Cheryl Shops

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Once upon a time, I was a dancer. I was in a company in high school, did some artsy shows in college, and studied with some of Chicago's coolest modern dance teachers. Granted, I knew dancing professionally was never going to be an option (thanks, journalism degree!), but dance will always be a part of my life. For one thing, I go to see the New York City Ballet and ABT every year. For another, dancers wear some pretty cool clothes, and I tend to incorporate leftovers from my dancing days into my wardrobe nowadays. For those of you without leftovers, there's Danskin, the dancer's choice supplier. While the majority of the stock is leotards and tights and such, many of the items, particularly from the NYCB collection, can be integrated into your wardrobe. Check out the dotted mesh crop top, which makes a dainty little cover-up for cool summer nights; the sheer wrap skirt can be worn alone if you're daring, or over pants for a fresh-from-rehearsal look; the wrap top is a very flattering staple; these legwarmers are cheap ($7!) and have a drawcord at the top, so they flare out--very Chanel--at the bottom, plus the microfiber material will keep your bare legs quite warm in the upcoming cool months; and every dancer has a pair of these jazz pants--you can wear them around the house, to yoga, running errands, even--I kid you not--out on the town. One note: Dancers are tiny and thus the clothes run small, so order up a size. Wearing dancers' clothes might not shout "Swan Lake!" to everyone passing you on the street, but it might just make you feel a bit more graceful and delicate.