Classical Tutu Construction-Magical Combinations

Tutu Design Magic

Looking at this photo and the way this costume was constructed I noticed a combination of design elements that make this ballet costume very unique. Starting at the top of the costume, I see that the bodice on this one has full coverage. The full, puffed sleeves and opaque torso give the top part of this costume a semi-peasant top quality. It also  has a romantic-style.

Coming down to the top of the tutu skirt, you see a beautiful, wide pink satin ribbon around the dancers waist. The ribbon element in this ballet costume is simply beautiful. The tutu skirt is embellished with lovely little rosettes of pink and blue which are also placed in the dancers hair to complete this magical look.

This ballet costume is very unique. I imagine this costume was created for dancing a specific role where the dancer was required to look romantic and spring-like. The ribbon around the dancers neck makes her look even more dramatic.

Ballet costumes that are designed with unique features like this one keep the magic of ballet performance alive.

Classical Tutu Design Ideas-Look To The Stage

Anyone who spends anytime at all on the internet searching for classical tutu design ideas may come away with a head full of unique ideas for classical tutu construction. There are thousands of themes and costume ideas being created in the minds of professional and not-so-professional tutu designers.

Just today, I came across design ideas for tutu’s that include:

• Animal prints and animal inspired ballet costumes (Not Swan Lake, but Frogs and Zebra’s)
• Flower petals and stems hot-glued onto a leotard with strips of tulle
• Bells attached all over the costume
• Wedding dress look-a likes
• Half-tutus attached to cut-off denim skirts

There are so many different ways to construct  dance costumes on the internet! Searching for a classical tutu design is better inspired by viewing a classic and historic ballet performance where the ballerinas are wearing real classical tutu designs.

Most of the tutu design ideas are not classical at all. They are fun to make  and they create a fashion statement for the wearer, but a short denim skirt with tulle sewn to the bottom half is anything but a classical tutu design.

Classical Tutu Design

Un-classical and un-attractive

Bodice Trim Design-Applying The Magical Touches

Applying trims to dance costumes can take a bit of pre-planning if you want the trim to lay flat, follow curves correctly, and confirm to the right shape on either side of the dancer’s body. More importantly, the chosen design has to have visual impact.

If you look closely at the trim design on this classical ballet costume bodice, you will notice that the silver floral trim stops, starts, and curves at certain places along the bodice. Placing the trim this way gives it the illusion of a wild vine of silvery flowers growing along just like they do in nature. How lovely! It is these tiny designer details that can add up to one fabulous ballet costume.

All costume designers are artists first and foremost. It takes an artist to create, re-create, and mimic the looks of nature and inject that special magic onto the costumes that they design. There seems to be quite a lot of magic happening in the design studio of Costume Creations!