September 2002 - Tutu-ing the Time
Dearest darlings! It is a time of enchantment in the world of ballet as the new season takes the stage and our summer tan is left, sadly, behind. With the first whisper of the crisp air we welcome a new wave of couture and elegance in the studios. September’s tutu designs call to us from across the years, the elegant lines of a time before fashion was thrown to the wind. A time of refined silhouettes and careful attention to detail. The September leotard - oh my - the palette sings of quietude and poise, of knowing that you are a princess -even when dancing en pointe. But for a time like this, darling - only the finest tutus and leotards will do!
Oh, and did I say September is the month to experiment with colour!?
Essentials for creating September's best ballet look:The tutu has to be elegant, yes - but there’s a playful lively side to this design, too! The leotard, my loves, needs a dash of confidence - you must know who you are, what you can achieve!
* **Tulle - 4-5 yards. Light pink - almost white and then - be adventurous! - the colour of a rose at dusk (or dusk in the most romantic painting you can find at the V&A!)** Shop: The Dressmaker's Warehouse **http://www.thedressmakerswarehouse.com** * **Stretch Net - 1 yard - a soft, deep teal ** Shop: Fabrics.com **http://www.fabrics.com/** * **Sequins - a light sprinkling** Shop: Your favourite haberdashery. Ask your local milliner. You may want to use different shapes of sequins or to just embroider them at random with beads in a metallic hue * **Embroidered Ribbons - for waist or neck, pale gold or ivory** Shop: eBay UK - plenty of variety there - don’t hesitate to find the ribbon of your dreams and go for it darling. * **A basic, black leotard in stretch satin (can add details - we will!) ** Shop: Dancewear, The Dance Shop UK. There are online and real shops - both offer excellent quality! * **Fine net ribbon** - Shop: Your local dressmaker - you are after the kind used in dressmaking for finer work - it gives a really luxurious and elegant look and can also add structure.So let us begin, darling, and take a peek into a world of elegance, simplicity, and quiet luxury - for that’s exactly how you should be approaching your tutu for this new season.
Take your light-pink tulle (or, darling - don’t be afraid of a very pale shade of lilac!) and fold in half. We’re making the skirt portion of your tutu, so if you have long legs then fold again so you’ll have an ample amount to move! With the fold running along the top, carefully - you are, after all, crafting the ultimate in chic! - pleat or gather, the choice is yours, darling - gather if you wish to move gracefully and have an airy, more bohemian look, pleat for sharp lines and an elegant approach to movement. Once you are happy, it's time for stitching it into your chosen length of a belt - I’ve chosen pale gold, almost ivory ribbon. I feel it creates such a lovely shape.
So the base layer is made! Let's layer this beauty and we are almost done, darlings.
Let’s take that teal stretch net, fold it in half again - a rectangle with one long edge folded, and attach the net to the bottom of your tulle with your most careful stitch (your trusty sewing machine will serve you best! My handwork has got quite terrible with age! However, hand-sewing the details and attachments will always look finest) Now we'll gently - my darlings, please take your time - with a delicate stitch in the middle pull and stitch that folded seam - all along your net - and then make some light pleating on the inside, to create just the right amount of subtle fullness - a tutu with a hint of whimsy and grace. Don’t overdo it!
Now, we have just the very lightest embellishments - but, darling, how will we complete this masterpiece? Let us adorn it in just the right way, and in an exquisite and delicate manner. Take that stretch satin, cut to make two small sashes. Sew on a small selection of your sequin embroidery and the two will fall softly, one for each side. This gives a perfect little touch - it is that hint of glamour you get in all the right places. And then, just a smattering of those sequins all over, not a single pattern - we’ll keep that natural - they should look as if a dewdrop has kissed them - in fact darling - why don’t you go outside and spray the finished tutu, and then the net ribbon we’re going to make, lightly with your favourite eau de parfum. I am using Nina Ricci’s L’air du Temps - so beautiful!
Right! Onto that black leotard and a small sliver of the same ivory ribbon and you've got a masterpiece!
It’s September 2002. This is our time - to sparkle, shine, to be as free as possible and dance. Oh, the luxury of being a ballet dancer - such divine simplicity!