Hello lovelies! Welcome back to Pink Tutu Time Travels, your monthly dose of leotard fashion history and a sprinkle of pink magic!
Today, I’m feeling extra sparkly and twirly because it’s time for a special trip – back to October 10th, 1942! And just imagine, darlings, the 10th October of 1942 is, guess what, my favourite date in history! Well, it is for fashion at least! I do love a bit of history – I mean, leotard history! Especially the history of all those delicious details of leotard design!
Oh, and don’t even get me started on my dazzling pink sparkly time travel leotard! She’s feeling positively peachy and twirly and has this incredible 'I'm-about-to-take-you-on-an-adventure-darling' energy.
Well, let's not be all about me!
On this momentous day of 10th October, 1942, something simply sensational happened to the world of leotard fashion that I have been desperate to share! Now, just hold onto your tutus! We’re about to dive headfirst into an incredible journey!
The stage lights were a bit dimmer that day, darling! Because of the war, and all. There were a lot of changes going on, I'm sure! You can always rely on some incredible creations to make me swoon! Especially back in those times, when so much changed!
However, despite all that was going on - 10th October, 1942, saw a leotard emerge which sent ripples right through leotard fashion that still affect how we choose and wear our leotards today!
On this special day, one of the biggest names in the fashion world, and in my humble opinion, a big name in the world of leotards, introduced her new ‘Everyday’ leotard collection.
Yes darlings, the iconic fashion house, Coco Chanel, unveiled her collection - and look how it's captured the world's imagination! She made everybody wear her leotards, darlings! Not everyone wears tutus - yet! But oh, the way that Coco Chanel made a big impact with that collection of her iconic everyday leotards in 1942, simply captured every fashionista's heart and made a ripple on leotard fashion which, oh my goodness, I could talk about for ages! It is such a fab inspiration to us!
So how has her influence lasted, you may ask? It's all down to simple elegance! She chose the very simplest cuts! Just perfect for dance - she must have been dancing in the privacy of her rooms all her life! No frills and she still had us all dreaming.
Her signature? Well, let’s call it the ultimate simplicity - it made her leotards so modern, oh, that we’ve not been able to take our eyes off them for years. And if you've ever been in one of her beautiful, timeless, designs, you'll totally know what I mean, babes! The elegant details on the straps - the colour - the way that they are made from beautiful luxurious materials - Oh I'm positively dreamy - I do love a luxurious leotard. Don't we all?
That said, Coco Chanel's designs - always feel just as relevant, even though it’s over 80 years since they came about!
She always included this incredible range of styles – from the simple ballet classics that we see everywhere today - oh, I've even been spotting them in modern dance as well, babes! She got it all spot on that day! So clever! You just can't beat classic Chanel - It really was an all encompassing collection for everyone - perfect for any dancer.
And this simple classic collection has meant she remains, everlasting in my heart as one of my top designers - even if she’s no longer making leotards - and all thanks to those lovely simple leotards, darlings. And of course, this style and her amazing sense of colour have definitely given so much influence - and we've still got them in fashion to this day! Her love of simple colour - black and white and her signature shade of beige - her ‘Chanel’ beige, was the original leotard shade if you think about it! I do!
And, speaking of the 10th October, and what everyone was wearing in the 1942 fashion world - Well I was, of course, doing my usual bit, travelling and, oh, look what I’ve been noticing in leotard fashion that day:
The wartime fashion in leotards - you could really see the big effect it had! Leotard fabrics were so limited and this is so clearly seen in designs, and of course it had such a huge impact on street fashion! But what did it do to the styles, darlings, well? It seems that the most *popular leotards were the shorter length - well it was wartime and materials were short. These little wonders did go right up to the knee or thigh as opposed to full-length - all these were, oh my goodness, just lovely! and the ballet style was always being called upon as being fashionable. You really couldn't get away from seeing a tutu, especially as a big part of the ballet productions were really the things keeping the theatre industry afloat and giving work during the war - and that’s why there was still so much on in the theatres. I really think that it did influence those lovely everyday leotards that Chanel came up with. She's a fashion goddess for all those everyday outfits and ballet looks - she's got a great track record - and really helped everyone get dancing, you know, whether they were at home, at work, or even going to the ballet or the theatre. I love those ballet dancers with their incredible flexibility - oh, I’m just so impressed - even on my busiest days, I still make sure I'm twirling in my pink tutu!
Now, before I sign off and take a moment to let those 10th October, 1942 dreams settle in a little, I can't finish without giving a squeal about that magical leotard that Coco Chanel was inspired by - all those classic styles with such amazing simple, elegance are a tribute to all the ballet dancers - we’ve got such a lot to thank those lovely ballet dancers for in the fashion world today! Oh, I'm always ready for that amazing ballet tutu fashion inspiration, darlings. It always does me so much good.
I think it's so interesting to learn about how our love of fashion can be affected by history and its effect on what we wear.
Oh, don't forget you can visit my little site at www.pink-tutu.com and follow me on social media too - I try and pop some lovely pictures on to my Instagram and Twitter - do say hello!
I hope that you have loved this month's Time Travels!
Bye darlings! I'll be popping back in here next month to go on a new trip and bring you some amazing leotard fashion history,
Emma xxx
