Hello darlings! It's your favourite pink tutu-wearing time traveller, Emma, back with another #TutuTuesday post! This week, we're whisking back to the 30th October, 1832, a most pivotal date in the story of the tutu. Oh yes, you heard that right - it's a story full of drama, fashion, and more sequins than you can shake a pointe shoe at!
This time, I took the train from London to Paris, where fashion is always ahead of the game. And honestly, what a journey! Imagine travelling in a carriage, with steam puffing out the chimney, and the clattering of the wheels along the tracks, the countryside rushing past you, with its pretty trees and charming cottages!
Oh my darling readers, let me tell you - Parisian fashion in 1832 is breathtaking. Forget those boring, voluminous skirts of old! The tutu is beginning to make its presence known!
The year 1832 marked the debut of Marie Taglioni in La Sylphide, the legendary ballet that launched a thousand tutus! I just had to go see the show at the Opera Garnier - absolutely exquisite! Marie Taglioni - with her gossamer skirts, wispy white costume, and ethereal performance - was a sensation! I absolutely adored her. You could almost imagine her floating through the air, with that tutu twirling and fluttering around her.
The world of ballet was abuzz. No longer were women confined by heavy, constricting layers of fabric. The tutu, in its early form - shorter, less frilly, but oh so daring - showed off the legs and movements of the dancers in a way never seen before. Imagine that! A revolutionary piece of clothing that finally allowed these magnificent ballerinas to be seen and celebrated in their full glory.
I must confess, the tutus at this time were less full and flamboyant than the tutus we adore today. A far cry from the poufy, layered designs that have made ballet so magical and recognisable! Imagine a simple skirt of white fabric, often only reaching to the knee! But darling readers, every revolution starts small. And this change in the ballet world was a major revolution indeed.
That evening, I found myself sipping a cup of *café au lait* in the Cafe de la Regence* on the Rue Richelieu, just near the Opera, and oh, how utterly lovely the cafe was - it's known as the spot where all the intellectuals, artists, and well, fashionable souls, congregated in Paris, and the air itself was positively fizzing with excitement!
But enough of this Parisian scene...back to the tutu, my darlings. I am absolutely smitten by this evolution. I'm certain we will see more tutus at the theatre as time goes on. It's only a matter of time before they blossom into those breathtakingly beautiful frills and feathers we associate with them today!
Until next #TutuTuesday, keep twirling and dancing to the tune of your heart! And don't forget, the most important fashion rule: if you're unsure, wear a pink tutu.
See you soon!
Emma
P.S. I have heard rumours about a new type of tulle in Germany... could this be a revolutionary material for the tutu of the future? Exciting! I will certainly be visiting Berlin soon, for that is how this ballet obsessed tutu blogger rolls! I must be prepared!
