Hello my lovely tutu-lovers! Welcome to Pink-Tutu.com, your monthly dose of leotard history, fashion, and a whole lot of pink!
This month, I've found myself swirling through the year 1906! Can you believe it? I'm in my pink sparkling time-traveling leotard - a perfect blend of glitter and historical charm, don't you think? - and my sparkly tutu is just as fabulous. Today's mission: to find out what the world of leotard fashion was up to on July 7th, 1906.
So, imagine me, standing on the bustling cobbled streets of London (my hometown Derbyshire just had to wait!), my sparkly tutu attracting every curious glance, watching horse-drawn carriages and ladies in long, billowing skirts. This time period marks a dramatic transition in dance, so you know there are some seriously fascinating stories to uncover!
The world of dance was, let’s be honest, quite a different scene back then. For one, the ballet costumes of 1906, oh they were something else! Imagine graceful flowing layers of tulle and chiffon, cinched at the waist with intricate beading and lavish embroidery. Absolutely decadent. Of course, no true ballerina worth their salt would be caught without a perfectly fitting leotard. Think lightweight silk, delicate embroidery, and a touch of Victorian grace, like a whisper of tulle fluttering in a summer breeze.
The ballet costumes in 1906 - well, they just ooze elegance. Imagine the ballerinas, swaying and twirling across the stage in shimmering, jewel-toned silks. Imagine flowing skirts of exquisite gauze and tulle, meticulously hand-stitched to perfection. The ballet dancers were considered as delicate, exquisite flowers on the stage, and they really were a beautiful, fragile sight, unlike today’s powerful, modern dancers.
Back then, the leotard was primarily considered a performance piece for the ballet world - something not yet worn on the street or at the gym (thank heavens that all changed!). Imagine if today, people wore those grand costumes around! You know me - I'd wear a big, extravagant ballet skirt out and about - anything goes for me! The pink is always there, but the styles I've spotted across the timeline, from sleek gym wear to bold ballroom fashion, - leotards are everywhere, in every era, and in my world, it’s perfectly normal. I don’t get the look of bewilderment when I time travel anymore. Everyone’s in a tutu - you'd have to get in line just to get onto the London Underground! It's the same, even though everyone else is wearing their regular clothes!
Speaking of which, I spent my time in London strolling down Bond Street and around the city’s impressive grand department stores like Liberty of London. What an absolute delight for any leotard lover, or fashionista in general.
And what did I discover about leotard fashion on this specific date? Well, let me tell you, there’s a story unfolding that could fill an entire ballet.
On July 7th, 1906, there was the first major production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, and in that performance, was a rising young Russian ballerina – Anna Pavlova! The first time that Swan Lake was ever performed was way back in 1877!
So, while the first showing of the ballet took place in 1877, it took a full 29 years for a famous ballet company like the Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet, to really push this production, in St. Petersburg. But in 1906 at London’s Covent Garden, with a magnificent ballet dancer like Anna Pavlova starring, and all the pomp and grandeur surrounding it - this ballet finally found its real acclaim, worldwide, in the years that followed.
Pavlova became known for her elegance and graceful, delicate moves in the ballet, and became one of the most celebrated ballerinas ever to perform this beautiful piece. A remarkable feat! But let’s move away from the performances, and back to leotards, because Anna Pavlova, now that's a name that should make all of us leotard lovers take a deep bow! You have to give the woman credit for her influence on leotards for the era, making them fashionable enough to grace a Covent Garden stage, and for starting a fashion phenomenon, of leotards becoming an essential item of dancewear - not just for stage performances, but for dance practice and training. Anna changed things, she changed how ballerinas were trained, and even how ballerinas, from the ballet studios, were going out, in the city. She set the tone for so many ballerinas, from the studio, and changed things for future dancers too.
Pavlova’s love of elegant, graceful and beautiful dance outfits was clear to see, with a particular love of lightweight chiffon, silk and lace. She embraced feminine leotards that had an air of lightness and fluidity, reflecting the ethereal beauty of a swan, and of course, the style fit in perfectly with the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras. Imagine, in 1906, wearing those dainty lace trimmed leotards, perfectly sculpted to the body, a graceful vision, perfect to allow her such intricate footwork and delicate ballet moves. She really set the style and standards for leotards!
But I wasn't just in London. The city’s glamour was incredible - I’m a bit taken with the streetlights here - such a beautiful city - but there was so much more to see in 1906, so on my pink shimmering time travel tour of the world, I also had to hop over to Paris and catch the opening night of the Palais Garnier’s, new grand dance season.
The Paris Opera Ballet is an established name that has given us so many iconic stars, but even so, when Anna Pavlova stepped on to that stage at the Palais Garnier, it was the first time that this theater was a focal point for such a world-class dancer, it marked a time of real change in the ballet world!
But to take a leap into leotards, the Palais Garnier stage performances always focused on the ballerina’s outfit in detail. And imagine all the wonderful gowns, costumes and leotards! It's a shame, we don't see such details so much these days, but thankfully the Palais Garnier, in all its beauty and magnificence - from the beautiful interiors to its lavish stages and stunning sets, was a showstopping piece in its own right that provided the perfect stage to watch the ballerina’s attire. Leotard fashion was, well - it was the real show, I was delighted, and I am always excited about leotard fashion!
The dancers themselves looked gorgeous - they all wore their ballet styles beautifully - it was a vision of elegance! All of the grand theater productions, and all the dance styles, from classical to contemporary - all these dancers in leotards, or not, in the Palais Garnier always felt extra special because the setting itself just made the dancing and fashion feel unbelievably refined.
Anna Pavlova - oh my gosh! This was a moment in time that will never be forgotten, because this Russian ballerina was truly one of a kind - she really did transform leotard fashion. It is very difficult to make history like that in fashion, and I hope that I can follow in Pavlova’s footsteps to help create some new history - of pink tutus! Let’s be honest, it is not an easy mission to get everyone around the world to start wearing pink tutus! But the aim of Pink-Tutu.com is just that! We must create a fashion trend and take pink tutus to the world - I will never stop until I’ve done this. I'm a one-woman, sparkly time-traveling mission! And as far as leotard fashion goes, let's get the pink tutu wave going across time itself!
Now, I’ve got some incredible news – I’m giving you, all of my loyal readers, the opportunity to share some of your favourite leotard history, fashion tips and tutu advice. I’m starting a new section, ‘Pink Tutu Times’, to capture the joy of leotard fashion, and of course to include all my leotard tips and tricks to get everyone wearing their pink tutus! This could include your leotard wardrobe choices for that amazing dance party you’re attending this weekend. A new pink leotard for ballet practice? Let me know - we will include it in ‘Pink Tutu Times’ !
My readers have all been sharing such lovely thoughts about the leotards and I am delighted. It really makes my heart sing when I read them and it makes this blog feel like a little leotard family. If you want to join this fun, family and share your leotard thoughts just leave your ideas in the comments section below, send me a private email or message on the Pink-Tutu.com Facebook Page. I really hope you enjoy these monthly fashion updates. Until next month - stay sparkly, tutu-loving, pink and happy – we will see you next time!
Lots of pink and love
Emma x
Pink Tutu Times: Let’s Make Some Tutu Fashion HistoryRemember - we are trying to create the ‘pink tutu fashion’ history here - a massive global fashion wave. So to get us started - send us your thoughts! What's your favourite leotard story, tips, tricks and of course, pink tutu style suggestions? It’s pink, fun and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on our first ever Pink Tutu Times column. Let’s bring the ‘pink tutu’ wave to the streets!
