Article: Anti Black Friday? Why Imperfect Pointes does it differently

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woman standing proudly holding a brown cardboard sign above her head to demonstrate her opposition of black friday. wearing a greay gilet and cream beanie hat with deals and discount symbols floating around her

Nov 26, 2025anti black friday

Anti Black Friday? Why Imperfect Pointes does it differently

HELP! Black Friday anxiety is real!

Black Friday has become one of the biggest shopping events in the world — especially in fashion. But for small sustainable businesses like Imperfect Pointes, joining a mass discount culture doesn’t align with what we believe in. We make high-quality, ethical dancewear that supports dancers and the planet — and that mission doesn’t change when the calendar hits November.

This is our 6th Black Friday as a small sustainable dancewear brand. It is always one of the biggest challenges for brands wanting to avoid promoting over- consumption that feels at odds with our ethical values. We're here for the new wave of dancers embracing #underconsumption core.

Dancewear Designed for Longevity — Not Fast Fashion

Many Black Friday deals are built on overproduction and fast turnaround trends. That’s the opposite of slow, sustainable fashion.

Our ballet leotards, rehearsal tights, warm-ups and accessories are:

Made from recycled performance fabrics including ECONYL® regenerated nylon
Designed in the UK and responsibly made in small batches in England and Italy.
Created to last — from class, to rehearsal, to performance

When you buy sustainable ballet clothing, you’re not just buying something to wear. You’re investing in comfort, durability and responsible production.

Over the last few years, we've thought long and hard about how to participate in Black Friday, sensibly. The environmental impact of Black Friday is staggering. The fashion industry's carbon footprint during Black Friday is estimated to be around 70% higher than the rest of the year.

Why Deep Discounts Don’t Work for Ethical Dancewear Brands

Those huge Black Friday discounts you see elsewhere are often possible because prices were inflated to begin with — or because the garments were produced cheaply and unsustainably.

At Imperfect Pointes, we keep our pricing fair year-round. When you shop with us, you’re paying for:

Fair wages and local manufacturing
Premium eco-friendly materials
Inclusive and supportive fit for real dancers’ bodies
Thoughtful design developed with dancers including our customers

This year, and last year, we're participating in our own way and on our own terms. This year we've made 20 styles available to buy until Monday 1st Dec at 20% discount.

Call it the

'No Panic, SMALL FRIDAY SALE'

No rush, no landfill...... just the same premium quality, responsibly-made dancewear, and year-round sustainable after-care, briefly available at a reduced price. This our way of saying thanks for all your support throughout the year and getting us to this key milestone of being in business for 5 years.

USE CODE SMALLFRIDAY and get 20% off the Small Friday Selection

Please shop with us this week.

You can SAVE 20% on our Convertible Ballet Tights when you buy 6 pairs - any size, any colour. Not a Black Friday Deal - this is on-going, every week!

Supporting Small, Sustainable Dancewear Matters

As a dancer, what you choose to wear says something about what you value — inclusivity, artistry, comfort and the future of our planet. We’re not here to tell you not to shop during Black Friday (no-one's perfect, we get it) But if you’re looking for ethical ballet leotards, sustainable ballet tights, and clothing that aligns with your values… we’re here for you every day of the year.

We Believe in Conscious Ballet Shopping

Instead of impulse purchasing multiple low-quality items, we encourage dancers to choose the one leotard or pair of ballet tights they truly love — the pieces that will support you class after class.

So this week, while inboxes fill with countdown timers and pressure marketing, we’ll be doing what we always do: making beautiful sustainable dancewear that feels good on your body and good for our future.

Sometimes, it may seem you’re paying more for a leotard or tights from Imperfect Pointes... WE ARE OKAY WITH THAT! That’s because it costs more when things are made ethically in the UK and garment workers get paid properly - that’s just a fact! We've all seen what goes on in fast fashion giants like Boohoo (where Helen worked) Pretty Little Thing and Shein. Fast dancewear is just the same! That ballet leotard marked down by 50% is bad news for garment workers & bad for the planet.

Thank You for Supporting Imperfect Pointes 💛

Every purchase from our independent dancewear brand helps us keep creating clothing that celebrates dancers of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds — without compromising the planet.

Whenever you’re ready for your next sustainable ballet leotard or eco-friendly dance tights — we’ll be right here.

Founder, Helen Banks worked in the fashion and sportswear industries for many years before Imperfect Pointes. Helen studied sustainable fashion during her time at the University of Cambridge Centre for Sustainable Leadership

We want it to be known that, even when offering HUGE discounts on their dancewear, big brands will absolutely still be making a profit.

For a lot of small business like ours - if we offered those discounts, it’s likely at best we’ll just break even, meaning we don’t make a loss, but neither is there any profit left in the price. So effectively working for nothing.

As we start our 6th year of sustainable dancewear, we want to thank you all for sticking with us and supporting change for good in the dancewear industry 💚🙏🏽😊

use code SMALLFRIDAY for 20% off the Small Friday Selection

This year we are promoting our SMALL FRIDAY SALE throughout Black Friday Weekend to encourage you to choose independent and ethical dancewear brands. It’s a choice - so opt for brands made with love and purpose💞.

black friday ballet leotard deals - label

As always, please check our size guide for help selecting the right size for you. Want style advice? Email hello@imperfectpointes.com and customer service can advise on the right style for your shape.

act with purpose: say no to excessive discounts and overproduction