Anna Pavlova's Fashion Style

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Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova on her World Ballet Tour with her company here posing in Alexandria, Egypt 1923- From Anna Pavlova Her Life And Art By Keith Money



The fashion world and press regarded Anna Pavlova as having excellent fashion sense. She was ahead of her time in how she fashioned her outfits. Fashion designers even said she always looked timeless. She never wore many accessories and instead focused on simplicity. Her clothes were still modern and relaxed but were timeless. 


Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova Fashion 1908-1914 from Anna Pavlova Her Life Her Art By Keith Money



Pavlova was a fan of hats and had many she had collected. The Secessionist painter Shuster-Woldan painted a portrait of Anna Pavlova wearing one of her hats that had a large taffeta bow.


Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova wearing her hat with the taffeta bow from Anna Pavlova Her Life Her Art By Keith Money





Anna Pavlova also wore clothing from the luxury London Department Store Liberty, which you can still shop at today. You would find other clothing in Pavlova's wardrobe would be Fortuny, an exclusive designer label. Pavlova would only wear designer clothing if they stayed in the style she wanted, simplicity and elegance. Designers said Pavlova could take a plain dress and make it look custom-made for her.


Anna Pavlova in the garden of her home The  Ivy House 1912 From Pavlova Portrait Of A Dancer Presented by Margot Fonteyn



An interesting story happened when she was going to America. They gave her a dress code for the length of her skirts for ballet. Pavlova talks about the experience in an interview. A quote from this interview is featured below.

Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova Fashion 1920-1927 from Anna Pavlova Her Life Her Art By Keith Money


"One of my strangest experiences in the States was having my performance banned unless I chose to wear longer ballet skirts... Particularly in America, was this a surprise to me when I considered some of the plays and films that are made and shown there. The evil was in the mind of my critics, I think rather than in the beautiful art which it has always been my endeavor to give to the world."- Quote from Anna Pavlova in an interview.




Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova arriving in South America in 1928 from Anna Pavlova Her Life Her Art By Keith Money



In Pavlova's later years, her style was still elegant but relaxed. Still, the fashion designers loved her fashion style and saw her as a forward thinker in fashion and always months ahead of everyone. One thing about fashion Pavlova was disappointed at in her later years is that the Edwardian hats that she loved and owned were not as popular as they were in her younger years. Instead, cloche hats were popular, and you begin to see Pavlova adapting to this style, which again these hats looked made for her. Also, Pavlova would take the clothes she already owned and update them to the European trends she saw without having to go out and buy new clothes. Some saw this as being frugal, but I'm afraid I have to disagree. I think it was genius; she took something old and had the tailor lift the hem on the dresses or change the garment's silhouette to update it. Updating the clothes gave her old clothing life instead of just throwing away the clothes and buying new clothes. I'm starting to see people apply this method to clothes today; instead of throwing them away or donating, they change the clothes they once loved and update them so people who own the clothes can still be wearing them. Pavlova was significantly ahead of her time.


Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova in her garden at her home The Ivy House from Anna Pavlova Her Life Her Art By Keith Money



"Pavlova... was dressed with the veriest simplicity and she talked with the lightsomeness of a school girl. A jaunty tan hat of felt without ornament: a plain little dress with a rather short skirt; a chain of red beads around her neck; a red sash at her waist; any school girl would have worn the same. That is the secret of Pavlova. She is genuine, and her art is genuine."- Quote from Los Angeles Examiner Reporter


Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova Fashion 1908-1914 from Anna Pavlova Her Life Her Art By Keith Money


Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova with her Boston Terrier Poppy  from Anna Pavlova Her Life Her Art By Keith Money



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