LAST UPDATED: OCTOBER 2026
How we make our dancewear
No garment is impact-free. Ours included. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.
What we can do is make better choices, one at a time, and be specific about what we've actually changed. We commit to becoming the most responsible version of ourselves — and to showing our working rather than asking you to take our word for it.
So this page isn't a mission statement. It's a list of what we use, where it comes from, who makes it, what we can prove, and what we're still trying to fix.
Scroll on for materials, manufacturing, longevity and evidence.
What our dancewear is made from
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Convertible ballet tights
Our convertible ballet tights are made in Italy using Q-NOVA® by Fulgar, a polyamide yarn made partly from recovered production waste. We choose it to use recycled material in dancewear designed for the demands of ballet.
- Made in: Italy
- Polyamide yarn: Q-NOVA® by Fulgar
- Fibre composition: 86% polyamide / 14% elastane
- Recycled content: 51.6% of the finished tights is recycled polyamide.
Our Italian manufacturing partner manages technical development, knitting, production and quality control internally, bringing specialist hosiery expertise to every pair.
How we calculate recycled content
The Q-NOVA® polyamide yarn used in our tights contains 60% recycled polyamide. Because polyamide makes up 86% of the finished tights, their overall recycled content is 51.6%.
The full breakdown is:
- 51.6% recycled polyamide
- 34.4% virgin polyamide
- 14% elastane
The elastane is not included in our recycled-content claim. Our manufacturer confirms that the recycled material is traced through its Global Recycled Standard (GRS) supply chain using transaction certificates.
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Leotards and UK-made dancewear
Our dancewear is made in the UK using Carvico fabric containing ECONYL® regenerated nylon. ECONYL® is made from recovered nylon waste, including discarded fishing nets, old carpets and industrial waste.
- Made in: Yorkshire and Essex, UK
- Main fabric: Carvico
- Main fabric composition: 78% polyamide / 22% elastane
- Recycled content: The main fabric contains 78% ECONYL® regenerated nylon.
Most of our dancewear is made in Yorkshire, just 39 miles from our headquarters, keeping the journey from our main factory to us short. Around 20% is made at a family-run factory in Essex, including our We Got Boobs leotards.
UK-made labels
Our green brand labels are made from recycled polyester by National Weaving in South Wales. Our washcare labels are made by the Nottingham Label Company. Both are designed by Imperfect Pointes and manufactured in the UK.
Making the most of our fabric
We aim to make only what we need and avoid unnecessary stock. We work through existing fabric rolls before introducing new colours, planning production to use as much of each roll as possible.
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Caring for your dancewear—and our waterways
Our responsibility to our dancewear doesn’t end when you take it home.
Synthetic fabrics, including recycled nylon and polyester, can shed tiny plastic fibres during washing. These microfibres enter wastewater and can eventually reach rivers and oceans. Choosing recycled materials is part of our approach, but it doesn’t prevent fibre shedding.
That’s why we now stock the GUPPYFRIEND Washing Bag. It helps reduce fibre breakage and captures released microfibres inside the bag, helping protect your dancewear and reduce the fibres entering wastewater.
After washing, collect the trapped fibres from the dry bag and put them in your general waste bin—never rinse them down the sink. Always follow your garment’s care instructions.
It’s a practical way to reduce microfibre pollution while looking after the dancewear you already own.
We're not going to claim every component of every garment is recycled, because it isn't.
Elastane content, trims, thread and labels vary by style.
Manufacturing
Where it's made
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Yorkshire, UK
Design, sampling and made-to-order pieces are handled close to home, so we can keep a tight eye on fit, quality and waste.
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Lombardy, Italy
Our tights are knitted by specialist makers in Italy, using regenerated nylon for performance that holds up class after class.
Small runs, made on purpose
Most dancewear brands release hundreds of new styles a year and hope enough of them sell. We do the opposite, in three ways.
A permanent core. Black dancewear and our ballet tights don't change season to season. You can reorder the same leotard next term and it'll be the same leotard.
A small number of campaign pieces. Limited runs, made once, in quantities we can realistically sell.
Made to order. You design it, we make it in Yorkshire, it takes about five weeks. Nothing is cut until someone has actually bought it - which means no unsold stock, and no leftover garments to discount or destroy.
It's a slower business model. It's also the one that produces the least waste, and it's why we can't always ship the same day.
The most responsible leotard is the one you're still wearing
Everything above is about how a garment is made. This part is about how long it lasts, which matters more.
Built to outlast the term. Our tights are designed to last four times longer than best-selling brands. The 2026 redesign added a reinforced foot hole and removed the gusset, targeting the two places tights usually fail first.
How to make them last. Wash at 30°, inside out, no fabric conditioner — it coats the fibres and kills the stretch. Dry flat, never on a radiator.
Pre-loved. We sell pre-worn pieces and samples through our pre-loved shop, so garments that are still perfectly good stay in use rather than sitting in a box.
Tights recycling. Worn-out tights don't have to go in the bin. Send them back and we'll give you a discount code for your next pair.
Why your order arrives the way it does
Low-waste packaging, careful packing, and production that isn't rushed for the sake of volume. When it leaves us, it's ready for the barre — not the bin.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about our how it's made process.
Design and made-to-order pieces are based in Yorkshire, UK. Our ballet tights are made in Lombardy, Italy by specialist knitters.
Wherever we can, yes. Our leotards, unitards and tights are made primarily from ECONYL® regenerated nylon and recycled polyester, chosen for performance and a lower environmental impact than virgin fibres.
ECONYL® is regenerated nylon made from waste like fishing nets and fabric scraps. It performs like virgin nylon, with a lower impact on the planet.
Q-NOVA® is a recycled polyamide 6.6 yarn made in Italy by Fulgar. It is regenerated from textile waste and post-industrial materials, helping us make high-performance dancewear with a lower impact.
Ballet tights need specialist knitting machinery and expertise. Ours are made in Lombardy, Italy by knitters who focus on this kind of hosiery — so we get better quality and longevity than we could produce in-house.
Don't bin them. Send worn-out Imperfect Pointes tights back through our recycling scheme and we'll give you a discount code for your next pair.
Perfectly imperfect
No two dancers are the same shape, the same size, or on the same journey.
Neither is our dancewear.
Create your own dancewear
Your shape, your colours, made in Yorkshire in five weeks.
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We got boobs leotards
Dance leotards designed with a fuller bust in mind
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All leotards
Camisole to long sleeve, every colour we make.
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Mens dancewear
Tights, shorts, tops and leotards, built for male dancers.
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