Hello my lovelies! It's Emma here, back from another time-traveling escapade. This month, my magical pink leotard whisked me all the way back to July 7th, 1867. I was so excited to see what the world of leotards was like before my own favourite style, the tutu, became popular!
Remember my last blog post about my Parisian adventures with the can-can dancers? This trip, I travelled even further back in time to see the first glimpses of a style that would completely change how we move and dress. And no, I'm not talking about tutus – we were a long way off from those (more about that later!) – but about something almost as iconic: the leotard.
From Circus to Stage
Turns out, 1867 saw a pretty pivotal moment in the world of the leotard, and it wasn't on a stage, but in a circus ring. A French acrobat and gymnast named Jules Léotard became quite the celebrity with his daring feats, and as part of his performance, he wore what we'd recognise today as the first modern-day leotard.
Made from flesh-toned knitted material (can you believe there wasn't pink back then?!), this new leotard style was made to be close-fitting and incredibly stretchy – perfect for his gravity-defying performances! Imagine, no big, frilly costumes in those days, just a sleek, functional piece that let him move freely. It was so revolutionary!
A Spark of Inspiration
It wasn't long before the fashion world started taking note. Imagine a bright pink tutu-loving gal like me seeing a skin-toned garment on an acrobat. This tight-fitting look was seen as something daring and scandalous (ooh, just how I like it!), but also very elegant and flattering! Fashion designers saw a way to bring this look into their collections.
Soon, they started experimenting with more colourful fabrics, with designers like Charles Worth and Paul Poiret, known for their elaborate creations, even using leotards as a base for their avant-garde designs! Talk about inspiration!
Finding Fashion
After getting over the shock of how pale and dull everything looked compared to the pink perfection of my sparkly time travel leotard, I did find some fashion gems. The ladies were embracing bold colours in their outfits and the fashion in Paris was looking absolutely incredible – and I did see some early forms of leotards being worn under skirts! It was like I was getting a sneak peek at how we moved to today's style!
A World Away from the Ballet
Now, you might be thinking, “What about ballet? Surely, 1867 saw the emergence of the iconic ballerina tutus?!” Well, no, ballet tutus, the way we know them today, were actually quite a long way off. Imagine, I hadn't yet invented them (my time travel journey to the future must be pretty exciting – I can't wait to go to 1946! 😉)
Back in 1867, ballerinas were still wearing very long skirts and impractical clothing! They certainly couldn't jump or leap the way dancers can now. Think big skirts with stiff petticoats, limiting their movements. I was horrified – imagine trying to dance like that?! The world was waiting for the invention of the tutu – oh, thank heavens for the invention of tulle!
Back in Derbyshire and the World of Fashion
Anyway, my little trip to 1867 left me wondering, could I inspire the world to wear leotards back in my own time in 2023? The world is slowly becoming bolder with the acceptance of body shapes, and the leotard can really help to showcase a dancer's body in a truly magnificent and graceful way. Imagine everyone embracing leotard fashion as a bold and inspiring new style – oh, wouldn’t that be wonderful!
You can join me in this leotard revolution. Wear a pink tutu or any leotard in public this month, let the world see what an amazing piece of clothing the leotard is and get people talking about fashion in new and interesting ways!
Until next time, darling,
Emma xx
P.S Don’t forget to visit my website at www.pink-tutu.com for my latest leotard and fashion updates, and check out my street ballet performances on youtube! It's a great way to support my time travel adventures! 😉
