Style Tips I Learned From Being Obsessed With Dance Videos

From the ages of 5 to 18, I danced solely ballet. I went to class six days a week for as long as I can remember, traveled across the country to attend summer intensive programs, and participated in multiple competitions. I guess you could say dance was my life. It wasn't until college that I really started expanding my dance repertoire, exploring styles like jazz, contemporary, and even hip-hop. After dancing all through college, starting a full-time job and not having dance as a part of my everyday routine was pretty depressing. Yes, I still take classes here and there, but not enough for me to get my dance "fix," if you will. 

So how do I fill this void in my life? I watch dance videos on Instagram for hours on end. I even learn the combinations in my room when no one's home, and after stalking my favorite female dancers enough times, I started wanting to dress like them. Since moving like them is obviously not ever going to happen, I figured stealing some style tips from their Instagrams was the next best thing.  

Ahead, prepare to watch some of my favorite dance videos of all time and shop the pieces I learned to love from each. At least I can say staying up until 2 a.m. watching these videos wasn't for nothing, right? 

Filas have been trending for a while now, but it wasn't until I saw some of my favorite dancers literally slay combination after combination on Instagram that I was convinced to buy a pair myself. I figured if these sneakers are comfortable enough to dance in, they'll be comfortable enough for my daily walk to work.

Underestimating the power of an all-black outfit is something I'll never do again. One of my favorite dancers maybe of all time, Stevie Doré, wears all-black to almost every class. The look proves she doesn't need all the fuss to make a statement—her dancing speaks for itself. I plan on taking that mentality into my daily wardrobe decisions as well. Just swap dancing with personality and it's basically the same thing.

Cargo pants were a trend I was extremely skeptical of at first. Fast-forward to a few months later, and I'm ready to test the trend in camouflage iterations, especially after seeing Sienna Lalau hype them up so much.

Not to obsess over Stevie one more time, but she is low-key my idol and anything she wears, I want to wear. The way she rocks a crop top is one thing, but when she wears cropped sweatshirts that I know she cut herself, I am convinced there is nowhere I shouldn't be wearing a cropped sweatshirt. First up on my list of destinations to test out is the club. I'll let you know how it goes.

A huge spring 2018 trend is the windbreaker. I was unsure how to even begin to style the trend, and the way It girls were wearing the lightweight outerwear piece didn't have me convinced. It took an overload of fashion girls and dancers wearing them for me to finally figure out how to tackle the styling, and now I'm fully on board. 

I've said it once and I'll say it again—longer shorts might not be the most flattering trend of the bunch, but I don't care. I dare you to watch this dance video and tell me Natalie doesn't look sultry despite the stereotype that surrounds her shorts choice. 

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so let's continue that trend by copying these eight vacation looks ASAP.

Opening Image: The Style Stalker