Hello darling dears! Emma here, your glamorous, time-traveling tutu queen, and welcome back to Pink Tutu Time Travels, your monthly dose of drag history! Grab a glass of pink lemonade, settle in, and prepare to be whisked away to the shimmering, sparkly world of 1931!
This is blog post number 139 for you lovely lot, and it feels utterly fabulous to be sharing the joy of pink tutus with you once again. For those of you who are new to Pink-Tutu.com, let me just introduce myself – I’m a proud Derbyshire drag queen with a serious penchant for pink, a love for tutus that knows no bounds, and a very curious case of time travel, all facilitated by my magical, shimmery pink tutu. It’s not as simple as simply wishing to be elsewhere, I must confess. It takes hours of perfecting the “tutu shuffle” which is a carefully practiced dance I do that combines tap dancing, ballerina moves and a dash of flamboyant hip hop, all done in my magical pink tutu! The combination is pretty much an alchemy formula for the perfect pink time portal.
Right, without further ado, I’ve popped on my glitteriest wig, spun a triple pirouette, and zapped myself right to 7th July, 1931! And honestly, you wouldn’t believe the fashion, darlings!
Now, before I tell you about what is hot in the drag world right now (1931 that is!) I do just want to add, that I always fund my time-traveling adventures with some fabulous, pink, drag performances. I have to fund these incredible trips somehow and it’s a great excuse to showcase a new collection of showstopping tutus - for the fans! You see, it’s not just about me, darling, I want all you gorgeous creatures wearing pink tutus, all over the world! So, let me know if you fancy seeing a show – you’ll catch me at some fantastic drag venues, including The Roxy in Brighton (always a must!), and The Edinburgh Fringe, where I do like to give the Scottish audience something a little different (last time I did a show about Shakespeare wearing a bright pink tutu and it got a right good reception!). And I know the audience loves it. They've all just bought pink tutus because the "Emma effect" - that's the name my drag mama, the fabulously outrageous Vivienne Volupt, calls the desire for more, more, more tutus!
I think, for the rest of this post, I shall keep to 1931… So! What was the drag scene looking like in the early 1930s, I hear you asking?! Well, first and foremost, it’s important to acknowledge that while drag has always been around, the 1930s were a time when its cultural and legal landscape were in flux, darling. The "modern age" was in full swing. Things like radio were hugely influential. You know that the first commercially broadcast colour television signal, a moving colour image, only went live in 1938, which just feels so ancient now. Back then it would have been totally state of the art! We see the emergence of new entertainment mediums like film, theatre, vaudeville and drag are very much intertwined. You had cabaret singers like Marlene Dietrich who blended a gender-bending theatrical look that became hugely influential, and of course, you can’t forget Josephine Baker! Oh, Josephine Baker is everything that I dream of – such talent, such elegance, and of course such incredible style! She was making a huge statement on the stage in France with a performance of dancing with nothing more than a bunch of feathers! I've been collecting feathers for years - you’d think a flamingo had vomited in my wardrobe… It just reminds me of her… I adore Josephine Baker - such a woman of incredible talent and daring. She helped shape how I dress, you know. I have feathers sewn to many of my tutus – sometimes just a hint, other times just full on, feathers on feathers… like she wore them on stage.
But while we're acknowledging Josephine Baker's influence – her impact is quite astounding in my opinion - there are so many other women performing on stage in more traditionally ‘feminine' looks, and we have to talk about these iconic figures in a more historical context. Back in 1931, the cabaret scene is still quite racy - we’re talking smokey nightclubs, jazz music and dancing until dawn, you know the vibe? I love smoky, sexy cabarets. The Roxy in Brighton is my fave – it's so stylish, and so, very very 'downtown'! In those cabarets you would see, singers and performers, dancing, singing and playing to their hearts' content. Of course, these venues are also very much about pushing the boundaries – remember the time Marlene Dietrich went onstage wearing an outfit that only very vaguely resembled an evening gown, it created a bit of a scandal. Oh my goodness! Back then, you really had to work hard for attention. The audience were demanding. We’ve certainly come a long way and it’s fabulous, of course, but I kind of miss those smoky, jazzy days, a bit, you know, before everyone knew what 'drag' actually was! Now everybody seems to want to go all out! I do appreciate the variety! In the late 30's - even before the first 'official' drag ball, drag queens had created a movement.
This year in 1931 - there's been some very exciting theatre events taking place - I absolutely can’t resist checking those out – of course I went for a few spins on the dancefloor in one of the hottest shows at The Palladium – I always feel a connection with it’s iconic heritage - it’s one of those venues, that takes me to a magical realm of drag history - I can see drag acts performing at The Palladium - oh I have seen drag acts at the palladium, in another time, which was a beautiful treat - like going back in time.
But of course, I couldn’t resist heading to a Drag Ball – oh my word it’s such a gorgeous and important celebration, it’s where we can get together, in a safe and supportive environment, and really show the world, our drag beauty! I do love that community vibe – the dressing up, the fun, the music – oh how much it celebrates all things drag! Now, it is something we're all very lucky to experience - drag ball history and history. It’s really amazing to think of how long it’s been happening - in some form or another – if you’re looking at history, it is centuries of expression. But when I visit 1931 I see something else, that gives me goosebumps. I really sense the anticipation – a huge sense of, “it’s about to change… This is about to be bigger - something big is going to happen" – I was certainly excited by that vibe – it reminded me of the sense of hope and excitement you feel before any new wave of something fabulous breaks…
As much as I love travelling around to different drag venues, my favorite part of travelling to this time in history is seeing all the fab new fashion – like oh my god, 1931 is the year, it is the era that invented fashion – at least from my point of view. So much of the incredible 1950s - or the roaring 20's - were really inspired by the creativity of 1931… Now, for those who aren’t familiar, 1931 saw the peak of a certain “art deco style,” where fashion was really embracing a streamlined aesthetic – long flowing dresses, glamorous headbands – and of course, geometric prints and dazzling colours! And the costumes were EVERYTHING, they had so much detail. You see, I love fashion - I collect a few outfits from different time periods that I really love.
I try not to overdo it - or do you think I do overdo it? Anyway… what I’m trying to say is that the style I really gravitate towards in 1931 - is kind of hard-edged – there’s an elegance to it - a bit more strict – think more of those ‘starlet’ dresses that are beautifully detailed with sequins – a definite high fashion feel that is really beautiful, but not as “soft and romantic’ as 1950's New Look styles - even 1920's flapper era looked quite loose in comparison! But 1931, darlings, they are so sharp, the cuts of dresses - the length - all about those geometric lines - and really luxurious. My personal drag aesthetic draws on this - even today, the influence of the early 20th Century is something I'm always referencing – I know you love a dramatic ball gown. I must say - we are a team for life… My absolute fav is a full length sequined dress, that fits perfectly on my frame, and ends just as the skirt really begins to flare – like you can still see that original 1930's cut and shape of the dress, with a soft and flowing pleated skirt – a few sequins to accentuate that – and maybe, a tiny bit of lace. My time travels definitely inspire me - there’s always something I take from my trips back to the early 20th Century…
Oh my goodness! I hope you've enjoyed our 7th of July 1931 escapade! So, what are your plans for next month? Maybe a jaunt through time, perhaps you'd fancy trying some drag - oh - let me know if you are thinking of trying the 'tutu shuffle' - I will make some fabulous how-to tutorials for next month’s blog. Do pop over to Pink-Tutu.com – we will have lots more fabulous content coming up soon – from Drag ball outfits - Drag ball history - drag shows, history, everything in the world of drag... until then, you just know I'll be busy getting my glam on and travelling to the next pinktastic historical moment! Bye! x
