She wanted clothes that truly worked for tango, so she learned to sew. This is how Gina Nikolitsa, a tango dancer and teacher from Athens, started Reina Clothes.
Love at first class
Gina Nikolitsa took her first tango class in 2002. She loved tango immediately and felt she was in her element. Two years later, in 2004, she travelled to Argentina, where she saw and lived tango culture up close, in the country where tango was born.
A few months after returning to Athens, she met an Argentine dancer. He became her partner in dance and in life for the next 15 years. On the Reina website, Gina describes herself as a professional tango dancer and teacher since 2005.
Clothes for class and for the stage
As she danced, she realised she wanted clothes that were truly suitable for tango, both for classes and for performances.
“That is how the idea of making my own tango clothes was born.”
Gina Nikolitsa, translated from Greek, in How I started designing my own tango clothes on shortstories.gr
In 2013 she decided to take sewing lessons. She began making tango clothes, first for herself and later for her students. She found the process exciting and very creative, and the results pleased the people around her too. On her trips abroad and around Greece for the tango seminars they taught, she started selling the clothes she had made to her students. Then came a shop on Etsy and, later, her own online store, reinaclothes.com.
Stretch fabrics and a dancer’s eye
After so many years in tango, she knew well what kind of fabric to use, so she mainly chooses stretch fabrics. In her words (translated from Greek), this is essential so that women feel comfortable and can move freely while they dance.
Her designs can be simple, and suitable for other occasions as well, or more elaborate, with slits, lace, sequins and more, mainly for shows and dance competitions.
One pair of hands, start to finish
First she thinks of the design, then she prepares the pattern, chooses the right fabric and sews the piece. She photographs it and uploads the photos to the website. When an order comes in, she sews the garment and sends it to the customer. She does all of this personally, and she has customers in at least 35 countries, on every continent.
“Tango is danced all over the world, and women always want to look beautiful and elegant when they dance.”
Gina Nikolitsa, translated from Greek, in How I started designing my own tango clothes on shortstories.gr
Reina Clothes today
The collection includes dresses, show dresses, skirts, tops, pants and sets. According to the store’s website, everything is made upon request in sizes Small and Medium, or to your own measurements. Reina ships worldwide, and in Athens you can make an appointment to try the collection. As one customer, Claire S., writes on the reviews page: “I asked to have the skirt made to my measurements and it fits perfectly!”
Prices, sizes and shipping details are on our Reina Clothes store profile.
Why stories like this matter
Like so many tango brands, Reina began with a dancer who needed something better for her own dancing. That’s the spirit of Dimitris Bronowski’s work at The Curious Tanguero, too: dancers helping dancers. Packing a new dress for a festival? Try his tango festival checklist for women. And if you love tango’s past, his Argentine Tango Stories from the Past is a treasure.
Read more brand stories: the Madame Pivot story, the Comme il Faut story, Mimí Pinzón and Madreselva and the dancers who built tango’s favourite brands. For what to wear, see the tango dress code decoded and our complete guide to tango shoes and clothes for women.
Find a store: see our guides to tango clothing stores, tango stores in Athens, tango stores by country & city.
Looking for your next tango dress?
Compare Reina Clothes with tango clothing makers from Buenos Aires, Europe and beyond, and see what you like.