How to Choose and Care for Professional Ballet Tutus

Choosing a ballet tutu can be exciting because often, when you buy a tutu it means you've reached a landmark in your ballet career.

It may be as simple as your first school performance, or as special as your first dance competition or ballet school tryout. Or perhaps you've just reached the stage in your ballet training where you're ready to wear a tutu in class. Whatever the reason, congratulations!

It's likely your first tutu will be for use in practice. The practice tutu has no bodice - it looks rather like ruffles stitched on to a panty.

In fact, the cheaper versions are just that: a pair of stretchy pull-on "granny pants" with a frill attached. Don't waste your time with these - they don't give a smooth line, and the ruffles are floppy.

Some very cheap practice tutus are stitched on to a stiff hip band, with no panty attached. That may look fine while you're standing still, but it means the frill lifts and bounces around when you're dancing. Not only is that unattractive, it's very distracting to find your tutu up around your armpits after a jump! If you've already bought a tutu like this, you can make it more wearable by pinning it to your leotard every time you wear it.

In a proper rehearsal tutu (like the red one in the picture above right), the panty is made up of two sections. The top section - the part that's visible above the tutu frill - is called the basque. It's firm and fitted, which gives the frill support so you get a better shape to the tutu.

This kind of professional practice tutu is unquestionably your best choice. Not only does it look better, it feels and behaves like a performance tutu - which means you really get the feel for dancing in costume.

In fact, you can use a good practice tutu for performance, just by adding a separate bodice or (for student recitals) a toning leotard.

Don't think a bodice/tutu combination is somehow "make-do" - some of the best tutu makers sell all their tutu skirts and bodices as separates, because they feel this offers dancers the maximum flexibility to customise their costume.

Most practice tutus are black, for practical reasons, because they're bound to get dirty in the studio.

If you're in the market for a serious tutu - perhaps you've made a competition final, or have a big audition - be prepared to spend serious money. A good custom-made tutu will cost you about $500 and take several weeks to make.

If you can sew, you can save money by

• buying a standard "off the peg" tutu and altering it to fit and/or
• buying a plain tutu and sewing on your own beading

A good tip is to sew your decoration on a separate overskirt and bodice trim - or (cheat!) make overskirts and trims from material that's already beaded. That way, you can create several different looks with the same tutu. A bonus is that you can also clean them separately, so there's no risk of transferring color from beading and lace to the fabric of the tutu during cleaning.

If you can't sew, most tutu makers will make removable skirts and trims for you, though it will probably cost extra.

Boring though it may be, a plain white tutu is the best choice for your first professional tutu, because it will work for any of the classics and can also be used for other roles by adding trims.

The best way to carry a tutu is in a proper tutu bag. Otherwise, it's easy to crush your tutu when carrying it.

If you absolutely cannot transport your tutu flat, always fold it upside-down. Pick the tutu up by the crotch so it hangs upside down, and slide it into the bag in that position. You'll find you can compress it in this position for a short period, without spoiling the lift of the ruffles.

Warning - if you pack a tutu "right way up", with the frill hanging down from the basque, the frill will flatten and you'll ruin your tutu.

Tutus are also best stored hanging upside-down, ideally on a proper tutu hanger. Otherwise, you can use an ordinary hanger - but be very careful, because you can stretch or tear the panty! Peg them by the sides, not the crotch, to avoid stretching. If the tutu has a bodice, it won't get much air circulation in this position so make sure it's cleaned, or at least well aired, before storing.

Hanging tutus takes a lot of space, because you have to keep other clothes well separated so they don't squash the tulle. For most students, the most practical alternative is to store them in a cotton bag under the bed. Stack the tutus upside-down on top of each other, with a piece of cloth between each to stop the embellishments of one catching on the tulle of the next one.

If you have to pack tutus away, put a dessicant in with them. You don't have to buy dessicant - just save up all those little packets you get when you buy vitamins.

You can clean a plain tutu by washing it in lukewarm water with a small quantity of mild detergent. To avoid crushing, wash it in the bath!

If your tutu is beaded, or if it has a metal hoop, cleaning is more of a headache. The hoop will rust, so it has to be removed before washing. If beads are glued not sewn, they may come off in the wash. Both beads and sequins can bleed color on to the fabric.

Unfortunately, dry cleaning isn't a solution, as chemicals can ruin the frill.

This is another good reason for designing your tutu so the embellishments can be removed before washing!

You can reduce the need for washing by wearing a nude camisole leotard underneath. That creates a barrier and reduces the amount of sweat and body oils that contact the tutu.

Some dancers simply don't wash their tutus. Instead, they spot-clean the areas most affected by sweat, and keep the rest fresh with odor-removing sprays such as Febreze. If you're going to use Febreze, leave the tutu to air after treatment, and make sure it's completely dry before packing it away.

Not washing your tutu will certainly shorten its life because sweat, body oils and make-up will eventually rot the fabric - but in some cases, that's preferable to the risk of losing the whole tutu if it doesn't survive washing!

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All text copyright Marisa Wright.

Pas de deux by Dalbera, white tutu photo by Novomig, all others by Treivilo