Branded Polewear: For and Against

So, I've been thinking about this for awhile. Is fancy polewear really an asset or just a way to suck out your money? During my pole journey I went through two phases, but can't say that either point of view is right or wrong.

At the very beginning of my pole journey I didn't care much about my outfit. Not that I could not appreciate how pretty proper pole gear looked on other girls, but thought that I needed to get better before showing off in a shiny new top. I had a feeling I hadn't yet deserved cool polewear, since my best move at a time was a wobbly Butterfly. Another reason against it was a price tag, we all know how expensive good quality pole gear can be. It's just so easy to find cheap, relatively comfy pole stuff that wouldn't cost you a fortune, a simple choice between 4 - 5 sets of cheap tops/shorts, or just one set from a fancy brand. Poling in cheap as stuff was totally fine and never really hindered my progress, though I must admit, I badly wanted a colourful set from Bad Kitty.

My only photo from back in the days. Wearing something random to class didn't stop me from grabbing my foot, which I can no longer do :)

I've been poling for several years when I finally decided to invest into proper pole gear. Ever since I mostly used pole or yoga made gear in my training and performances, because it actually gave me confidence in what I was doing. Not that I've become a high class pole dancer overnight, but poling in my pretty new sets made me feel a bit more like my Instagram idols. Maybe it is all in my head and if I continued to pole in my cheap gear, there wouldn't be any difference in progress. But if it feels like your look is helping you improve, than why not use it, there's no such thing as enough confidence boost. Besides, occasionally getting new polewear was like a reward for certain achievements. It still seems that some of the stuff I own is way too fancy for a regular training session, and should be used for a photoshoot or a performance only. But that's just me, I guess I'm still not as comfortable with my own body, as I'd like to be. 

One of my favorite sets from Luna Polewear. Used for several performances and a photoshoot, still can't wear it to class though, too shiny

When you just give pole a go, there's no need to invest in fancy gear, as you may only be doing it for a couple of month. However, if it feels like pole is your love for life, investing into some quality polewear that's made especially for this sport actually makes sense: it will last longer, possibly make you feel more confident and in most cases more comfortable, plus it's much less painful when you practice your bits of floorwork with proper knee pads on :) It doesn't mean that I stopped buying random stuff altogether. Sometimes lingerie shops had exactly what I was looking for for the next performance, and little things and accessories you can get online from Aliexpress can be very handy.

The most important things are comfort and confidence, no matter if the gear you are wearing has a fancy label or not. If you feel great, that the way to go.