Energetiks Mila Lace Leotard – Child | Lace Cap Sleeves
A cap sleeve leotard for girls is usually bought for one reason: a dancer who wants her shoulders covered. Somewhere around nine or ten, a lot of girls decide camisole straps aren’t for them, and the standard fix — a solid-knit sleeve — trades comfort for coverage in a studio that’s already warm. The Mila is the version that doesn’t make you choose. Its cap sleeves are stretch lace, so they cover the shoulder and the top of the arm while air still moves straight through them. Add a teardrop cut-out at the back for shape and ventilation, and you get a leotard that’s more covered and no hotter than the camisole she was wearing last season.
Why choose a lace cap sleeve leotard for girls over a solid sleeve?
Because the two feel completely different by minute forty of class. Solid knit sleeves hold heat against the shoulders and upper arms — exactly the area a dancer needs free and cool through port de bras and allegro. Lace is an open weave: it reads as coverage from across the room but breathes almost like bare skin. Energetiks calls the Mila “trans-seasonal” for this reason, and it’s an honest description. It’s warm enough to be welcome in a February studio and light enough to survive a summer intensive, which is unusual for anything with a sleeve.
What does the flesh lining behind the lace do?
Two jobs at once, and it’s the detail parents ask about most. First, modesty: a nude-toned lining sits behind the lace panels so the leotard reads as decorative rather than sheer, which matters both for a dancer’s comfort and for most studio dress codes. Second, protection: the lining takes the strain that would otherwise land on the lace itself, so the delicate fabric isn’t doing structural work. Combined with the front lining — which adds support and full coverage through the body — it’s what makes a lace leotard something a child can actually wear to class every week rather than save for photos.
How does the Mila compare to the Mila Cross-Back and the Grace?
All three are lace, lined, and hand wash, so it comes down to what she wants people to see. The Mila (this one) leads with the sleeves — the most coverage of the three, with a simple teardrop back. The Mila Cross-Back is the same silhouette with crossing straps framing the cut-out, for a dancer who wants a dramatic back. The Grace drops the sleeves entirely for a fine-strap camisole with V lace panels. If coverage is the reason you’re shopping, start here; if she’s after the back detail, we’ll show you the Cross-Back beside it.
Living with lace: the hand-wash rule
Stretch lace is a delicate fabric, and Energetiks is direct about it: cold hand wash with mild detergent, dry flat out of direct sunlight, and take care not to hitch or pull the garment. A snagged lace panel doesn’t bounce back the way a knit does, so it also pays to keep the leotard away from velcro and zippers in the dance bag. That’s a two-minute routine after class. Families who’ll do it get years out of this leotard; families who know they won’t are better served by a machine-washable style, and we’d rather steer you there than sell you something that won’t last your week.
Materials & Construction
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Style | Lace cap sleeve leotard with teardrop cut-out back |
| Lining | Front lining for support and coverage; flesh lining behind the lace protects the delicate fabric |
| Fabric | ProForm™ performance fabric with premium Stretch Lace — moisture-wicking, anti-pill, up to 3× more durable than natural fibres |
| Origin | Proudly a Product of Australia |
| SKU | CL110 |
Care Instructions — Hand Wash Only
| Step | Instruction |
|---|---|
| Washing | Cold hand wash only with mild detergent; remove immediately — do not machine wash |
| Drying | Dry flat, out of direct sunlight |
| Do not | Soak, bleach, tumble dry, dry clean, or iron |
| Lace care | Avoid hitching or pulling the lace; keep clear of velcro, zippers, and buckles in the dance bag |
Sizing Guide — Energetiks Child Sizes
The Mila runs Child Sml through XLge. Energetiks sizes by measurement rather than age, so treat the ages below as a starting point. On a sleeved leotard, girth — measured from the center of one shoulder, down through the crotch, and back up to the same shoulder — is the number that decides between two sizes: if the torso length is short, the sleeves pull down on the shoulders all class. For reference, Energetiks’ model Edie is 4’6″ (137 cm) and wears a Child Med.
| Size | Approx. Age | Height | Chest | Waist | Hip | Girth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Sml | 6–7 | 3’8″–4’1″ (112–125 cm) | 24.5–25.5″ (62–65 cm) | 21–22″ (53–56 cm) | 26–27″ (66–69 cm) | 40.5–43″ (103–109 cm) |
| Child Med | 8–9 | 4’1″–4’4″ (125–132 cm) | 26–27″ (66–69 cm) | 22.5–23.5″ (57–60 cm) | 27.5–28.5″ (70–72 cm) | 44–47″ (112–119 cm) |
| Child Lge | 10–11 | 4’4″–4’7″ (132–140 cm) | 27.5–28.5″ (70–72 cm) | 24–25″ (61–64 cm) | 29–30″ (74–76 cm) | 47.5–50.5″ (121–128 cm) |
| Child XLge | 12–13 | 4’8″–5′ (142–152 cm) | 29–30″ (74–76 cm) | 25.5–26″ (65–66 cm) | 30.5–32″ (77–81 cm) | 51–54″ (130–137 cm) |
Note the Mila starts at Child Sml rather than XSml — the sleeves and shaped back are cut for slightly older dancers. Energetiks sizing runs snug; between sizes, size up.
This chart is a guide only, reflects body measurements rather than garment measurements, and is no substitute for an in-store fitting at August Muse.
Best For
- Dancers who want their shoulders and upper arms covered
- Warm studios and summer intensives where solid sleeves are too hot
- Cool winter classes — a little warmth without a warm-up layer
- The age when camisole leotards start feeling too exposed
- Families comfortable with a quick hand-wash routine
We stock the Mila in Child Sml through XLge in downtown Elizabethton.
Available at August Muse
The Energetiks Mila Lace Leotard (CL110) is available in store at August Muse in downtown Elizabethton, TN, in Child Sml through XLge. Stop in to try it beside the Mila Cross-Back and the Grace, or call and we’ll check your dancer’s size.
