In various discussion forums, this question comes up from time to time. When I started dancing, I was at least 30lbs heavier than I am now, so I used to wear a loose dress to hide my bodyline.  Now that I am skinny, I usually wear a T-shirt and short skirt or shorts for comfort. I have been focusig on Latin, so I want to make sure my instructor can see my leg action without guesswork on his part.  Some dance studios seem to have a dress code for student but mine doesn’t. So, I even wear gym clothes once in a while. The general guidelines seem to be that a clothing for lessons should:

  • be comfortable
  • allow for free movements of the body
  • not be baggy/loose so that the teacher can correct bad posture/movement

A lot of people wear pants, too.  But I had several occasions where my heel got caught in pants’ hem, so I stopped wearing pants.  At times, I wonder if I should wear prettier clothes for lessons, but I immediately veto the idea because I’d rather look good on a competition floor than during lessons.
Of course, wearing practice wear specifically made for ballroom dancing is nice if you don’t mind its price tag. Danceshopper.com has a very nice collection of practice wear.   For more inexpensive options, check out Carrie B’s. I bought this tulip skirt and am satisfied.