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The Classical Tutu is an integral part of nearly every ballet ever choreographed, especially for Principal roles.
It's design and construction is a costuming art-form like no other.
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Our extra-special specialty is the design and creation of beautiful custom tutus for professional and civic ballet companies and for individuals. Our tutus can be seen in performances all across the United States and all around the world. We have designed for classical and modern ballet, for competition, and for regional, national, and international dancers. All tutus are hand-made and one-of-a-kind. The information on this page is intended as a guideline, to help you understand the many options available to you. We know just how confusing it all can be, so please feel free to call or email to discuss your particular project. Even if you are ordering a plain, standard tutu and/or bodice, we may need to talk with you anyway, so please make sure we have plenty of contact information for you. All Custom Item sales are final - no returns, no exceptions.
How to Order details are listed at the bottom of the page.
Basic Undecorated Professional-Quality Classical Tutus Our Basic Classical Tutus are hand-made with the same first-quality materials and care we use for our custom-sized, fully-decorated models - these are NOT 'bando', or pull-on, or leotard-based tutus. Our Basic Tutu is ready for decorating for your particular role or performance, or is equally suited, and perfectly priced, for use as a practice tutu. How to Order details are listed at the bottom of the page. Our basic, undecorated, professional-quality Classical tutus range in price from $250.00 to $600.00, depending on the options you select. You should allow a minimum of 4 weeks for delivery. All Basic Classical Tutus are available in several standard sizes and standard colors, and can be customized to suit your particular needs. A Pricing Chart and Sizing Chart are provided below. Further explanations for many of the terms and options are provided below. Our standard tutu colors are White, Light Pink, or Black. Many additional colors and color combinations are available for an additional cost - please see the Fabrics - Nets & Tulles page for non-standard color options. Our standard tutu skirts are made with 9 layers of first-quality nylon Tutu Net (also called 'Balanchine Net' or 'Crinoline Net'). The skirts can be made with more or fewer layers, or from a softer fabric such as Tulle - please call for pricing. Our standard tutu-panty is made from first-quality medium-weight PowerNet to match the skirt color. Matching-color 'butt' ruffles are standard. The panty can be fully-ruffled (butt, crotch, and front) at your request for additional cost. The panty can also be made from double-layer English Bobbinette or Poly-Net, at your request, for no additional charge. Our Classical tutu skirts include a matching-color 'hoop casing' - we can add the hooping for an additional cost. We can Hand-Tack your tutu for an additional cost. Hooks and Eyes are included separately, along with instructions for placement. Storage loops are attached to the skirt. Our standard bodice is an 8-panel 'Russian' bodice which is attached directly to the tutu skirt at the basque. Standard bodices are made of Bengaline, in White, Light Pink, or Black to match the tutu skirt. All our bodices are fully-lined with imported 100% cotton medium-weight Coutil. Standard bodices are boned at the front and side seams using Rigelene poly-boning. Hooks and Eyes are included separately, along with instructions for placement. There are several additional options not listed below - pricing depends on your particular needs.
Please call to discuss.
We offer a wide-range of custom options, from decorated plates and overlays that allow you to use a single tutu for multiple roles, to matching sleeves, arm-puffs, or ruffles, to matching headpieces and custom hand-wired tiaras. Please feel free to call or email us to discuss your particular needs, or simply cruise around the website - we are constantly adding updates and making changes. If none of the standard sizes listed below will work for you, we can build a skirt and/or bodice to your particular measurements, at additional cost.
Please note: All custom-sized costumes will require specific measurements using our measurement form.
See our Womens Measurement Chart page to print or download the required information.
Fully-Decorated Professional-Quality Classical Tutus Our fully-decorated, performance-ready Classical tutus range in price from $700.00 to $2,000.00 or more. The finished price ultimately depends on the complexity of design and sizing, the elaborateness of beading, jewels, and trims, your fabric and materials choices, and the options desired - bodice style, sleeves, plates and overlays, matching headpieces, etc. We can design to your specifications, your choreographer's expectations, the requirements of your role, or completely free-hand. Please call or email us to discuss your particular needs with our design staff. See the How to Contact Us page for all the ways to get in touch with us. Please note: All custom-sized costumes will require specific measurements using our measurement form. See our Womens Measurement Chart page to print or download the required information. You should allow a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks for delivery.
Further Descriptions of the Terms, Options, Fabric Names, etc. Used Above 'Hooping' is a thin metal rod, enclosed in a casing hidden in the middle layers of the tutu skirt. Hooping helps stiffen a Classical tutu into a flatter, more 'pancake' shape. A hooped tutu can be more difficult for the male dancer to partner. An unhooped tutu has more of a 'droop', appears somewhat 'softer', and tends to 'flounce' more than a hooped tutu. 'Hand-Tacking' is the process of tying all the layers of the tutu skirt together to create the 'pancake' shape. A properly tacked tutu lays 'just flat enough', does not excessively droop or stick-up, does not have a 'duck's tail' in the back, etc. Tacking a Classical tutu is an art - if not done well, the tutu may not 'move' properly, may sag, droop, or lay unevenly, may be 'fluffy' or may be too compressed, or may have any of a number of other problems. Medium-weight PowerNet is often described as 'girdle material'. It is a nylon/Lycra, and dyes very well. PowerNet is somewhat stretchy, but holds it's shape better than most Lycras. It is used 'single-layer' for tutu panties. Our Bobbinette is imported from England - we've tried both English and Swiss, and prefer to use the English. Bobbinette is considered 'traditional' tutu-panty material. Made of 100%-cotton, it 'breathes' very well and is very comfortable and hygenic. Although available in a limited selection of colors, it is easily dyed. Since bobbinette is a rather thin and delicate fabric, we always use a double layer for tutu panties. Poly-Net is similar to bobbinette in weight, but is made from durable polyester. Although available in white only, it is easily dyable to soft shades. When using Poly-Net, we always 'double-layer' it. 'Russian' Bodices are attached directly to the tutu at the basque, so the entire tutu is essentially one piece. 'Classic' Bodices are not directly attached to the tutu, and appear to 'float' on top of the tutu skirt. A 'Classic' bodice typically (though not always) is pointed at the bottom in the front and back so that it slightly 'lays out' over the tutu skirt. Although not necessary, the bodice can be attached to the tutu skirt at the hip. Coutil is a herringbone-weave 100%-cotton fabric designed specifically for use as a lining for bodices and corsets. Our coutil is very soft, and is the most comfortable and durable lining fabric available in the world today. Coutil is also available in 100%-silk, but must be special-ordered. Rigelene Boning is a polyester material that is readily cut-to-fit and can be easily sewn through. It retains it's stiffness and shape very well, and is lighter-weight than steel spiral boning. Steel-Spiral Boning is considered de-riguer for longevity. The spirals allow for movement while giving excellent support to the dancer's body. Steel boning is custom-fit to each seam, and is inserted into a casing that is sewn into the inside of the bodice. It holds it's stiffness and shape essentially forever. A Nude Center-Inset is a piece of flesh-toned fabric set into the front of the bodice to give the appearance of a 'V'-cut neckline. We use 100%-cotton double-layer imported bobbinette for our insets. A Plate enables you to use a single Classical tutu for multiple roles. A matching, blending, or contrasting piece of tutu net, the plate is fully decorated for a particular role or color scheme, and is then tacked to the top layer of the tutu skirt. Plates can be easily changed from role to role, or even between acts of the same ballet. An Overlay performs for the tutu bodice the same function a Plate performs for the skirt.
A matching, blending, contrasting, or 'nude' piece of fabric or net, the overlay is fully decorated for a particular role or color scheme, and is then tacked to the outside of the tutu bodice.
Overlays can be easily changed from role to role, or even between acts of the same ballet.
A Nude Inset can easily be added to an Overlay.
How to Order First, please review all the information and options on this page - we highly suggest you print a copy to work from. You may feel free to call or email us if you have any questions or additional concerns. For a Basic Undecorated Classical Tutu and/or Bodice, in one of our standard sizes and colors, you may place an order:
For all other projects, please contact our design staff to discuss your needs.
See the How to Contact Us page for all the ways to get in touch with us.
Text Links for the Costumes Pages: All images and logos are the copyrighted property of Tutu.Com, Inc., unless otherwise noted Tutu.Com, Get the Pointe Dancewear, Developpé Publishing, & Developpé Designs, are registered trademarks of Tutu.Com, Inc. © ® 1997-2009 All Rights Reserved |
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