Ballet Costume History

List of good fabrics for Ballet Costumes:-

• Muslin
• Nylon
• Organdy or organza
• Tarlatan
• Tulle
• Voile
• Buckram
• Silks
• Satins
• Lace

The Romantic Tutu

• Long flowing bell skirt, made of five or six layers and usually reaching somewhere around mid-calf.  
• Made of tulle. The hemline falls between the knee and the ankle. 
• The romantic tutu is free flowing to emphasise lightness. 
• It is said to have been invented, or at least popularized, by Marie Taglioni, first in 1832 in La Sylphide. 
• There are two types of romantic tutus-one that starts at the waist and one with a dropped waist and basque called a romantic tutu with basque.

The Bell Tutu

• This style is well known as it was represented in many Degas painting.
• It is short, stiff, and made of many layers of netting which are not supported by a hoop (contrary to the pancake tutu) and therefore falls a little in a bell shape. 
• It is made with layers of netting and has a fitted bodice; it extends outwards from the hips. 
• Popular in the 19th Century in Paris, France.

The Pancake Tutu

• The classical tutu that comes out straight from the hips, is short, has many layers of tulle and net and is supported by a hoop.
• Because of this support, the whole thing tends to bounce sometime after the dancer has finished a movement. 
• The hoop caused problems with the partners being hit in the face with the metal.
• Came from the Russian ballet first.

The Platter Tutu

• Similar to the Pancake Tutu, the Platter Tutu sticks out straight from the dancer’s waist, but this style has a flat top. A tutu with a flat top that sticks straight out from the ballerina's waistline.

The Powder Puff Tutu

• Also known as the Balanchine/Karinska Tutu. 
• It was developed by Barbara Karinska, a Russian born embroiderer turned Ballet costume designer. Balanchine loved great assembly of dancers in his ballet, but the traditional "pancake" tutu with its stiff wired layer would bob and dip when the dancers' skirts brushed up against one another and this bobbing and dipping would reverberate long after the steps were complete. Karinska devised the "powder puff" tutu, with a shorter skirt made of six or seven layers of gathered net, each layer a half inch longer than the preceding layer as a solution to this problem. 
• The layers were tacked together for a fluffier, looser appearance (as opposed to the stiff "pancake" tutu). Because the shorter layers are self-supporting, no wire hoop is needed. 
• This style was designed originally for the ballet version of Georges Bizet's Symphony in C.

Parts of a Tutu:-

The Bodice

Shaped like a corset with shoulder straps, the tutu bodice must move and fit the dancer like a glove. It must feel like a second skin! Wrinkling or pulling fabric is unacceptable. It is strongly suggested that side pieces be cut on the fabric’s bias to take advantage of its stretchy nature.

The Basque
This is the part that covers the dancer from the waist all the way to the crotch. It is shaped like a pair of panties if you like. It is a separate piece from the bodice, but it should match it and be made of the same fabric (cut on bias) if possible.

The Frills

What we always think of when we mention the word “tutu” is the frills. A tutu is made of on average 12 layers of frills, but it can go up to 16 layers for extra fullness. If a hoop is used, it will be placed in a casing on the 8th layer. As for length, it depends on the height of the dancer. Tututoday.com gives this rule of thumb for tutu’s length:

• A dancer 5'8" or taller then can wear a 15 or 16" tutu.
• A dancer 5'5" to 5'7" the she should be in a 13" to 14" tutu.
• A dancer 5'3" to 5'4' then is best in a 12" to 13" tutu.
• A dancer the 4'10 to 5'2" tall (tiny) works best in an 11" to 12" tutu.

Layers should be attached 15 mm from each other and be perfectly aligned on the basque, otherwise it will look wonky. You can trace your lines on the basque with a ruler and an L-square to make sure everything gets sewn on straight.

Amazing break down of Ballet History:- 
http://www.tutuetoile.com/ballet-costume-history/

Amazing detailed account of the different types of Tutus:-
http://tututoday.com/construction-overview-duplicate/