I agree with the above poster- tutus can be a pain to store. Focus on the style and colour of leotard at first. Experiment a bit- see whether you prefer tank leotard or short-sleeved, or even long-sleeved styles. You say you want to be as 'bona fide' as possible, so colour is important- most serious ballet schools insist on black leotards and pink tights and very little else- girls practise in just that, rather than in the big fancy tutus, which are reserved for performances only. Also make sure you pick up a pair of the shoes with ribbons- most shoes don't come with ribbons attached, so you may need to sew them on yourself. If you pick up a pair of pointe shoes- and as they're pricey, they're very much 'optional'- make sure you get them in the right size. There are sizing charts on the internet that you can use to approximate the size, but as it's approximate only, DO NOT attempt to dance properly in them unless you fancy risking severe injury. A chapter of my story 'Laura' goes into detail about why not, but needless to say there's a reason even adult dancers have to wait eighteen months before dancing en pointe, even if they really dedicate themselves to learning to dance. Finally, depending on the length of your hair, it may be investing in a wig and having a look on youtube for tutorials on how to tie a ballerina's bun.

Hope this is of some help. I LOVE everything about ballet, especially the clothes, so will be happy to offer any further advice if needed. :-)

Debs xxxx