Aerial Arts Leotards (and What Most Studios Sell Instead)

Aerial arts leotards are still standard for showcase and competition, but most students now train in a fitted tank paired with high-waist leggings. The combo is cheaper, easier to size, and works across silks, lyra, hammock, and pole conditioning. Here is what leotards are for, what studios sell instead, and how to think about your aerial wardrobe.

When You Actually Need a Leotard

A true leotard or unitard makes sense in three situations:

• Competition. Most aerial competitions require a one-piece garment with no loose fabric. Judges need clean body lines.
• Showcase and recital. Studios stage performances where matching unitards create a strong visual.
• Advanced silks work. Some advanced sequences (back balances, single foot locks under tension) benefit from the smooth surface a one-piece provides.

For weekly class training and conditioning, leotards are usually overkill. They are expensive, they need specialty cleaning, and they wear out in the seat and shoulders first.

This is why most studio shops do not carry true leotards. The economics of print-on-demand and the way students train have pushed the standard kit toward a tank-plus-leggings combo.

The Tank-Plus-Leggings Combo Most Studios Now Sell

The dominant training kit at almost every aerial studio in the US is now a fitted tank tucked into high-waist leggings, with a long-sleeve rashguard layered for coverage. It looks like a leotard from across the room, but it costs a third as much, sizes better across body types, and the pieces can be replaced individually as they wear out.

The standard pieces:

• A fitted moisture-wicking tank, studio-branded, that stays tucked when inverted
• High-waist nylon-spandex leggings, full length
• A long-sleeve performance top to layer for armpit and underarm coverage
• Optional fitted bike shorts for floor work and conditioning

Studios stock all four pieces in their print-on-demand shop. Students buy the pieces they want in their preferred colors. The studio earns $10 to $15 in profit per item with no inventory.

Browse our tank top catalog and leggings catalog for the cuts that print and embroider well with a studio logo.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

Why Print-on-Demand Catalogs Skip True Leotards

True dance and aerial leotards are sublimated or cut-and-sew construction. They are made in small specialty factories with custom patterning, premium spandex, and reinforced seams that handle the load of inversions.

Print-on-demand catalogs do not include this construction. The standard POD catalog focuses on tees, tanks, hoodies, leggings, and sweatshirts that ship at scale.

For studios that want a true competition leotard, the path is still to order from a dance and aerial costume specialist. For everything else (warm-up gear, class apparel, studio merch, lifestyle pieces students wear outside class) print-on-demand is the right tool.

This is the split most studios run with: a small custom order of competition leotards once a year, plus a year-round print-on-demand shop for tanks, leggings, hoodies, and tees.

How a Studio Sets Up the Apparel Side of the Business

The simplest version of an aerial studio apparel program looks like this:

1. Open a free Bear Grips Pro Shop. The free tier lists three products at no monthly cost.
2. List a fitted tank, full-length leggings, and a hoodie. These three pieces cover 80 percent of student demand.
3. Set a $10 to $15 markup per item. Students pay between $30 and $45, which is in line with what they pay for non-branded apparel from any boutique fitness brand.
4. Share the shop link. Post in the student group, link from booking confirmation emails, and pin it to your Instagram bio.

If the studio sells more than $200 in apparel a month, upgrading to the Self-Service VIP plan ($59 a month) drops the base prices and unlocks 200 product styles. Most studios pass the break-even point in the first 30 days.

For the full studio-shop walkthrough, see our guide on aerial arts studio shop setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a leotard for aerial silks class?

No. A fitted tank and high-waist full-length leggings, with a long-sleeve layer for armpit coverage, is the standard training kit at most studios in the US.

Where do aerial studios buy their leotards for competition?

Specialty dance and aerial costume makers. Print-on-demand catalogs do not include sublimated leotards, but they do cover every other piece of studio apparel.

Can my studio sell branded aerial apparel without ordering inventory?

Yes. Print-on-demand platforms list tanks, leggings, hoodies, and rashguards in your studio shop. Items print when ordered. No minimums, no upfront cost.