Hello my lovely readers, and welcome to another instalment of Pink Tutu Travels! It’s a new year, and I’m kicking it off with a bang – and a whirl – because I’ve just been time-travelling to the magnificent era of the late 19th century! I landed in London, 1st January 1890 to be exact, and let me tell you, this place is abuzz with fashion and theatre!
Today I'm dressed for the occasion, in my sparkling pink time-travelling leotard – it has a whole constellation of shimmering stars – just perfect for getting the right vibe here! I'm rocking my favourite tulle tutu and even snagged an elegant, antique, feather-trimmed, pink feathered boa on my trip back from the Victorian Era (I have a penchant for feathered boas, you see!).
This year is a fantastic one for leotard history because it's the era of the Gilded Age. You might not immediately associate "Gilded Age" with ballet, but trust me, it was a phenomenal time for performance fashion!
So let’s get into it. It was so fun to see how dancers of the Victorian era wore their leotards, even before it was called a leotard. They didn't quite have our modern dance leotards yet – it's important to remember this was a period just on the brink of revolutionizing performance wear. Think tight, elegant-fitting garments that resembled long-sleeved tops – the kind we might consider rather stuffy by today’s standards but stunningly chic back then. I'm just obsessed with the vintage look, and, it is definitely inspiring a few of my current pink-tutu designs.
Leotard Inspiration: A Stroll Through London Theatreland
Right off the bat, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane had a beautiful ballet performance. Imagine! It featured the iconic French dancer Marie Taglioni, who literally captivated the whole of London with her effortless style, beautiful movements and light steps - graceful ballet as you’ve never seen it.
As a street ballerina, the thought of seeing one of my idols dance – a woman with legendary stage presence and dance talent– is thrilling. Her attire was spectacular, a white tulle skirt layered over an impossibly tight, form-fitting, white long-sleeved body-hugging top with white gloves. She looked ethereal – even the ladies who attended were trying to copy her look in the evenings. Think white tulle, flowy gowns with a high neck and some even sporting elegant lace gloves for the full Victorian aesthetic.
I caught the production of Giselle, a powerful ballet with a lot of romance. Imagine a romantic story told with a graceful fluidity and amazing costumes! The ballerina (who, rumour has it, inspired the romantic style of Victorian gowns - especially the use of a diaphanous tulle fabric) wore a dress designed to make it seem as though her feet were literally dancing on air, which is something I try to achieve with my modern-day pink tutu creations, just on a larger, sparkling scale.
The "Leotard" of 1890?
Think beautiful undergarments – garments so tightly fitting and made from a durable and stretchy fabric like silk (now, this is something we should thank the fashion-conscious Victorians for. If we hadn't had these beautiful luxurious and versatile silk leotard undergarments, then I don't know where I would have ended up – but it definitely wouldn't have been in this sparkly, amazing leotard I’m currently rocking).
Now, it might surprise you that ballet in the 1890s wasn't a whole “pink tutu” phenomenon. We’re talking a long way from a bright pink ballet – or any sort of vibrant colour – though pink as a colour is starting to seep into fashion at the turn of the century, with the fashionistas – like myself - pushing boundaries. White, ivory, soft pastels were more common then. Ballet costumes in those days, weren't really known by their modern name: a "leotard".
And if you look at fashion in the Victorian Era, we don't really see many dance-related styles influencing street fashion in any sort of substantial way. A very delicate balance was always struck between the Victorian ideals of elegance, modesty, and the demands of ballet fashion, the latter, pushing the boundaries in its pursuit of a freedom of movement and graceful artistry, something that would eventually permeate through society as we moved into the 20th century.
The Victorian Dance Revolution: Ballet Starts to Bloom
Though it may not seem it, there were some changes brewing! These undergarments that resemble a leotard would be eventually transformed by Jules Léotard, (it was he, who in 1849 gave his name to this garment) into the body-hugging garment we associate with dancers, gymnasts, and modern ballet today!
Though it was primarily dancers like Marie Taglioni (whose romantic dances were all the rage in London, and, I’m so thrilled to say, were the first dancers to really embody that flowing aesthetic and use fabric as a medium to enhance movement and form – much like we are doing with the pink tutu today), who really transformed these tight-fitting, beautiful garments into more performance-oriented outfits, and these Victorian dancers truly did pave the way. It wasn't the only revolution! It was also a time where women began dancing on stage for audiences that weren't all women! Can you believe this revolutionized women's fashion?
Now you're starting to see what an interesting era this was in terms of dance history. While some were content to retain a very specific Victorian aesthetic that favoured grace and demure elegance, and for those in their everyday lives, it allowed them to wear tighter fitting, flattering clothes, but I'm also starting to see some dancers on the fringes who were pushing the boundaries for more movement – what a lot of us, and certainly I – do every time I do a street dance routine, using my pink tutus. It's pretty obvious that they are all so beautifully intertwined.
The year 1890 was a fantastic launching pad for a style revolution – where women were increasingly choosing the more liberating styles. Women of this period embraced tight-fitting, beautiful silk undergarments that accentuated their curves ( and are you ready for it?) this helped to shape our contemporary leotard today – and this trend also led to the rise of the new “bicycle leotard!”
What’s hot and what’s not in the 1890 fashion world (besides my Pink Tutu)?
Speaking of the new trend – think tighter fitting fabrics for women with beautiful silky leotard styles being made even more flattering (and dare I say “sexy” for the day’s standards?). And let me just tell you, this was only just the start of things. You’ve got to love a Victorian silhouette! And remember ladies and gentlemen, the very popular “corset” – for me, as I love the era's delicate and glamorous aesthetic – they're so iconic! It's about time they were acknowledged for their style too, in this year that is seeing women's silhouettes becoming smaller and smaller with that tight-fitted Victorian style that the bicycle introduced and really emphasized a slender, petite look – the silhouette you see reflected in all sorts of elegant, flowing attire that’s still popular today.
So I’m so grateful for 1890! While we weren't dancing with my pink tutus yet, this year laid the foundations for the leotards of tomorrow, just think of what the next 50 years is going to be like, it's going to be spectacular for the evolution of dance. We had some amazingly well-dressed dancers and a real movement for fashion and dance, all rolled up into one. This era was full of movement, grace and, above all else, elegance.
What an exciting time it is to be travelling back through history, I hope you can come along with me in future time travel posts for www.pink-tutu.com. Until next month my fellow tutu fans, enjoy yourselves and stay fabulous. Don't forget, your pink tutu is ready and waiting for you!
