Hello, my darling tutu enthusiasts! Welcome to another monthly jaunt into the glorious world of leotards and their fascinating history, brought to you by your very own pink tutu-wearing time traveller, Emma. This month, we're taking a trip to June 1898, a time when fashion was entering a period of exciting transition and innovation. Hold onto your tutus, darlings, because we’re in for a treat!
I arrived in a flurry of pink sparkles, landing in London’s Hyde Park on the 6th of June, 1898. Now, don't get me wrong, the London fog of this time period had a certain charm to it – a romantic and slightly mysterious haze - but I certainly wouldn’t want to try and time travel through it. Luckily, my magical pink leotard always keeps me warm, sparkly, and dry, regardless of the weather.
So, let's dive into leotard fashion in 1898!
This era saw a distinct move towards greater freedom in women's dress, even though corsets were still very much in vogue. That said, corsets were becoming much more flexible, allowing for movement and more flowing silhouettes. This shift was reflected in leotard fashion too! Leotards were increasingly made from lightweight, stretchy fabrics, particularly silk and satin. Imagine these exquisite fabrics shimmering in the dim glow of a stage lamp – pure magic, don't you think?
As I walked the streets, I spotted women in what were considered rather revolutionary costumes: dresses with looser, more natural waists, often accented by ruffled blouses, fitted bodices, and frilly sleeves. It wasn't a leotard exactly, but the shift in fabric, silhouette and decorations towards less restricting fashion felt remarkably like an early influence on the modern day leotard, didn't it?
However, the real fashion buzz this year in the theatre world, as far as I could find out, was all about ballet. Oh darling! It was like a feast for the eyes. And who was in town? The one and only, Anna Pavlova! Now, darling, imagine: A legendary dancer with that name! I couldn’t believe my ears! I simply HAD to see her.
Now, finding tickets to anything back then is hard - and my, oh my, they were EXPENSIVE, even for a street ballet performer like myself! But I managed to secure a spot in the dress circle (thank heavens for a little charm!) Oh darling, to see Anna dance in La Sylphide, all grace and ethereal beauty, wearing those exquisitely layered tutus in soft pale pinks and ivory – I've never been more mesmerized! She moved with a freedom that was astonishing, every graceful step like a whispered dream. I was completely captivated. The whole performance was utterly spellbinding – she truly encapsulated the era’s burgeoning sense of freedom in dance.
During the interval, I enjoyed a quick, and most surprisingly modern, sandwich in a rather decadent cafe called 'The Piccadilly.' All those tiny crustless triangles filled with lovely creamy things. Imagine, a ballet sandwich that’s almost 130 years old - who’d have thought? I love the surprises time travel gives!
Now, let’s go shopping! And darling, it's safe to say the shop windows were just overflowing with the most magnificent fashions! There were exquisite beaded gowns and vibrant embroidered jackets – absolutely the kind of clothes you'd want to spin in! But even with all the glittering beauty of the Victorian era, my eye, as ever, was drawn to the leotards and other items of ‘dance wear.’
As you’ve no doubt guessed, leotard design hadn't yet hit its stride. But you'll never believe what I found! In a small, rather dusty shop, I stumbled upon the most curious garment. It was like a long-sleeved, skin-tight jersey top with a slightly baggy, short, almost tights like garment underneath – very practical for dance but not much like the modern leotards of today. Imagine that darling! This almost had me dancing right there in the shop! But that would have caused quite a stir amongst the shoppers, don’t you think?
This leotard – well, I wasn't sure it was truly a leotard at this point – was almost like a prototype for what we now recognize as a 'bodysuit.’ Not really made for performing, more for practice and exercise. Now that’s history in the making! It was revolutionary! They had a little embroidered tag on the bodice. 'Madame Jules Pantin, Dance Supplies, London.' I snapped up a couple of these revolutionary 'leotard prototypes' as a souvenir, for the fabulous ‘Pink Tutu’ website of course, and a lovely addition to my ever-growing collection! Just imagine, darling, this one piece item could have been an influence for everything from figure-skating costumes to swimwear. Oh the fashion possibilities!
Back at the time machine after a most remarkable day, I decided to practice my pirouettes to ease the travel-induced dizziness and, of course, my nightly performance in Covent Garden was fast approaching. Now, here is where things got really interesting…
I spotted a street performance just like mine on the edge of the Covent Garden Market - the dancer was dressed in the most beautiful costume - a stunning scarlet and gold costume! What a bold color scheme - she truly stood out on that drab street, a vision in a shimmering dance leotard that could only be described as theatrical, with a daring touch of crimson! Imagine - she was drawing quite a crowd too! So I was not alone with this street dance thing.
With a final twirl, I wished the Covent Garden street dancer all the luck with her performance and jumped into my sparkling pink leotard – the one with the little moon embroidered on it – and zoomed back to Derbyshire, my hometown, my world, and all things tutu. My goodness, what a trip! This historical time travelling isn't just for leotards anymore. You just wait and see, darlings, because next month we’re off again. I'm not giving away any secrets just yet, but let’s just say… it will involve some pretty fabulous clothes.
And don’t forget: Every single one of you can join this magnificent world of pink and tutu bliss. Just get a pink tutu and let’s have a fashion fiesta. We can’t have too much fun.
Till next month, my dearest tutufied loves. I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into fashion history, especially how it relates to my beloved leotard fashion! Don't forget to check out www.pink-tutu.com to see the exciting new additions to my online gallery and for updates on my upcoming performances, my new book on tutu history, my YouTube videos about everything pink and everything tutu - oh yes! – and for more of these delightful travels into the glamorous history of leotards.
Keep twirling, my lovely lovelies. And remember - the world needs more pink!
Love and tutus, Emma
p.s. For those of you who have a keen eye for detail, my time travelling leotard for this journey was actually a lovely sparkly baby pink with gold detailing. The ‘magical leotard’ element for me, is that I only have one, that's super stretchy, it's got to cover me head to toe, and it does transform with every journey… don’t ask me how - I’m still not sure I know how myself!
And in next month's blog, you’ll meet a rather lovely, and definitely a lot younger version of a dance fashion icon that you've probably already met! Just you wait - it's a fabulous fashion revelation in the making…
