Pole specific activewear is something that is only a relatively recent invention. Especially considering how long pole dancing has been around. In my usual around the world fashion, we’re going to get to this. Obviously, I am approaching this through the lens of my own personal experience, based in the UK. People in the states I feel had more access to niche clothing before the UK.
I’m going to premise this with the statement that, in my experience, all new starters come with outfits that give as much coverage as possible. I also did this.
When I first started pole dancing (just before my 30th Birthday), I wore joggers and long sleeves. I hated my legs – something I had internalised since my P.E. Teacher Mrs Reese (That’s her actual real name, and last I heard she was still teaching and still an awful human being) in secondary school called me Licken Chegs in front of the class. She made fun of me and basically allowed the bullying from other students – if not outright encouraged it. This led to me becoming enormously self conscious about my legs.
Don’t get me wrong, on club nights out with friends in my late teens, I did wear short skirts, but drinking copious amounts of Brandy helped me deal with that self consciousness. You can’t really do that with a pole class. Even when I started learning Pole climbs I would just pull up my joggers above my knees, because I felt everyone was judging my skinny licken chegs.
Eventually I got to the point where if I didn’t wear less, I wasn’t going to be able to progress. I had to make the decision about whether I was going to let my insecurities dictate whether or not I continued with this new thing [Pole] that I’d found.
Ultimately, I decided that I loved pole dancing more than I hated my legs. And so the hunt for appropriate clothing began.
Initially the only outfits available were swim-wear. They were one of the few things that provided adequate crotch coverage – though this really depended on the style of the swim-wear. I managed to get a two piece set with a built in skirt to hide my bum. (This is a different insecurity that is mostly just from being a teen in the early 90’s when heroine-chic physique was the goal and having any kind of butt was a bad thing).
I’m telling you all this, because I genuinely understand the need to hide yourself away. To feel ashamed and even be repulsed at your own self.
Of course we all managed to make do with whatever sports wear we could find, or used layered boy-shorts underwear, over our usual underwear. Shorty pyjamas were also something else we wore. We were creative with it. I will say that there were more nip slips and lip slips than we see these days. But that’s because even crop tops or sports bras weren’t structured to hold the girls in when upside down. They were probably great for jogging (though I doubt it), maybe yoga? – whatever fitness industry designers thought women should be taking part in).
And then came Bad Kitty.
Bad Kitty was THE brand for polers. It was comfortable, it held things where they should be, they had different sized pole shorts (in terms of length and coverage), because the pole comps at that time had a rule that all private parts must be fully covered – even the gluteal crease, (where your hamstrings meet your butt cheeks). Bad Kitty was different though. They sponsored the comps that showed the sexy side of pole. They weren’t judgemental about which style you did – because lets face it, back then it was mostly stripper style moves.
Literally there were not that many moves. I was around for the invention of the Superman, and the sailboat, brass monkey and shoulder mounts. When there were very few pole resources available, only random YouTube videos, and the advent of Studio Veena. Anyway, I’m getting off topic again.
Bad Kitty was the one. There was also a pole dancer who created her own range of polewear too called Dirdy Birdy. They were functional, fit for purpose. And they lasted. I still have some of the Bad Kitty stuff even now. But then greed got the better of the company. They outsourced and quality fell. They went bankrupt.
Amy Hazel – Pole Theatre USA – guest performance – Not only is this one of my favourite Amy Hazel performances, it shows just how influential Bad kitty were at the time.
And then came Dragonfly.
I love Dragonfly Brand. I swear their outfits were (still are) like a little bit of magic. Every time I got a new Dragonfly outfit, I nailed a new move. The only issue with Dragonfly was their sizing. I was about a size 8 (UK), I was used to wearing a size S, in Dragonfly clothes I was a Large. The only time I have fitted a Dragonfly size S was after my Dad died and I lost what little weight I had. My friends did an intervention because they thought I was getting an eating disorder. I wasn’t, grief just apparently makes my body eat itself.
Rad came along around the same time, they had beautiful designs and styles. Luxury fabrics, comfort, all the things you could ask for. They too are still a popular brand today, and still I have to get 1 or 2 sizes above normal street wear for it to not make me look like a sausage casing. Though they are definitely better than they used to be.
Honourable mention here to Cleo the Hurricane for her polewear, which at that time was the only brand that accurately sized their polewear, so that even full bodied and plus sized polers could fit and be sexy without adding to any body dysmorphia. When you have to bare your skin for your art, it helps when you can buy clothes in your actual size, instead of feeling like a whale who shouldn’t even try.
It was around this time that the UK comp circuit really took off for pole related competitions and showcases. So there we saw an advent of small home industry designers and creators of pole wear. It’s still a growing industry.
I would like to say that I am not a hoarder, but when it comes to pole wear I definitely am. These outfits fold up really small, and yet I have drawers filled with it, and bags of stuff that I don’t fit anymore. My figure is very changeable at the moment as I’m going through the menopause, so I have held onto some favourites in the hope I will one day wear them again. I have put some of the things that I can bear to part with on vinted. That way i will have funds to buy new designs and new sets.
This is just the stuff that I have in current rotation. As you can see there’s a lot. I have stuff from Paradise Chick, Tatiana Activewear, Bandurska, Lunula, and you can see my clear preference for CXIX as a brand. Not that I find a style I like and then buy it in every colour (which I obviously do, just not all at the same time, because who has that kind of cash?). I have loved CXIX from the beginning, back when it was Creatures of XIX.
CXIX started with the goddess collection which at the time was just the ISIS range, and it grew from there. Started by Harriet and Melissa, they created their range made by dancers for dancers. And they offered it in proper sizes. Again, the same as Cleo, you didn’t have to size up 2 or 3 sizes for it to fit you comfortably. Now days, it’s run solely by Harriet, and if you follow CXIX on socials, you’ll be familiar with her as the designer behind the ranges.
CXIX offers glamour and luxury, style and comfort, and now has a range suitable for all styles of pole dance from the fitness only side to the sexy side. Paradise chick had tried to make sticky leggings to compensate for grip, however, I found that their sticky bits peeled off with use. CXIX made Gecko grip leggings before they expanded their gecko range. And these bad boys stay sticky. This range (Gecko specifically) is also one of the only ranges where I’ve had to size down.
They have the LUX Lounge range for days when you just need to be comfy, created active outerwear, (Joggers and Hoodies) that are baggy and soft and comfortable. I just love everything about them. I love them so much that I subscribe to their subscription box. It’s my little gift to myself every 3 months. It expanded my range and tastes in pole wear, and if its not something that suits my physique, they have ‘The Den’ on facebook where you can sell your set. I’m trying not to fangirl too much, but it has been relatively rare even after all these years that I have found a brand where 99% of their ranges fit my physique without giving me double bubble on my butt cheeks or boobs.
Here is me wearing my rose gold Heavenly set by CXIX – I also have this in the bronze and silver 😂
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNdetdE8A/
So, where do I get all my pole wear from?
Well, with CXIX I get it from them directly. Polejunkie is one of the best suppliers. I like Lunalae, and I did buy direct from them once, but I got charged import duty on it, so while I had grabbed a bargain from them directly, it ended up costing about the same as if I’d bought it from an authorised reseller. Many of these brands are European, so pole junkie is one of the best places to go and see all the different ranges of all the different brands, without the hassle of waiting for it to clear customs. CXIX has UK, as well as world wide distributors, so I would recommend going to them directly if you can. I’ve always found them to arrive promptly.
The downside to pole specific outfits is that they can be expensive.
One of the most affordable rages out there is by Rarr Designs. So far I have only seen this sold exclusively through Xana Polewear.
So, I reached out to the companies I am talking about here and said I was going to mention them and the manner in which I would be talking about them.
Xana Polewear have very graciously offered a 5% discount on any order through their site with the code SAVE5, however, if it’s your first time using Xana, it’s worth signing up to their mailing list for a new subscriber 10% discount first.
Here’s the link for their clothing range: https://xanapolewear.com/collections/new-in
I have a couple of students who love the Rarr sets and have multiple of them. They are comfy, offer great coverage, keep everything in place and are just all round a great product. They are properly sized, which as I’ve mentioned is a rarity, and offer different levels of coverage depending on the style.
I personally don’t have a Rarr set yet, what I do have is a plethora of the I-style products. I have the Maya Trousers in three colours, with the matching Priya bolero style tops, And the Lotus jumpsuit also in three colours. I can’t help it, if i find something comfortable that works for me i usually end up getting it in all the colours.
I guess it’s because comfort is important to me. Because I teach pole and am often in the studio for 8-12 hours, I’m not just wearing a set for the length of one or two classes. So I buy things that are functional and comfortable.
That’s why CXIX is such a good brand. They are sexy, pretty, sometimes sparkly, but ultimately comfortable for long days of wear.
Here’s the link for the UK CXIX website: https://cxix.com/
They have also generously given us a 10% discount code for our readers off your total order.
Discount Code: Verticaljoy10
These are the businesses that make our community a community. They are always supportive of studios, comps, and efforts to raise money for a good cause within the industry.
I love it that these businesses are actively involved in our community, and know what the needs of the dancer/performer are and fill these needs.
Lockdown nearly destroyed many of us, and I know these businesses also struggled during that time. They survived and have made a strong comeback. And I for one am so glad that they did.
Nowadays there are so many different styles and patterns, from the smallest shreds of fabric, to fuller coverage sets, with a range of fabrics that will suit any aesthetic. There really is something for everyone, and if there isn’t something you like, there are always designers out there who will make bespoke polewear to your desired style. For example https://www.instagram.com/made_bymimii?igsh=anBsdHM4dnhkazgx.
Insecurities Are Normal
I want to end by saying it’s only normal that you are bothered by your physical insecurities. We often hyper fixate on parts of our anatomy that we feel are unattractive / downright ugly, and that can lead to a level of body dysmorphia. We don’t really see ourselves with an unbiased light. But you know what helps with that? Learning to not give a F**k. I need grip, I’m going to get my skin out. I’m going to buy the outfit that makes me feel safe and pretty, and I’m going to enjoy what I do. It helped when I realised that everyone in class felt the same way. That everyone has their own insecurities. That even though it may feel like people are watching you and judging you, they’re not, they are too focused on feeling the exact same way. So be brave, bare your skin, progress your craft, and let your confidence grow with your skill. And if you need an excuse to buy a new set, you deserve it for reading all the way to the end, so go treat yourself.