Looking for Degas leotards

[catdancer]

Sorry if this should have been posted elsewhere, but I looked around for quite awhile and didn't see a similar topic so I decided to post it here.

 

I am looking for Degas leotards. I know some of the girls at my dd's school have recently ordered them, but we are no longer in class and cannot ask them where they were purchased. I believe they ordered them from France and had to pay lots of $$ to ship. I searched the internet for Degas leotard and have come up with nothing. Does anyone out there know where these leos can be purchased? Thanks!

[mcrm55]

Dear Catdancer,

 

 

You can get them at:

 

http://www.articles-danse.com

 

You can click on the Britiish flag for English, but sometimes it doesn't seem to work. So, don't know if you speak French, if not, justaucorps =leotard, fines bretelles= thin straps bretelles larges= thick straps, manches courtes= short sleeves, manches longues=long sleeves... when you want to order, either call number on screen (they speak some English) or email them.

 

Also, there is:

 

http://www.degas.fr/accueil.htm

 

but, they don't sell directly. If you want more translation than that, pm me! One piece of advice, the postage is very high, so best to save up or go in with another person to buy them; also, it takes many weeks for them to arrive, as they are made to order (sort of), and then have to get through inspection on this end. I hope you have tried some on your dd, as the fit is quite different from leos here...

[catdancer]

Dear mcrm55,

 

Thanks so much for the great response. As I know absolutely no French, your translations will be a big help. I have heard that the postage was quite high, although I never really knew how high. The leotards themselves I've heard are not that much more than a leo here would be, don't know if that's true or not. I also heard that they take a long time for delivery and so I am starting this process now so that she will have them in the fall. Are there no U.S. distributors? Thanks again.

[jbtlse]

My daughter was in France last year and bought one in a shop in Avignon, I believe. Though the colors and styles seemed immense in actuality there was not much choice available in the store. ..this was also our experience one summer when we tried to find them in Paris--we thought perhaps it was a summer thing then...but I guess they are sort of special order.

 

DD will be near Nice this summer...so will look for them there.

 

As for fit...my daughter wears a size 1--she is 5'7"+ average build--she does have a shortish torso. The cut is quite flattering.

 

I would also recommend yumiko leotards.

[balletlover421]

i used the main website for the degas leotards and i want to order some...the problem is i dont speak french and i have no idea how im supposed to do some..can someone help me out?

Edited July 19, 2006 by balletlover421

[les_sylphides_]

mcrm55, could you elaborate upon what you found to be different in the fit of the degas leotards as compared to the brands here?

thanks

[jbtlse]

My daughter just returned from France...she went to the ballet shop in Cannes listed on the Degas site--she arrived 15 minutes before the store closed and the shopkeeper let them in and they stayed for an hour trying on and deciding...she ended up with a lovely red leotard with wonderful seaming. The shopkeeper just looked at her and said "you're a size 1"--she is a big girl but with ballet proportions. He did speak english and she said they had a nice selection--probably because they are near a ballet school with a summer program. The leotard was 54 euros--about $68!!

[Fiz]

I just had a look - fort elegant! (I was doing a French degree then swapped to history!) We are going to France in a fortnight - memo - look for ballet shops there! Fiz. xxxx

[brybread]

just to let everyone know, degas has opened a usa website

 

the adress is

 

www.degasusa.com

 

hope that helps!!!!

[Clara 76]

Thanks for the info!

[Treefrog]

Those are stunning! But expensive. (And I think it's a wee bit deceptive for the price in bold to be for the child's leo only, but maybe that's just me.) As beautiful as they are, I don't think I'll be ordering any by mail, given the 10% restocking fee for returns.

[mcrm55]

mcrm55, could you elaborate upon what you found to be different in the fit of the degas leotards as compared to the brands here?

thanks

 

 

Oh, dear, Les Sylphides,

 

Sorry I didn't see this (don't know why) until A YEAR AND A HALF LATER!, but for what it's worth, if you don't know already:

 

The French leos generally run much smaller than American ones and are cut much higher in the leg. European women and girls are often smaller boned, so if your child is very slender, they are great. They are also flattering for dds that are more athletic in build, but each style looks different depending on how the child is proportioned.

 

In general, the sizes for children run bigger than ours, but the adults about the same. I.E., if your child wears a 10 in American sizes, an 8 might be all right, if a 14, a 10 or 12 might be all right (assuming slender build). But adult leos are comparable, i.e. small for small, medium for medium, etc. However, fit is also affected by whether or not you choose to have the leo lined. These materials (matte lycra and microfiber) are very thin compared to cotton/lycra, so they are also more revealing, both of the topography (so to speak) beneath, and because they are less opaque in the light colors like white, yellow, pale green, very pale pink, etc. Because many of the french leo styles also have many seams to flatter the body, and for design puposes, lining a very heavily seamed leo will make it fit much much more tightly. It won't stretch so much, so you will need to move up at least one size to get a correct fit. Thus, if your dd was wearing a 6 Bessy leo perfectly happily, and wants the same one in white, with lining, you must think of ordering at least an 8 or even a 10. Vicard sizes are a little roomier than the Bessys (Degas), by the way, and Wear Moi about the same as Vicard.

 

Having said all this, the French leo sites are now backed up with wonderfully helpful customer service people who speak English with charming French accents, and who will help you with sizing if you give your dd's measurements and height and tell them whether she prefers her leos to fit tightly, to reveal as much leg as possible, or loosely and ride up no higher than the natural top of the thigh. ( Now that there are distributors in the US, by the way, you shouldn't have any trouble getting advice anyway.) I know one child who wears hers almost too loose, but she loves the way they feel anyway. Most kids I know, though, like them because they are higher cut and narrower, and they feel wonderful and dance-y in them. Moms like them because, being microfiber or lycra, they dry very quickly so you can rinse them out and dry them super-fast. They kids in my dd's school also loved giving them as bday presents and trading them. Have fun! But they are expensive, so they make good xmas presents, they're not just an everyday purchase for most people. Have fun!

[havyn]

I was looking on the Yumiko leotards website, but I noticed that most of the leotards are very low-cut in the legs. My DD prefers higher cut leotards as she finds them more flattering. Is there any way to special-order higher cut leotards?

[catlover]

My daughter typically wears a medium leotard. In Degas, we have found that T2 fit her nicely. Her favorite is style 9609. It is higher cut than other brands, but very flattering.

 

The Degas representative is very helpful and has no problem allowing longer than the stated 14 day return policy, especially to first-time customers.

[mirabray]

Here is information on Yumiko. They have a store you can call.

 

 

http://dancers.invisionzone.com/index.php?...31entry345931