Hello my lovely tutu-loving darlings! Welcome to another edition of Pink Tutu Travels! Itâs your favourite Derbyshire girl, Emma, back with another amazing historical fashion adventure. This time weâre going way back, back to 1860, and stepping right into the dazzling world of the very first leotards!
As a lover of all things leotard, it felt completely magical to be back in the moment of the leotardâs big debut! This is post number 17, so if you haven't seen my blog before, you can find me at www.pink-tutu.com. Itâs your go-to website for everything leotard-licious! I travel around the world in my sparkly pink time-travelling leotard, bringing you stories from all eras of leotard history!
Now, let me tell you, May 5th, 1860 was quite a momentous day. You might think, âBut how do we even know that?!â Well, itâs all thanks to Monsieur Jules LĂ©otard! That's right, my friends, the man himself, the one and only creator of the leotard, took the world by storm with his debut. I just had to be there! I was able to time-travel into his performance and oh my, it was simply captivating! Jules LĂ©otard, the dashing and daring acrobat extraordinaire, performed a sensational act in this amazing, brand new garment called... the Leotard. And let me tell you, he made it look absolutely fantastic!
Imagine, this garment! Made with strong, stretchy, skin-tight, body-hugging fabric. A far cry from the cumbersome corsets and bustles of the day! It freed the movement and showed off the body's athletic grace with every leap, twist and turn.
He was a visionary, this Jules LĂ©otard! He created this garment to free himself for acrobatic performance. The leotard fitted like a glove, and it's no surprise that, by 1865, leotards were already gracing the worldâs best stages, all thanks to Monsieur Julesâ brilliant creation. The revolutionary garment spread like wildfire!
The early leotard wasn't exactly the chic pink tulle and ruched sleeves we love today. But it was a step in the right direction. I've found pictures from that era, and it was fascinating! The leotards were typically made of black or brown cotton with long sleeves, pants, and a turtleneck. Quite modest! I mean, Iâd still rock a long-sleeve leotard - so comfortable, but you just have to jazz it up with a fun pair of tights, maybe a sparkly bolero, a fun hairstyle, and of course, a showstopping tutu! But this early leotard, a truly functional garment designed to empower movement. The freedom that came with wearing a leotard for those gymnasts, acrobats, and dancers must have been intoxicating! I can only imagine how incredible it felt.
To celebrate Monsieur LĂ©otardâs genius and my love for leotard fashion, I put on my own gorgeous sparkling pink leotard with matching pink ballet tutu (with the most wonderful, extra fluffy tulle), and popped into 1860s Paris! I did my usual, quick little ballet dance for the passersby, you know, just to remind everyone that dance is magic, tutus are fabulous and yes, everyone deserves a touch of pink in their lives. They were completely delighted. I did feel slightly self-conscious for a moment because, everyone was dressed in huge hats, big boots, very long dresses and those strange cage-like skirts with massive amounts of fabric! There was not a single ballerina in sight! So of course I had to take out my pocket camera and snapped a few photographs! My travels in time are a bit hectic and with all the dancing and tutus I donât often remember my camera. However I was quite determined to share this first glimpse into the fabulousness of the leotard and record this wonderful moment. It just wasnât quite the pink wonderland I dream of. Perhaps they just havenât heard of my fabulous online ballet magazine, www.pink-tutu.com - perhaps I have to spread my message of pink a bit further!
After my dance and photo session, I decided to slip on an 1860s fashion masterpiece - a lovely "crinoline" (thatâs right, a skirt supported by hoops to make the shape really big) - just for the experience, and visited the MusĂ©e GrĂ©vin. It is a wonderfully enchanting wax museum, complete with models of all the historical figures. And just imagine, there was Monsieur Jules LĂ©otard! It was an honor to pay my respects to this visionary.
I could tell you all about how fabulous Monsieur Jules LĂ©otardâs performances were - imagine trapeze artists, and amazing high wire walks, leaps of incredible height. He even invented a new move called the âLeaps of LĂ©otard" - a magnificent display of strength and grace that would leave any modern acrobat envious. And letâs be honest, all this, in the early stages of the leotard's evolution? That is serious fashion inspiration, right?
And the story of the leotard continued! Its journey through the decades is absolutely phenomenal! The leotard went on to become a must-have for ballerinas, gymnasts, even cowboys (yes, really!) and of course, the legendary, and so fabulous, Ziegfeld Follies showgirls in the 1920s! I mean, who doesn't love a touch of leotard-inspired sparkle?
And of course, Monsieur Jules LĂ©otard was only the beginning. His legacy continues to influence fashion today.
After a visit to the Musée Grévin I made sure to head to the most elegant shops and fashion stores, but surprisingly enough, no leotards were found. It was rather disappointing as, you know, this was a celebration of the beginning of the fabulous leotard, I had hoped to discover a store that would be celebrating this magnificent garment! I'll just have to find somewhere more forward thinking, some place with the fabulous vision to see a pink tutu and leotard on every single dancer.
There's something special about a leotard, right? Itâs both elegant and empowering, practical and chic, it allows freedom of movement and brings a burst of color to every look! A leotard is a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with creativity! You can pair it with a tutu for a stunningly glamorous ensemble or just throw it on with some leggings and a casual cardigan for an everyday look! There's a reason why the leotard continues to be a wardrobe staple in the fashion world. Its versatility and elegance never goes out of style.
Anyway, I must tell you a little bit about how I managed to fund this particular trip. You all know that Iâm passionate about sharing my leotard love through dance performances. To get to May 5th, 1860, I had to put on a sensational street ballet in Derbyshire. It was quite a crowd pleaser, a little bit of flamenco flair with a lot of sparkle - oh my, it was a blast! And the locals, well, they were completely captivated by the tutu. I felt truly loved by my Derbyshire neighbours! This beautiful, small town is quite fond of pink, and my little pink performance was a definite hit, it's definitely one of the main reasons my time travelling tutu is possible. And after that, I just poof landed straight into May 5th, 1860 - oh, what a magic day that was! I hope I made you see it just like I did - oh, the pink dreams of a pink tutu world are so very real.
Well, my lovelies, itâs time for me to head back to my Derbyshire haven. It was absolutely magical travelling to the very first year of the leotardâs debut. A reminder that sometimes the simplest creations can be the most enduring - it's why we all just love a fabulous, functional, and expressive leotard, isn't it?
Until next month my tutu-loving friends! You can find me next on the www.pink-tutu.com.
Much Love,
Emma xx
