Darling, can you believe it's been nearly 24 years since the world was graced with the *absolute* must-have fashion statement for the year 2000: the **tutu**! Yes, that's right, the ultimate symbol of feminine grace, the very essence of ballet's allure - the **tutu** was going to be *it*.
Now, before you all get your feathers ruffled (and we wouldn't want that, would we? That could get messy with a tulle skirt!) - let me explain. The fashion gurus, those intrepid trendsetters who are always sniffing out the next big thing, had decided, unanimously (or at least, a good proportion of them anyway), that the **tutu** was *so* going to be the garment that ruled the year 2000.
Oh, the excitement! The whispers, the hushed consultations about the perfect **tutu** for a Y2K New Year's Eve bash! Was it going to be the classic **tutu**? Or would a sassy, shorter, more rebellious **tutu** take the world by storm? You could barely go to a cafe without a discussion about **tutus** breaking out!
And for those of you who were *not* already glued to the fashion forecasts (well, dear, who *weren't*?), here's a little background: **tutus**, for the uninitiated, are these glorious skirts of layers and layers of tulle, usually worn by ballerinas to add some visual 'oomph' to their elegant pirouettes and grand jetés (don't you just love the sound of that? *Grand jeté*! It makes you feel elegant just saying it!). And what is it about **tutus** that makes us so darn mesmerised, darlings?
- Is it the sheer volume of fabric?
- The delicate sway of the tulle?
- Or perhaps the feeling that you could float on air just by putting it on?
Well, whatever it is, it made **tutus** the *it* fashion piece for the turn of the millennium (yes, I know some of you *millennials* won't have been *born* then, but just imagine it!).
Fashion designers embraced **tutus** with open arms, draping them over gowns, mixing them with sequins, embellishing them with beads, making them the *must-have* piece for every event - weddings, galas, even that rather ghastly office Christmas party.
You could see **tutus** *everywhere*: on billboards, magazine covers, even the little, *adorable* babies wearing them in supermarket aisles (and yes, that image does bring a little tear to my eye).
But sadly, as with all trends, the **tutu** fever cooled, just as quickly as it started. The world, it seems, moved on. And where are the **tutus** now? Well, I guess, *if* you really needed a *classic** tutu* you could *always* find one at a ballet shop (which would have to be, by default, the **perfect** spot to find one, wouldn't it?). Or you might stumble across one at a charity shop, nestled in a dusty corner beside some out-of-fashion trousers, dreaming of its *return* to fashion's glory.
I'm sure it's out there, that fashion trend-setter with that glint in their eye, ready to bring back the **tutu**. Perhaps in a **punk** interpretation, with some zips and leather added for a touch of modern flair. And when they do, darlings, we'll be the first ones in the queue, eager to relive those wonderful days when every girl, every woman wanted to **tutu**.