Aerial Arts Apparel for Women: Cuts and Coverage

Women make up 80 to 90 percent of most aerial studios in the US, and aerial apparel reflects that. High-waist leggings, fitted tanks, layering long sleeves, and warm-up hoodies are the four pieces almost every female aerial student owns. Here is the breakdown of what works, what to stock in a studio shop, and the sizing notes most studios miss.

The Standard Female Aerial Wardrobe

Most female aerial students build a wardrobe of four to six pieces and rotate them across three to five training sessions a week. The core pieces:

• High-waist full-length leggings. Nylon-spandex blend, no front seam through the crotch, no mesh at the waistband. The high waist is functional, not aesthetic. Mid-rise leggings ride down in inversions and expose the lower back to fabric burn.
• Fitted tank. Polyester-spandex, scoop or racerback neckline. Tucked into the leggings, not layered over the waistband.
• Long-sleeve performance top. Worn under the tank for armpit coverage in silks and lyra classes. Often the same fabric as the tank in a matching or complementary color.
• Warm-up hoodie or crewneck. Heavyweight cotton-poly blend with the studio logo. Worn from the parking lot to the warm-up and again on the way home.
• Sports bra. Worn under the tank. Many students prefer a bralette cut with thicker straps for the inversions.
• Optional: bike shorts. Layered under leggings for lyra hip-grip points or worn alone for conditioning.

Browse our leggings catalog and tank top catalog for the foundational pieces.

Sizing Notes Most Studios Get Wrong

Aerial bodies are typically muscular through the back, shoulders, and arms with proportional core strength. This creates a sizing pattern that does not always match street wear sizes.

Common sizing patterns:

• Tops often need to size up one because of shoulder and back width
• Leggings often size true to street wear but need to size up if the rise is too short for the wearer's torso
• Long-sleeve layers should always be sized to the arm length, not the chest
• Bras and bralettes need wider straps than yoga or pilates students prefer

The studios that handle this well include a size note in every product listing: "Fits true to size in chest, runs short in torso. Size up if you prefer a longer fit." This single sentence cuts return rates dramatically.

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Plus-Size Aerial Apparel and Why Studios Should Stock It

The aerial community has grown significantly more body-diverse in the last five years. Studios that stock plus-size apparel sell to a wider student base and signal a more inclusive culture.

Most modern print-on-demand catalogs include extended sizing through 4XL on core pieces. The challenge is consistency: not every blank is available in every size, so listing plus-size pieces requires checking each product's size range before adding it to the shop.

Studios that do this typically see:

• Higher average order value (plus-size customers often buy multiple sizes during the wardrobe-building phase)
• Stronger word-of-mouth referral inside the body-positive aerial community
• More social media engagement from a more diverse student base

For the studio shop, this is straightforward: when listing each product, set the size range to include the extended sizes the blank supports. The base price stays the same.

Studio-Branded Apparel That Women Aerial Students Actually Buy

Across the studios we work with, the highest-demand pieces from female aerial students are, in order:

1. The heavyweight studio hoodie. Worn in and out of the studio every day.
2. The fitted tank with the studio logo on the chest. Worn in class and on errands.
3. The high-waist leggings. Worn for class, casual wear, and pilates cross-training.
4. The lifestyle cotton tee. The off-day uniform.
5. The crewneck sweatshirt. Often replaces the hoodie as the weather warms.

Studios that list these five pieces in their shop typically generate $300 to $1,000 in apparel profit a month from a base of 100 to 200 active students. The Self-Service VIP plan ($59 a month) gives access to lower base prices that push margins to $12 to $17 per item.

Frequently Asked Questions

What apparel do most women wear in aerial silks class?

High-waist full-length leggings, a fitted tank tucked into the waist, a long-sleeve layer underneath for armpit coverage, and a sports bra. Hair tied back, no jewelry.

Is plus-size aerial apparel widely available?

Yes. Most print-on-demand catalogs include extended sizing through 4XL on core pieces like tanks, hoodies, leggings, and tees. Studios that stock plus-size cuts see broader student adoption.

Can my studio sell branded apparel in womens cuts?

Yes. Womens-specific cuts are available across tees, tanks, hoodies, leggings, and crewnecks. Each piece prints with your studio logo when a student orders.