#LeotardHistory during 1880 10 October

Hello darling Leotard Lovers!

Emma here, your favourite Derbyshire ballerina, and welcome back to my monthly adventures in Leotard History! I hope you are all doing well, feeling inspired and twirling your way through life with a skip in your step, just like I do! I’ve been doing so much street performance in this glorious Autumn, even had a chance to catch the final performance of Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House – oh, the divine tutus! They made me long for a new pink creation of my own – perhaps with a touch of Victorian lace, just like the ones in a show I saw today... more on that later!

As always, I’m getting straight into it. It’s the 10th of October, 1880, and as you know, my favourite time travelling leotard is a stunning creation – imagine a perfectly sculpted, classic dance leotard in sparkling pink, complete with sequinned detail! With it I can zoom back in time (and the world’s most comfortable travel wear!). Today we’re heading to Paris, a hotbed of ballet fashion in this period!

Paris, always the stylish city of the moment, is bursting with creativity when it comes to leotards in 1880. The trendsetters are the famous Ballets Russes - you wouldn’t think the company was quite yet known, would you? - who are revolutionizing the world of ballet costume with their vibrant designs and bold movement! They favour a longer leotard style than you might see today, perhaps reaching the knee, and crafted from silky satins, shimmering brocades, and those irresistible ruffled trims, all designed to dance in the spotlight! The colors are bold, embracing deep reds, jewel-toned blues, and lush greens – think of a luxurious garden transformed into dance! I even saw a leotard made entirely of shimmering peacock feathers – the detail was incredible!

We can’t ignore the grand Parisian Opéra – it’s simply bursting with elegance. You can see the delicate artistry of their designs through the gorgeous detailing – think frills and lace. The materials are divine too! Flowing tulles, intricate silks, even those shimmering metallics which really catch the eye (and are still popular today!). The Ballet of the Opéra, Corps de Ballet, in particular favour those luxurious pale pinks and creams, reminiscent of clouds swirling gracefully in the sky – I simply adore that colour palette.

One thing that's fascinating is how some trends from today were already on the scene. For instance, the “balletcore” movement you see on the street today? It already exists in a form back here! A sense of grace, flowing lines, and of course, a focus on feminine silhouettes. I'm really finding that those historical fashions are such a big inspiration to my street style - sometimes, I even wear a simple dance leotard with a tutu for an event or day out and feel completely at home! There are many leotards for all bodies in this age! It’s wonderful how they emphasize and complement every single dancer’s unique features! I especially love how they use lace detailing to add some extra drama - I mean, just imagine what a pink lace leotard with a pink tutu would look like…

This week I visited a private collection - what a dream! It included a stunning 1880s leotard with exquisite craftsmanship. The leotard had a pale lavender satin bodice adorned with lace that resembled an intricate spider web – think beautiful details, fine craftsmanship. This type of design was perfect for highlighting the grace of a ballerina, yet felt delicate and whimsical. A touch of the Victorian era truly shines through in those lace and embroidery designs, and they’ve just recently caught my eye - I love how these techniques create depth, creating a really 3D and beautiful effect.

Now, I'm really missing my pink tulle… But, you know what? It’s inspired me! Maybe next month's street performance will involve a hint of Victorian inspiration – what do you think, my lovely Leotard Lovers? I might have to create my own leotard in pink and lace, and do some extra twirling in that beautiful Paris Opera House… Imagine, swirling through the historic stages with the elegance of the Ballet! A real ballet dream! I've got such an exciting project in mind for next month! I even found an exquisite lace and fabric market to check out, oh, you know it’s going to be spectacular!

And hey, maybe those of you at home could find some vintage lace, create your own unique embellishments and create a pink tulle masterpiece… Who knows what you might create, darlings! As long as there’s some pink, I’m there for it!

Remember, if you see me street dancing around Derbyshire, come say hello, and don’t forget to check out our pinktutu.com website for new posts about leotards, dancewear, shows and my very own designs.

Until next time, darling Leotard Lovers! Emma xo