Hello my lovely tutu-lovers! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood time-travelling ballerina, bringing you all the latest (and, quite often, oldest) news in leotard fashion. It's the 4th of April, 1985 today and, as always, I've been having a right old time travelling through the decades in my trusty, sparkly pink leotard.
As always, Derbyshire is beautiful in spring. Daffodils are out, and I even caught a glimpse of a cheeky little robin dancing between the buds on an apple tree. You've got to love spring! You can practically feel the air buzzing with the joy of new beginnings, fresh energy, and exciting fashion opportunities, particularly for the pink tutu obsessed! It is, after all, a fresh start in fashion each year.
And what could be more exciting than popping over to the glorious 80s to take a look at what the world of leotard fashion is doing today? I’ve gotta say, 1985 feels like it's got the "oomph" factor – vibrant, confident, and ready for a party, a look perfectly complimented by my own personal favourite look; a sparkly pink tutu.
First stop: Broadway. Oh, my goodness me, New York never disappoints when it comes to performance! I caught the tail-end of a Cats show at the Winter Garden Theatre – so much movement! I don't know what it is, but something about feline-inspired outfits is always just so stylish! There were black tights (always a classic!) but I swear the leotard on the white cat had shimmering sparkles on it that mirrored my own sparkling pink tutu - it was a serendipitous moment!
And speaking of shimmer, let’s not forget the classic dancewear style - tights with a matching leotard. Think about this! It’s got a definite nod to the 70s - we saw the rise of both the leotard and the tutu at the beginning of that decade - yet the way dancers today combine the styles into one seamless and fabulous look is completely on trend for the 80s. You just have to get a good look in the mirror and channel that ‘I am ready to dance' attitude and your whole body, in your tight and leotard, will be saying "Hey - I am ready to get on stage".
What's interesting about this era’s leotards is their mix and match style. Let’s take a peek! Leotards in beautiful earthy tones are coupled with colourful bright leggings in an abundance of colors that scream out loud and bold fashion statement. And speaking of colour, there are so many exciting color combinations for the modern-day ballet dancer, but I love how dancers have got it all covered when it comes to style with vibrant red and orange alongside those beautiful jewel-toned, cool and classy blues, purples, greens and lilacs, to really let a dancer stand out in a crowd. It's quite remarkable how a combination of two colour groups on the colour wheel look so utterly chic.
It makes you stop and think how in many cases, simple is definitely the most stylish of looks.
And we mustn’t forget those colourful leggings! You name the color, it’s there! Even tie-dye looks stylish with the right look! There is one caveat, my dears – leggings must have a great fit. No, I mean really great fit! This is not a casual look - It’s gotta look like a part of you - just an extension of you. We don’t want that baggy look from too-large, worn-out leggings – let's get back to basics! I feel if we don’t embrace the best, that super snug fitting leotard that makes you feel fabulous and shows off your graceful form, and get all baggy on our leggings, then, let’s be honest, we will all end up just looking like 1970’s footballers in the football stadium - no thank you! We’re dancers – not sportspeople, though they look fabulous in their kit too, especially in the sunshine, and you really know your outfit looks the business if you can dance freely in it without a care.
Right then - back to those leotards!
The leotards of today, 1985, look utterly contemporary, classic, yet timeless all at the same time. Let's have a look at why - The material of the 80’s leotard! Nylon! The first thing you notice when you slip on one of the modern nylon dance leotards is that it fits closely like a glove – no clinging. In fact, the fabric just feels amazing on your skin - almost weightless - it makes dancing a real pleasure - even better if you're lucky enough to wear one in the warm sunshine on the stage! What’s amazing is this close-fitting look has remained fashionable, even today. It is just that feeling of sleekness.
That tight fitting design allows the material to stretch effortlessly when you need it to and is almost magical. I bet it feels as comfy to wear as my very own sparkling pink tutu. (By the way - I do have to go shopping for a brand new tutu – there are quite a few wear and tear issues with my original, but it's going to be tough finding a new one. Oh well - the search continues!)
I remember just how thrilled I was when nylon leotards first appeared in shops, and my dear! How they changed the dance world in such a huge way – nylon made all the difference. Just the freedom! Remember those older fabrics we wore for our lessons? I can hardly bear to think about them - the lack of freedom and all those itchy, scratching textures that just got stuck everywhere. The old leotard fabric was just a dream! All I wanted to do is pull it off at the first possible moment after class. The good old nylon, a true fashion statement and a joy to wear for a dance teacher or dancer, was a must-have! You just feel free to move, let your body sing, without restrictions – a truly inspiring moment for dancers! Just one slight concern – nylon sometimes tends to snag very easily - which is not a good look. Let’s keep a little more attention to care in that area, shall we?
Speaking of style – have a think about what you are going to do with your leotards. Now, in the eighties, dancers like to put on a show with those bright colours of pink and orange. Just imagine all those vivid pinks! And as always, our friends the blues – but maybe those blue, orange combinations can be a little overpowering – think cool, and try some light and dark blue, if you don't want to look too intense! Just imagine – the look will be super stylish and perfect to set the scene at a party.
Don’t worry – no fashion is really that intimidating or extreme – that’s the joy! There is so much variation in today’s dancewear to really put together that chic look – we can pick up the look quite easily at some lovely high street stores – we can definitely pick up that perfect look – be it a ballet pink tutu or the vibrant bright leotards of the eighties – with the right mix and match colours for your bright leggings – we’ve definitely got a win! It’s simply wonderful to see this wonderful variety in all that 80s style, I’m absolutely loving the freedom and freedom of movement!
There’s only one issue for the fashion conscious dancer out there today– I’m just struggling to find that all important combination of “pink tutu” style. Let's face it - pink tutus just never go out of fashion - it's an age old problem! Even today, the tutus we see on stage at the moment in 1985, seem so far away from the bright pink world I live in - tutus just don’t do pink like that - in fact, pink tutus hardly get a mention anywhere in this era. You can see some of the dance performances from the Royal Ballet that have lovely romantic soft pastels, even black ones. It’s a stark difference from my pink world. But it makes sense as, when I think about it – ballet tutus - traditionally, it seems a bit taboo to stray away from the “white only” look. Well, that’s what the fashion is saying - it’s really odd - almost a statement in itself! It's almost as if all the colours have disappeared!
That said – don’t let my feelings be any cause for dismay or let it discourage you – I am a pink tutu warrior – and as such I am absolutely on a mission! My time travel journeys have revealed, that you can go ahead and break free, you can be a pink tutu ballerina and rock that colour and that look – just remember - don’t forget the matching pink tights! I'm aiming to spread this message! In fact, there’s something even better – think about the sheer impact and boldness you can achieve, if you go bright pink - it really will make you stand out in a crowd! Just go ahead and embrace those feelings - wear what you like! In fact, in Derbyshire today we have local girls putting together pink tutu looks all the time - I am starting to see it all the time – pink tutu on show - they are even getting away with going to the shop in their tutus in town - in fact they’ve embraced the tutu culture. But remember, tutus - they aren't only for dancing! We can really change the fashion world!
Speaking of the wider world of fashion in 1985. Oh! the Eighties! We've got that “bright, bold” *fashion, and the fashion conscious ladies have just started “embracing the style" and what a trend it has become! From leg warmers to neon colour shades to those fabulous hairstyles with that big volume look. What I love about the look is that it brings back the fun to dressing! It’s not just about fitting in, it’s all about *standing out. We’re certainly not short on any fun looks on the high streets, we've got an eclectic mix and match – with a fabulous injection of bright colours – I’m absolutely in love with this. You could really have a great time with it and get involved - try a tutu, try a leotard, you never know, you just might like the style – maybe you will be the new 80s dance star - I'll definitely be watching.
Well, this month’s trip through time was such a fun look at 1985, and now it’s time to step back to my Derbyshire, 2023 world – my lovely ballet, dancing tutu life. You can definitely be assured that this month's travels are certainly giving me some exciting thoughts to build on! Until next month my tutu-lovers, do enjoy all that wonderful dance fashion! And remember - pink is the new black!
Happy twirling,
Emma
