Hello my darling tutu-lovers!
Welcome to Pink-Tutu.com, your one-stop shop for all things pink and twirly. I'm Emma, your friendly neighbourhood time-travelling ballerina, and today I'm whisking you back to the fabulous year of 1993. It's a year I've been itching to visit, not just because the iconic Clueless soundtrack came out (those Cher Horowitz outfits! 😍) but because March 3rd was a date brimming with leotard history and oh-so-much fashion inspiration!
The Sparkly Secret:
For those who don't know (shh... it's a secret), I can time travel through a little bit of magic - a sparkling pink leotard, the most dazzling, twirly, magical thing in existence. This magical number is how I flit through history, taking in all the glorious fashion trends, and hopefully, bringing a touch of pink to every era!
This month, I took my shimmering leotard (a bit like a sparkly candyfloss cloud!) and landed in the middle of a dazzlingly retro scene! It was 1993, and the leotard fashion scene was buzzing.
On This Day In Leotard History:
It seems like just yesterday, but back then, 1993, leotard fashion had a bold new attitude.
Think big, neon colours - lime greens, shocking pinks (you heard that right!) and a hint of that daring "boyish" trend (it’s ok to borrow some ideas from the boys, but keep that fabulous tutu tucked into your ballet bag!).
What’s In Style?
But the real news back then was stretch. Those sleek, single-colour lycra numbers were in, with high cut legs, and sometimes a little, but impactful, flash of skin. Remember - the goal was a powerful and strong, dancerly silhouette! I think it’s wonderful that the leotard's potential for strong shapes was being rediscovered.
The fashion in 1993 leant towards sleek, simple lines – think less is more but executed in a bold way, making the most of the colours and the way lycra moved and stretched with the body. The colour block trend was going wild and if it was anything but bold, then you simply didn't see it on the catwalk.
My Fashion Inspiration - Ballet's Finest Hour!
When I went to my favourite London Theatre - it was a blast from the past! Ballet was all about bold statements! The ballerinas, all dazzling in their pink leotards (with not one, but two big tutus), took to the stage! Remember, you can never have enough tulle - ever. I mean, there were these vibrant choreographies featuring all these vibrant leotards, full of stretch, colour, movement! Imagine pink, sunshine yellow, and azure blue (I nearly took off on my tutu just watching the energy). It was fabulous!
And, just to keep me inspired - there were all the great modern ballets by the great choreographers, (think William Forsythe, or Jerome Robbins!) And remember, they all favoured streamlined, sleek lines! I don’t need to tell you this – if you know leotards and ballet, you’re already doing the thinking - those modern ballets showed us just how impactful leotards could be - when styled with attitude, bold movements and confident lines. It was like a powerful ballet performance for your whole body!
Leotard History Lessons?
I learned from my trip back in time that leotard history is about more than just style - it’s also about expressing yourself with fashion and dancing, about breaking boundaries with every graceful leap and spin, and about making fashion work for you, on and off the stage!
So my tutu-lovers, are you ready to take your pink tutu and explore the wonderful world of fashion, ballet and beyond, like I do? I’ll be right here every month on www.pink-tutu.com to share my fabulous journey.
Remember - everyone can find a pink tutu they love, just as every journey should be accompanied by a bit of sparkle and a little bit of pink!
Keep on dancing,
Emma 💕🩰
PS This was my blog post # 1611, there is a brand new pink leotard in the fashion section of my blog (link at www.pink-tutu.com - it's bright pink, a little stretch of glittery fabric and it has beautiful black trim and ribbon for tying, the details are fabulous). This new one will be perfect with this month's "retro" inspired tutu tutorial! (Also at www.pink-tutu.com) It’s gonna be our fabulous fashion trend for March, and you are going to love it - it is just what the fashion world needs - pink sparkle! (But let’s keep it a little secret, between you, me, and the world of tutus!).
PSS I funded my trip back to the amazing 1993 through some fundraising street shows. You're always welcome to join me - I can give you ballet lessons for beginners, right on your local high street (we might even be able to wear our pink tutus!)
And my newest street dance act? A vibrant routine to the iconic Clueless soundtrack (I think the crowd loves that!) It really has made it a wonderful trip - all my leotards look stunning under the pink and purple lights. If you can’t see the street show, the recording will be on the website!
