Until the "National Academy of Music and Dance" was established by King Ludwig XIV in 1661, the costumes in a ballet were based on ordinary clothing. Dancers wore brocade overcoats, knee-breeches and silk stockings - even the epee was part of the production.

As dance became more professional and techniques more complex, the first requests for a new type of ballet outfit were made. It was not until after the French Revolution in 1789, though, that fundamental changes took place, especially the development of a new type of legwear.

Supposedly at this time, the Paris Opera costume designer Maillot created the first pair of ballet tights. This new fashion brought about great changes in ballet - dancers were much more free in their movements and the dance technique developed well beyond its previously limited boundaries.

(Even today the word "Maillots" is used for dance costumes and sometime for tights in Belgium and France.)