#PinkTutuMilan Wednesday 2021-11-17 ballet blog from Milano Italia

Bonjour from Milano, darlings! This week, I'm feeling all the magic of the Milanese autumn - the crisp air, the vibrant colours, and the electric buzz of a city on the go! As usual, this week in Milan has been packed with delightful adventures and fabulous experiences, perfect for filling this little #PinkTutuMilan blog post with all the delights and excitement. You're in for a treat, dear readers, as I've got so much to tell you. But first, a quick update: If you’re new to this little ballet blog, then you should know that I, Emma, from Derbyshire, am a little obsessed with pink tutus, the ballet, fashion and of course, travelling. I blog every week, usually about a new city, all about ballet and the most lovely outfits I find for twirling in. As I travel on a very strict ballet budget, I’ve mastered the art of dancing across Europe using the railways and tram systems - you should see the outfits I pull together when we are commuting, chic yet comfy! My main aim, however, is to make the world a more tutu-tastic place and, to do this, I’m here to convince you that tutus really are for everyone, not just prima ballerinas!

This week has been absolutely dazzling in the ballet world here. A big announcement landed first up: La Scala Theatre in Milan is relaunching its “Ballet Aperitivo" programme, offering free entry to some of its biggest productions! Now, that is something that deserves a twirl and a leap, darling! The first ballet will be Giselle on the 1st of December, a performance with one of my favourite ballerinas, Elisabetta Drusian, and of course I’ll be in the audience! As part of their relaunch, they are hoping to tempt more people to explore the ballet. After all, why go just once when you can attend a performance every day and really see how wonderful a world ballet really is?!

As always, my #PinkTutuMilan fashion and outfit diaries have been exploding! Let me show you a little snapshot:

My first outfit: I decided to treat myself to a new pair of boots - you just can't visit Milan without visiting a couple of its fabulous shoe stores! These beauties are knee-high black boots, leather of course, and a delicious burgundy shade. And for a touch of magic, they are studded with jewels. It has been pouring with rain here for the past couple of days, so I'm pairing the boots with a beautiful pink and grey check tweed skirt, a vintage blush pink cable knit sweater that was passed down from my Nan, a gorgeous pearl necklace that was given to me for my 21st birthday and my new bright pink beanie. This look is very ‘vintage elegance with a modern edge', darling! Think Audrey Hepburn in “Charade", just with a touch more pink, if you will.

My second outfit: As soon as the sun peeped through the clouds on Thursday morning I rushed off to buy the newest shade of pink in the Balmain range for #PinkTutuMilan, the aptly named ‘Rose Blossom’ (of course!) - I think I'll call it my ‘Milan Pink' - and what a color it is! The gorgeous soft shade of pale pink reminded me of the candyfloss on sale at the fairgrounds on my childhood trips to Blackpool. To compliment it, I opted for a crisp black and white shirt, a vintage ‘50s cardigan and some super elegant lace-up black boots. Think of it as an ultra modern ballerina on her day off - you know, a touch of elegance, a little flair, and just a hint of pink.

Oh my goodness, the shopping in Milan, darlings, you just have to experience it at least once. Of course, every Milan visit includes a visit to “Rinascente,” a luxurious Italian department store. It’s a department store unlike any I have seen in Derbyshire. Imagine an absolutely gorgeous shop, all pink and shiny with high-end Italian fashion, jewellery and gifts. I usually browse the home department because it is full of fun and frivolous items, plus they also have an incredible vintage clothing department too!

You know the ballet studio scene from “Singin' In The Rain” with Debbie Reynolds? Well, imagine my utter joy when, right next to the vintage clothes, I stumbled upon an old record shop full of dance music and some incredibly interesting books. I purchased the entire collection of the Italian Dance Society from 1975 - all 142 volumes for a very reasonable price! And that isn't even the best part. You’re not supposed to bring food and drink into the department store, however, you can take whatever you fancy to the gorgeous rooftop café and have a fabulous cocktail with a stunning panoramic view across the city!

I am such a sucker for beautiful architecture - I am not a historian but I think it’s fascinating to walk down the streets, learn about how things were done back in the day and to understand why the buildings we pass look as they do. And Milan doesn’t disappoint! The architecture of the city is breathtaking, even the older buildings, a bit battered and worn, are so beautiful. Of course, we can't forget to mention the shopping in this beautiful city, and for #PinkTutuMilan it's all about how to dance between the gorgeous shops and boutiques with our shopping bags - which means this season I need a tote bag to fit it all. My favourites are vintage ‘designer' totes - those gorgeous brown canvas totes emblazoned with designer labels in bold letters - and they hold everything! My favourite boutique to wander around is ‘Via Monte Napoleone’ where you’ll find fabulous vintage clothes shops for your ‘elegant evening look’, gorgeous designers shops for your next evening gown, and of course, my favourite - shoe stores!

I absolutely love riding on the Milan tram system - the lines criss-cross the city, getting you to places fast. It’s such an easy and affordable way of navigating the city - plus you can use the same tickets to get onto the local buses, even the suburban trains and the metro too. A tip from #PinkTutuMilan - a single ticket for a single trip only lasts 90 minutes so buy a 24-hour ticket and use it for as much travelling as you need for one day, but do be careful. You're not supposed to use the tram ticket to use the train station - if you get caught, it can be costly. However, I've used this trick many times for local train trips - never get caught - and saved so much on tickets! My favourite is the 'Milano Pass', you can use this to visit the main museums, travel across the region and, best of all, get discounts on some incredible tours.

Milan is always full of fun events and, as an expat from the UK, I'm happy to see that the cultural side of Milan is becoming more ‘global’. There is always something interesting going on at the Teatro Piccolo, which is famous for showcasing performances of Italian avant garde works and modern-day musicals too, even ballet! I saw a stunning production of a contemporary ballet there last week with some amazing choreography - definitely check it out. And there are so many street and park performances on the go. You might stumble upon an acrobat group performing, a choir practicing in a small square or even a young ballerina dancing in front of a cafe. That is a sure way to inspire!

This is just a small taste of all the wonders Milan has to offer, darling, from its captivating architecture and vibrant energy to its world-class ballet, theatre, music, shops, museums, galleries, history, and of course, the abundance of wonderful shopping, delicious food and the gorgeous sights. This vibrant city is simply begging to be explored, danced through and, of course, embraced with a pink tutu.

So, for now, it’s “ciao bella" from Milan! I’ll see you again on www.pink-tutu.com next Monday with my adventures, adventures, and maybe even more inspiration. Keep twirling, dear readers, keep twirling.

Love from #PinkTutuMilan

* Emma.*