When I am considering a new brand or piece for Pole Closet, looking good is only the beginning.
I want to know how it stretches, where it sits on the body, how much coverage it gives, what happens to the fabric when you move and, most importantly, whether I would actually want to dance in it.
Polewear has a very specific job. It needs to work with movement, skin contact and the way we actually use our bodies in class. At the same time, I want the Closet to be full of pieces that feel exciting to put on.
These are the six things I look at when deciding whether a piece belongs in Pole Closet.
1. The fit has to make sense when you move
A product can look perfect in a campaign image and feel completely different once you start dancing.
I look at where a bodysuit sits through the torso, how bottoms hold through the waist and hips, whether a top feels secure and what happens to the coverage when the body moves.
This is also why I pay attention to the fit of each individual style rather than assuming every piece from one brand will fit the same way. Cut, construction and fabric can all change how a labelled size actually feels.
2. Fabric matters more than people realise
Fabric can completely change a piece.
Soft stretch fabrics can feel easy and forgiving. Velvet can create a richer look. Mesh gives you another way to play with coverage. Lace, sequins, metallic finishes and more structured fabrics can bring incredible impact, but they can also change the amount of stretch.
I see this particularly clearly with brands such as Rolling, where the same general silhouette can feel different depending on the fabrication.
That does not make one fabric better than another. It just means the fabric needs to suit what the piece is trying to do.
3. I look at coverage from every angle
Coverage is not simply about whether something is revealing.
For pole, I want to know where the garment sits at the front, sides and back, and what skin remains available for contact with the pole.
A high cut leg can change both the silhouette and the amount of thigh available for grip. An open side can give you useful waist contact. A cheekier bottom can look very different once you start moving.
Good product photography and clear descriptions matter here because dancers shopping online need to understand more than what the garment looks like standing still.
4. It needs to work for the way someone wants to pole
I do not expect every piece to work for every style of pole.
Something I would choose for tricks and conditioning might be completely different from what I want for exotic, flow, floorwork or a performance.
That is one of the reasons I like having a mix in the Closet. There are secure training pieces, dramatic bodysuits, tiny sets, mesh, flares, harnesses and pieces that exist purely because sometimes you want your outfit to be part of the moment.
The question for me is not whether a piece does everything. It is whether it does its job well.
5. The details should add something
I love a detail. Rings, straps, cut outs, lace, hardware and unexpected shapes are part of what makes polewear so much more interesting than ordinary activewear.
But I still want those details to feel intentional.
If a ring changes the silhouette, a strap frames the body beautifully or a cut out gives you useful skin contact as well as looking incredible, it earns its place. The best statement details do not feel added on. They become part of why the piece works.
6. I have to want to put it on
This is the least technical test and probably one of the most important.
Polewear should make you want to get dressed for class.
Sometimes that is a beautifully fitting black set you know you will wear constantly. Sometimes it is a completely impractical looking gold bodysuit that makes you feel incredible the second you put it on.
I do not want Pole Closet to be a catalogue of things that simply tick boxes. I want it to feel curated. If I cannot see why a dancer would be excited to wear a piece, it is probably not right for the Closet.
What curated by dancers means at Pole Closet
Pole Closet brings together international polewear brands for dancers in Australia and New Zealand, but curation for me is more than choosing what looks good on a screen.
It means looking at fit, fabrication, movement, coverage and how a piece might actually be worn. It means giving you useful fit notes when one style behaves differently from another. And it means choosing a mix that reflects the different ways people pole.
There is no single definition of the perfect pole outfit. The best piece is the one that works for what you want to do and makes you feel very much like yourself while you are doing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for when buying polewear?
Look at fit, stretch, coverage, the skin contact you need and the type of pole you plan to do. Individual product fit notes are often more useful than relying only on your usual clothing size.
Does good polewear need to be very revealing?
No. Coverage is personal and also depends on how you dance. Some tricks need specific areas of skin contact, while choreography and floorwork can give you more freedom to play with layers and coverage.
Why does polewear fit differently between brands?
Polewear brands use different size systems, fabrics, cuts and construction. Even within one brand, a lace or sequin version can feel different from a softer stretch style, which is why the individual garment matters.
Shop Pole Closet
Discover polewear from international brands curated by dancers, for dancers across Australia and New Zealand. Explore bodysuits, tops, bottoms, sets and layers chosen for the way polewear actually looks, fits and moves.
