Hello my lovely readers! 💖 It's Emma here, your resident pink tutu-wearing, time-travelling blogger, and welcome to Post 1018 of Pink-Tutu.com! Today, we're jetting back in time to the 10th of October, 1943, to delve into the fascinating world of leotard fashion in a very special year!
As always, my shimmering, pink, time-traveling leotard (that's a real thing, I swear!) whisked me away to a time when wartime rationing was a reality, but a spirit of optimism and community shone brightly through. We're talking World War Two, darling! Imagine the resilience and creativity! This era saw an intriguing blend of practical necessities and the enduring allure of dance and its graceful clothing.
Now, you might think that with war in full swing, leotards were a far cry from people's minds, but you'd be wrong! This is when the sheer power of the "we can do it" spirit of the era kicked in.
In the United States, there were still women who were teaching dance, running dance studios and even creating leotard designs. As with many businesses at the time, they were having to work with limited materials but, somehow, the artistic energy found a way through the rationing and limitations. There is this really beautiful photo from the American Library of Congress from this period of a ballet class in training in New York. Can you imagine how they were feeling about the world and the war but then they got to enter their dance studio and feel that incredible freedom through their moves?
But even with a new sense of style evolving with practical necessities, let's talk about the styles of the day. Think simple, yet sophisticated: the classic tank leotard in subtle shades like grey or navy blue (to save fabric and because of restrictions on dyes and colourings at this time), often combined with knee-length, black practice skirts.
Here in the UK, ballet dancers also made the most of what they could get. Leotards became more essential for everyday dance training but the look of the 40s, even during wartime, had some lovely feminine flourishes: elegant lines and a beautiful softness to them, but without forgetting about function, and how this would reflect in practical wear too, on the street, as fashion influenced style, across the globe.
There was something almost magical in how the 1940s embraced simplicity and practicality, but still retained the elements that made dancing feel feminine and joyful, just like how we see dance today.
You see, for a while there in the early days of WWII, there was a sort of moratorium on some performing arts, including dance in the USA, but even as people started to gather, the shows continued and, dare I say it, they really found an edge, a new spirit that found a way of speaking to the times, as we’ve been seeing throughout the 20th century in different ways!
One of the key things that I love about dance is that it just brings us back to ourselves: to joy, to community.
We’ve had such an interesting, but somewhat short-lived, time in the last century when, to me, leotards went from that very necessary item for training and dance performances and into this incredibly diverse item that can now be seen so easily as street-wear but that nevertheless keeps its connection to those beautiful artistic and theatrical performances.
For me, being able to have these insights into dance and ballet fashion history through time travel is amazing, because I just adore being part of this continuous, living fashion story! My ballet shoes are practically glued to my feet! And even more importantly, it's great to see how the magic of ballet continues to influence fashion all over the world!
And here’s something amazing that I learned on my trip back to October 1943 – this month the prestigious Royal Opera House reopened after some major renovations because of wartime damage and there are many, many historical records about the restoration as they've now been archived, which is just brilliant! So this, for me, was a highlight – not just the fact they were back in action, but the amount of historical records from the 1940s, a part of ballet history that’s important to understand where we are today.
The reopening of the Royal Opera House is just a testament to how art, in its many forms, can bring us together and lift our spirits, even when times are tough, as we see how much history has shaped what’s on show in our theatre performances today. Isn't that wonderful?
And talking of what’s happening today in ballet fashion, let’s see what our Instagram feed is bringing: The London Royal Ballet company’s first Instagram posts about the relaunched Royal Opera House after wartime closures are stunning! Those iconic, perfectly crafted tutu outfits - some in beautiful creams and ivories – the silks, the detail…
But even though I do enjoy those classic designs, I think that one of my favourite Instagram accounts, right now, has to be @streetballetwear - this one has got a real eye for blending traditional ballet pieces with fashion wear and there’s always so much energy! I particularly like how they pair these super sophisticated dancewear designs, from high-end brands such as Gaynor Minden and Mirella, with the bold street wear, with its own distinct design language and its emphasis on comfort and versatility. There are even images of street dancers rocking pink tutus and I just LOVE seeing this!
Of course, as with every leotard design in every century, there’s just such a huge spectrum of styles, colours and looks from dance brands, right down to how ballet companies themselves commission their own designers. And while these brands and designers have got a big influence on trends, what really matters to me are the ballet dancers themselves. Their style and their passion is really infectious and is helping to shift the perception of ballet itself as an art form. It’s making its way into the high street and people are starting to understand just how relevant dance, dancewear and ballet are today, and just as relevant in any century.
Anyway, I hope that you’re enjoying this whirlwind of dance and leotard fashion history as much as I do. And don’t forget to visit Pink-Tutu.com again next month, as I’ll be hopping to a new date in history, with plenty more exciting adventures in leotard fashion awaiting us!
Until then, remember: the world is your stage, and with the right pink tutu, you can wear your dreams on your sleeves! 💫💕
Love, Emma 💖
