Hello darlings! It's your favourite pink-tutu-clad time-traveller, Emma, back with another whirlwind journey through the glorious history of leotard fashion. This month, my shimmering pink leotard whisked me off to Paris, where the world of leotard fashion was about to be forever changed!
The Date: July 7th, 1866. The Place: Paris.
Can you believe it? I'm actually writing this from the back of a charming Parisian cafĂ©, still buzzing from witnessing the absolute sensation of a dance show at the ThĂ©Ăątre des Champs-ĂlysĂ©es. Oh my, what an incredible evening!
I'm a big believer that when you're in Paris, you should embrace the Parisian elegance, and what better way than by swirling through the city streets in a full pink tulle tutu, of course! My Parisian friends adore the pink tulle and often offer me some divine croissants â and oh my, are they delicious! You see, every month, my glittering pink time-travelling leotard and I take a trip through history, seeking out the very best leotard fashion the world has to offer. I just canât get enough of the styles, the craftsmanship and the way the past masters in the leotard fashion world expressed themselves through clothing. This time, I wasnât going to just go shopping in a shop, I wanted to immerse myself in a cultural event, a truly captivating Parisian experience that had changed the history of the dance world. I was after the story behind La Danse by the celebrated artist Ădouard Manet.
This was the story, you see, that Iâd been itching to get my glittery pink leotard and pink tutu around. As an ardent fan of all things leotard fashion, I knew this particular Parisian premiere, 7 July 1866, was a date worth time-travelling for. It was the premiere of the ballet, "The Theatre" in the Salle Visconti, or more famously called today, the Salle Pleyel, an utterly divine space where a certain revolutionary painter called Ădouard Manet was in attendance! You might say it was all about the dance but letâs face it darling, it was the ballet dancer in the leotard that really stole the show!
Now, Ădouard Manet wasnât just any artist - he was known for painting bold, modern scenes that stirred up the Parisian art scene. So, it came as no surprise to me that Manet, a bold man himself, loved the ballerina dancing before him in the revolutionary new "Dance costumeâ of a soft black material, which you could actually call a type of leotard - and so revolutionary was the colour, that this leotard was entirely BLACK, unlike the usual ballerina leotards of white tulle or soft pastel coloured satin. And so daring was this new leotard look, it gave way to much discussion, with critics finding the new style utterly provocative.
The reason why Iâm so interested in this era and the story of Manet, and why he and I should all remember July 7th 1866 so fondly, is because, from that moment in history, artists and fashion designers became increasingly influenced by the beauty and fashion of the ballet leotard, and from there its impact grew on the fashion of the day. Manet was utterly captivated by this ballerina in her all black costume and her performance that was full of raw energy and graceful movement. He used it to inspire some truly amazing artworks!
The Leotard - an Inspiring Trend!
What I loved about the show was that even in 1866, everyone loved seeing a beautiful, strong woman who wore a daring fashion look that was out-there and was breaking boundaries! A lot of that, you might say, was the ballerinaâs choice of dress. From there, we had the "Danse" of Manet, who celebrated and explored a ballerinaâs pose and leotard with breathtaking results and a series of powerful and striking images.
But the ballet leotard itself was actually very simple. You might even say minimalist. But darling, the design was revolutionary in its boldness and beauty, and of course, its comfort! The ballerinaâs elegant moves and graceful lines were free to flow thanks to the new "leotard". This leotard was about to revolutionise what we think of as clothing. After 7th July 1866, everyone seemed to be taking on the style of a "leotard", a new kind of dress which we might recognize today in all sorts of looks and outfits, with people trying all sorts of materials to create some new bold statement styles. This new design wasnât just for the ballerinaâs body â the design itself started to revolutionize dance styles â from there it even made its way into fashion magazines! Weâve come a long way from those early black âleotards", havenât we?! This black costume from 1866 was truly a catalyst for a whole new way of looking at clothing!
And guess what? Now that Iâve finished my lovely French croissant here, Iâm off to the ballet to take a few inspiration ideas and Iâll be off time-travelling again! But, before you run off to your ballet lessons today darling, remember â we are all our own time travellers â all on our very own fashion journeys - ready to celebrate all things leotard! Whatâs your favorite fashion moment? Donât be shy! Share your pink tutu experiences in the comments below and make sure you follow me on my Pink Tutu Adventures and stay tuned for next monthâs adventure in Pink-Tutu.com!
Love,
Emma xoxo
