About Us

 Mara Joy Luker, owner

As a little girl, I loved dancing, fairy tales, dress-ups and dolls. With three girls in the family, my sisters and I spent countless hours playing house, sewing doll clothes, and putting on plays and dances together. My mother sewed beautiful princess dresses, dance skirts and dress-up costumes for us, and my father built us a playhouse outside under the tree, where we lovingly tended our dolls each summer. We attended the "Nutcracker Ballet" several times at Christmas as a family, and like many girls, I longed to become a ballerina when I grew up!

After years of ballet, violin and piano lessons, I actually became not a dancer but a musician, performing in a chamber choir and teaching piano lessons in my home. A few years ago I became a piano accompanist for creative dance classes at a local dance studio. Seeing the little girls dance and skip around the studio gave me a burst of inspiration, and before long I was designing tutus and dance skirts at home. What began with a handmade pink tutu for my 2-year-old has grown into an entire line of dress-up costumes for girls. Now, as a busy, work-at-home mother of four, I enjoy the challenge of balancing my growing business, raising my family, and designing new treasures to add to my unique and fanciful product line!

My own little girls continue to be my main source of inspiration as I design new styles of ballerina tutus, fairy costumes and dress-up items to add to my exclusive line of children's dress-up costumes. My daughters love to dress up in tutus, leotards and ballerina slippers several times a week, and chances are that other little girls around the world are the same.  Dress-up play is such a wonderful way for little girls to explore the world around them and to develop their creativity and imagination. My hope is to give every girl a chance to be a princess, a fairy, a ballerina, or anything her heart desires through the magical world of dress-up play!

With each order from The TUTU Shoppe, you are purchasing a unique, one-of-a-kind creation that is individually custom handcrafted in USA for your little sweetheart.  I personally cut and sew each tutu to order right here in my home, while also taking care of my four young children, including a baby.  The beautiful hair accessories are also custom handmade to order by Jenny Green of McQueen Bows, who also has a new baby at home.  As our customer, you are enabling two work-at-home moms to stay home with our little ones, while supporting our families at the same time.  Though wildly successful, and already in our 6th year of online sales, this is still a home-based "family" business with a deep commitment to excellent product quality and customer service with a personal touch! 

Custom handmade tutus, fairy wings, satin ballerina slippers and everything else you find here are just the beginning.  I have custom designed and created exquisite dance recital costumes for children's dance studios, colorful fairy costumes for flower girls in weddings, special birthday party tutus for birthday girls, unique Halloween costumes, holiday portrait tutus and countless fairytale dress-up costumes for little girls.  My own personal goal is to bring a smile to the face of every little girl who wears a tutu, fairy wings or other dress-up item from The TUTU Shoppe.  I hope that my unique creations, each individually and lovingly handmade in USA with care and attention to detail, will bring hours of pleasure and enjoyment to the special little girls in your life. Thank you for your support of a family business, and please enjoy your shopping experience!

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