing all have names?
Hangback, Seat, Leghock… In pole dancing there are many figures, some are for beginners, some are for experts. If you want to learn the sport, then you should know the different positions.
Pole dance combines many acrobatic elements with dance. Some figures include, for example, a split or similar movements.
Therefore, for example, running pants are not suitable for this training, because they are not designed for such movements in the crotch and could tear.
Yoga or Pilates pants have wedges inserted in the crotch, which allows them to withstand these acrobatic tricks.
In the table below we have summarized for you what kind of figures you need what outfit.
| Figure type | Clothing | Explanation |
| Simple twists on the ground | Any sports clothes | If you are doing simple twists around the bar and you are not climbing yet, then you can wear any sports clothes, such as leggings. Because you only need your hands to turn around the bar. |
| Climbing and simple poses | Shorts, T-shirt, barefoot | Especially when climbing, it is essential for beginners to wear shorts. You need the skin on your thighs and on your feet to keep you on the pole. You also need your thighs for simple poses like a chair-seat or wrist-seat. |
| Upside down | Short, tight pole dance/sports pants, barefoot, top or sports bra | For figures that you do upside down it is absolutely necessary to be barefoot at the beginning. Otherwise you could slip and seriously injure yourself. We also recommend tight poledance shorts, because upside down it’s easy to get panty flashes. Also, you need the skin on your armpits to get to an invert, for example. Therefore: Top instead of T-shirt. |
| Advanced training | Tight poledance pants, barefoot, sports bra | In poledance there are numerous figures where you need not only the skin on your legs, but also the skin on your torso, or abdomen. Therefore, for advanced training you definitely need a sports bra or a belly top. |
Where can I buy pole dance clothes?
You can buy your outfit for pole dancing either online or in specialized stores or sports stores.
In principle, you can wear a simple T-shirt and comfortable leggings or sweatpants, especially in the beginning, but this will no longer be possible, especially at later levels, because you will then need resistance for the figures.
The clothes you wear to pole dance can either be ordered from an online store or bought in a pole dance specialty store or sports store, although you probably can’t buy special pole dance brands in a sports store. These brands usually produce clothes that offer a bit more skin and therefore support.
In general, however, you should be able to wear normal sportswear, which you can buy, for example, in the sports store of your choice or on Amazon.
Buying criteria: With these factors you can compare and rate pole dance clothes
In this part we want to show you which factors you can use to compare and evaluate pole dance clothes. Based on these factors you can make your purchase decision.
Basically, the following characteristics can be distinguished:
- Material
- Size
- Color
- Type of clothing
Material
When it comes to material, a basic distinction can be made between cotton fabrics and functional fabrics.
The majority of your sportswear is probably made of so-called functional fabrics, which are mostly synthetic materials that are particularly absorbent. Cotton fabrics, on the other hand, are less absorbent and therefore unsuitable for classic sportswear. Nevertheless, they are used for dance or yoga clothes, because you sweat less during these sports and therefore a cotton fabric is sufficient.
Size
Some sportswear items are only available in one size whereas other products are available in normal sizes for example from S-XL.
Many sports apparel items are only available in one size fits all, which takes away your choices.
Color
The color of the products is another relevant but subjective purchase criterion.
You can buy most products in different colors depending on your taste. In some cases there may be price differences depending on the color, otherwise the decision is based solely on your subjective preference.
Clothing type
When it comes to clothing types, a distinction can be made between classic sportswear and dancewear.
Can normal sportswear also be worn for pole dancing?
As already mentioned, no special clothing is necessary for pole dancing, so normal sports clothing can also be worn without any problems.
Basically it doesn’t matter if you wear normal sportswear or extra pole dance clothes, the only important thing is that enough skin is free of fabric.