I once feebly resisted my children's love for tutus, until I realized that they could be way more than the beginnings of a fairy princess outfit. Tutus are now on trend as outerwear, as in publicly appropriate skirts. So we wanted to help you out with a few ways to wear tutus in a cool, stylish way, on behalf of our awesome new sponsor eden & zoe, whose gorgeous kids clothes we've been drooling over for ages now. Including, yes, their tutus.
Think of the multi-layered, lined Alessandra tutu in black, white, or the gorgeous purple as your anchor, then get ready to have fun with the rest. Maybe even with things you have in your own kids' closets already! -Liz
1. Make It Funky
Layering is the key to funkier looks in general, and tutus are no exception. Skip the tights and instead layer over leggings, jeggings, or even dark-wash blue jeans. Or you can pull a pair of funky striped or patterned knee socks up over tights which also keeps little legs warm. Add a sweatshirt or slouchy sweater or a vest, plus some fingerless gloves or handwarmers if you're channeling vintage Madonna.
2. Dress It Down
A simple t-shirt can be the very coolest look over a tutu, whether it's something glittery and unicorn-y or something more surprising. Try your kid's school t-shirt, a rock 'n' roll tee, or even a tie-dye tee. You can also try a simple button-up oxford, untucked. My kids love belting it, but I like it slouchy. (Stella Blu Unicorn Tee at Psychobaby; Black Alessandra tutu at eden & zoe)
3. Go Rock 'n' Roll
We go crazy for the mix and match of a frilly tutu with a motorcycle jacket and a pair of chunky boots or even vans. Chunky shoes always balance the sweetness of the lace tulle. And psst, while black is always cool, navy can soften the look just a bit. (Zara Faux Leather Jacket; eden & zoe Purple Alessandra Tutu)
4. Think Holiday
Instead of traditional satins or taffeta skirts for the holidays, a nicely designed tutu skirt--as not, not salvaged from the Halloween costume aisle--can be stunning. Wear it with a blazer or a fancy sweater, and a pair of mary janes or simple ballet flats. (Naturino Red Glitter Mary Janes at Zappos shown here.) All she'll need is a little snowflake barrette in her hair.
5. Give into Girlie
Sometimes my kids just want to walk around in tights, legwarmers, and a pretty ballet-style cardigan. (This cashmere one from eden & zoe.) And so they do. And darn it, if they don't get a zillion "awwwwws" from strangers on the street. Still, we leave the fairy wings at home.
Mostly.
Find gorgeous girls' clothes including beautiful tutus and ballet cardigans online from our sponsor eden & zoe. We love their stuff! Plus, they're offering CMP readers 20% off all orders with code CMP20 through 12/1. Whoo!
