What to wear to your Aerial Hoop/Lyra Class?

The struggle is real. You get up in the morning… and you have to choose what to take with you for your class later that evening. To non-circus folk this would seem like a standard choice: leggings, trainers and a t-shirt, right? Nope. Not for Aerials. The material you choose, the length, the fit, and how it makes you look and feel all affect how easy/comfortable is it to master new moves. I regularly get asked where to find the best outfits for an aerial class so I’ve put together this blog to cover all your options and where I usually buy them from!

The best fabric for Aerial classes…

For apparatus such as the Aerial Hoop/Lyra the best choice is something relatively slidey. Nylon fabrics allow you to transition into moves slightly easier once you get to a more advanced level but beware, you may find that the grip isn’t as good! Natural cotton or jersey is also a good choice for hoop, but be aware that you may sometimes catch your leggings on the hoop if it’s just been re-taped.

If you’re looking to invest in some cool prints and awesome slidey nylon fabulousness, then Black Milk is our first stop! Most of my students will tell you, I LOVE BLACK MILK. But it’s not just because they do some awesome prints, it’s generally the practicality of their clothing for Hoop and also the fit is amazing. The waistbands are wide so you never get a muffin top, and the ankles never go baggy!

The downside is that they are based in Australia, so their leggings can get rather pricey once you add in shipping and duties. However IT’S SOOOOOOOO WORTH IT!!! Some of my Black Milk leggings are my absolute favourite things to wear for my aerial hoop class in Colchester, so I couldn’t recommend them highly enough. Check out their website below to see their gear!

www.blackmilkclothing.com/

The fit…

The fit of your outfit is really important. The main issue we face when we decide what to wear for a hoop class is the fact that we go upside down, so baggy tops and t-shirts are out. I’ve found from experience that long-line vest tops are perfect, since they cover your bum and they’re tight enough to not fall into your face when you go upside down! My favourite ones are from Matalan or Primark. (£4.00 and £2.50 respectively!)

And finally, my favourite item of Aerial clothing… THE CATSUIT

Catsuits are a god-send for an aerial class! Not only do they feel great to wear, they hold everything in and you never have to worry about your top riding up, or your leggings falling down to expose anything you’d rather keep hidden! If you read this and thought ‘God! There’s no way I could wear a catsuit’ please just try it! I promise you’ll never look back!

If I’ve managed to convince you about the wonders of catsuits, then go ahead and check out Asos (search for ‘unitard’) since they have a whole bunch of gorgeous Jersey and cotton catsuits that make for really nice plain black outfits which wash up really well!