Darling! Fancy a trip with me back to 1972? Pop your teacup on, darling, as this post is gonna be a hoot! Weâre gonna be taking a delightful little jaunt back to December 12th, 1972, because, let me tell you, itâs going to be an absolute extravaganza. The glitter's shimmering, the feather boas are swaying, and Iâm so excited, my eyelashes are fluttering like little pink butterflies!
So grab your pink tutus (they really were a must-have back then, honey, a real fashion statement!) and get ready for some fabulous history with your girl Emma.
This month, my time-travelling pink tutu whisked me away to 1972. Goodness me, what a time it was. Now, donât you judge a decade based on those ahem questionable fashion choices. While the fashion choices weren't always our cup of tea, we had a lot of fun this time in a fabulous pink tutu in New York City.
Remember how we all get caught up in trends and the hottest thing? That was happening in the 70s. I was all, âI have to be where itâs happening,â and with a little swoosh of my magic tutu, it was New York here I come! Now youâre all asking âwhere was it happening Emma?â, and I say, well darling, itâs where our drag sister Holly Woodlawn was on the cover of "New York" magazine!
Holly, the iconic New York queen known for her striking look, became the cover girl. Her photo captured a glamorous moment for trans women in the early seventies. Now darling, imagine that happening for a transwoman. Just as our drag brothers and sisters, Holly became a shining beacon, reminding us all, that yes, darling, âitâs a womanâs worldâ if you know what I mean!
My New York adventure, though, was just a teensy weeny taste of the fun I had this month. With my tutu whisking me away to places all over the globe, let's talk about Paris, darling. You all know how much I adore French fashion and that was a time when you really could be yourself.
On the Parisian drag scene, we have to thank Divine. Now sheâs legendary. She was truly one of a kind, not to mention iconic, for her unique style, and ahem, "voluminous figure", she paved the way for us all with a flamboyant look that you simply could not ignore! Her bold beauty and confidence were so captivating that, for her performance at âLâOlympia" on December 9th, she even had the audience standing. You think getting folks to stand these days in 2023, darling, it ain't easy! Can we say that âthe more things change, the more they stay the same?" Oh dear! This is what we call "living legend"!
Of course, Paris, being the fabulous city it is, also gave us another fantastic drag queen! You know this story, honey. She started in a drag revue in Paris - no other than our beloved Divine! She even landed a gig in "Pink Flamingos", what a glorious film to get to be in and she even did it in that iconic dress. Can we say, iconic outfit! Not only that but Divine did so much work for drag and drag history and then some, I have to mention that as my darling time traveling tutu brought us into this moment, the 70s were truly her era, sheâs a legendary inspiration and role model for many and her presence still radiates from this decade. She showed us all the power of unapologetically owning our true selves! And, of course, we still learn from that now and forever, no matter how far forward we go into the future. Darling, never, ever lose that power!
Next, letâs hop over to the U.S., which seemed to be having a party at almost every nightclub. And for this particular time travel journey to December 12th, darling, let's say this was just a party night in San Francisco!
But remember how drag is the family that makes us who we are? At the heart of everything, youâll find âMother" and Mother of us all, Mother (Jackie) Beat (she took âMotherâ to a whole new level in drag) - what a gift she was to us, you know. We are always eternally indebted. A visionary, and an advocate, in San Francisco (1972). Darling, you gotta hear this, and Iâll never let you forget it. "A gay-gay affair" - yes! she ran âThe Cockettes" (a Drag Theatre group that became iconic!) The name itself, The Cockettes is pretty fabulous, wouldnât you say? This whole idea, it really revolutionized the San Francisco Drag scene with her.
Think about that. 1972, these girls took a huge leap in what we were allowed to be and think as queer performers and they are legendary. These performers put a really great spotlight on gay and trans activism in the movement. Mother, as an icon of her own time, used her platform and performances to express political messages! Can you say a big thank you?
I want to tell you, this one thing! The âCockettesâ in particular, broke a lot of ground and it definitely shows up all over drag even now. You know, with a little bit of the âThe Cockettesâ we get a mix of "theater" and "drag". It just went beyond performance. The idea was really to show people that you could create magic in the street just as much as you can in a theater! Now, what do we call that in drag, Darling? Well thatâs called, Street Drag. Street drag really took off later. And of course itâs really what we see as one of the biggest trends in drag now, too.
Of course, my darling, letâs talk a little about my personal fashion experience.
So hereâs where we get to the fashion! Fashion is so important in our lives, especially with all of that glitz and glam that we live for, darling! That is the big takeaway, right?! I have to say, 1972 fashion? Hmm. Well, it was about taking it up a notch! Think big hair, bolder colors, a bit more glitter - maybe too much, but they were just taking the most glam and getting it into full-blown fashion! My trip to Londonâs "Club 84" which was totally rocking the London nightlife and they were rocking an amazing look at this disco! Disco was totally taking the stage (you know how much I love that, donât you?). So many shiny, brightly colored sequins on those disco gowns. It all had to be on full display for the disco dancers, didnât it?
Remember to think big and go glam when you're dressing up in a pink tutu. If I could have worn the "The Cockettes" flower child makeup or even that fabulous hair style for Divine that she created, and you had a glittery pink tutu over that ...well! I mean, it really makes all the difference, doesn't it?
Just a quick tip for the future. Darling, you know how I get all, "Get that pink tutu, wear it all day and live your best life!" Oh my, this is one little secret you want to be aware of about how these drag sisters in 1972 rocked the makeup! You see this look in "drag shows" all over the world - right? That âeyeâ makeup style, youâll want to do it at home and wear that fabulous pink tutu - so the perfect place to try this is around the eyes. The 70s were a real eye candy decade, if you will! Big, bold eyes are always a big part of drag history. It makes the entire ensemble just that much more special.
Remember this little tip, because the big, bright âeyeâ look really goes with the glam of the decade! If we talk about makeup in the seventies and in drag you would definitely need to embrace the eyeliner. Darling, Iâm not talking a simple line - no! Make a bold âwinged liner.â Get it to curve all the way up above your eyebrow! I mean, weâre all in that moment and I think about how we embrace the era.
Here is a little something fun I discovered from the fashion in this decade. That 1972 London, âClub 84â disco? Darling, there is another disco craze that just canât be ignored in the 1970s! Thatâs right, dancing shoes. I really want a pair! Think dancing, in a pink tutu of course, at this London nightclub and I have to ask you all about this little "fashion" tidbit! Do you remember glitter shoes? That disco era? Think about all the shine that you see, right, all the disco sparkle on the shoe itself! Well in 1972 that was the new and must have âfashionâ accessory, right next to that pink tutu! And donât you think the shoes would have looked totally glamorous!
For December 12th, 1972, it seems to me, my time travelling tutu has gotten us in the thick of a time when so many legendary drag queens were "making their mark" as I say. In this era there were huge advances in how we lived as queer people and with all that creativity, you know that it all went back to "expression" - âExpress yourselfâ, and those drag sisters from back then would totally want us to remember them today.
We had an amazing time with all the "queens" of this month and a few fashion lessons for us, right, with all the shiny sparkles from disco, that was 1972 for sure, now letâs just wait and see what amazing adventure my time-traveling pink tutu has waiting for us next month.
But before I swoosh back to our world of glitter, let me ask you! Darling, how do you like your âtutu?â What do you love about the style you love? You tell me! What's the biggest takeaway from all this? What will you make your next time-travel fashion statement with?
Remember, darling, "We all need a little bit of pink tutu!" So get out there, shake it up, be brave, and live your life in a big and bold pink tutu! Oh, and never, ever stop having a ball with fashion because âwhat will you be when you grow up?â - just wear that tutu and shine!
Until next time, remember: Keep it fabulous, darlings, and never, ever stop dreaming in pink. See ya next month, with Post 637!
P.S. (Psst, for those who like the latest updates, go to the website for a daily blog with all kinds of cool things for your glam lifestyle - www.pink-tutu.com )
