Hello my darling tutus! Welcome back to my blog! Today's #TutuTuesday takes us back to 1833, a year brimming with Parisian elegance and theatrical innovation.
As you know, my dearest readers, I adore history as much as I adore tutus! And let's face it, there's nothing quite as delightful as discovering how the tutu we know and love evolved. This week, we're stepping into a world of romanticism, ballet, and fashion, all swirling around the beginning of the glorious tutu.
Fancy a little time travel with me, lovelies? Climb aboard the grand train to Paris, don your finest pink and lace, and let's journey back to 1833, where fashion met dance and created something utterly captivating!
A Parisian Scene: Fashion, Romance and Dance
Paris in 1833 buzzed with a romantic, refined air, echoing the literary works of Victor Hugo and Alfred de Musset. Imagine cobblestone streets teeming with horse-drawn carriages, women in elegant, flowing dresses and bonnets adorned with lace and ribbons, men with smart top hats, all heading to opera houses and theaters. The French ballet, bursting with graceful and expressive dance, was a key element of this sophisticated atmosphere.
This was the world Marie Taglioni was born into. Now, I donât know about you, darling, but a ballerina named Marie Taglioni? Oh, that simply begs to be adored! Born in Italy, Marie danced with a breathtaking lightness and delicacy. The ballets she performed were often imbued with romantic themes, echoing the era's sense of sentimentality and drama. But hereâs where things get even more delightful â those flowing, dreamy, romantic skirts she wore for those performances â that was the early, very early form of the tutu.
And imagine my excitement when I discovered she debuted that gorgeous tulle skirt on March 12th! Yes, you heard me right. My dearies, this very day back in 1833! So we can all say this day is our own special, unofficial #TutuTuesday. And this, my lovelies, was a revolutionary act in the ballet world.
Before this revolutionary movement, ballet dancers wore a dress called the "tunique" or "tunica." Think flowing, long, almost tunic-like garments, darling. No hint of our adored tulle tutu! It restricted movement, restricting the grace and flow of movement that made ballet such a delightful art form.
However, this elegant ballerina (a woman I'm deeply inspired by, dearie!) wanted to show off the fluidity of movement that made ballet truly special. Taglioni knew her ballerina body, my darling, and wanted the world to see it! She began shortening those flowing skirts to create the airy, weightless look we adore, using tulle fabric to create the iconic shape we all love today!
The beauty of her design, dearie, wasnât just the shortened skirt, oh no, no. It was also the soft, airy material that flowed like silk on stage. Imagine that beautiful whisper of tulle as she twirled, leaping across the stage!
The world adored it! And oh my dearie, did it catch on! Those shortened, airy skirts soon became a feature in other ballets, with more ballerinas wanting that freedom to express their artistry and elegance! By the mid-19th century, my darling, the tutu as we know it, short, romantic, and incredibly graceful, became a ballet icon.
The birth of the tutu, however, wasnât a solo effort, my lovelies. Other iconic women of the time, including Carlotta Grisi, who was even known for wearing an incredible white tulle tutu that even had wings, helped to develop the design we see today, using the new technologies and fabrics like muslin and tulle available at the time.
Now I canât resist sharing my absolute favourite historical tidbit, dearies.
Did you know?
Marie Taglioni's shortened skirts were a real sensation! The French writer ThĂ©ophile Gautier, oh he loved his poetic imagery, described the ballerina's performance as a vision of âpoetry set to music, with tulle in place of gauze!â That is simply too divine for words, isn't it?
Fashion, Ballet, and History intertwined
Now darling, you'll never believe this: the impact of the tutu was even felt beyond the stage, dearie. Fashion at that time became enthralled by the short skirts that Marie Taglioni had popularized in ballet, and began to shorten hems in dresses and evening gowns, too. Fashion had never been quite as graceful, my dearies!
This fascination with lightness and movement made ballet's influence quite significant on both fashion and society in the early to mid 19th century, proving that dance is not just a performance, but a cultural and social force, influencing everything around it. A tutu on stage was no longer just an adornment, my lovelies. It was a sign of change, of modernity, of artistic expression, a cultural revolution, really!
Let's Talk About Ballet: Whatâs Happening Today?
Since it first came into being, darling, the tutu has continued to evolve, but its essence has always stayed true â airy, elegant, beautiful!
Of course, today's tutus come in many variations, my loves! There are Romantic tutus, that are a long and full skirt that I love. There are the classic tutus with those full, frilly tiers that are quite popular on stage. And, oh, those beautiful bell tutus, dearie, they just hug the hips before flaring out â they are simply darling.
Even today, ballet is a vibrant art form. In Derbyshire, we have an amazing Royal Ballet in London, that performs so beautifully. Their performances are spectacular and those tutu's they wear, just divine! I had the chance to see a performance of "Giselle," oh, the swirling of those tutus! Itâs just a breathtakingly elegant display!
More than just a Fashion Trend:
We're celebrating over 200 years of tutu now. This graceful piece of fashion hasn't faded! From being a symbol of lightness, of movement, and of graceful femininity, to becoming a piece of costume design in all kinds of different contexts, the tutuâs legacy is enduring!
We can find elements of the tutuâs shape and silhouette in all sorts of modern-day attire, whether it's a billowing skirt, or a tutu-like design of tulle being used in other pieces like dresses.
And my, how I love seeing ballerinas on stage in their tutu! They look utterly fantastic!
Wearing Pink is Always in Style
Now my dearies, before we finish this TutuTuesday, letâs be sure to focus on one important thing: Pink is the perfect color! What a coincidence that itâs such a popular color to wear at the ballet?
Now, while I donât want to say pink was born for tutus, because I know tutus come in so many fantastic colours, it just seems to have this...magnetic tutu draw!
And just think of that visual: The elegance of a ballerina, a pink tutu fluttering around her, light reflecting off of the tulle, pure magical magic on the stage. Now, that is a visual Iâd happily get lost in!
My mission, of course, is to inspire all of you to wear a pink tutu! What colour tutu will you be rocking for next Tuesday, darling?
Until next week, my dearest lovelies! Have a fabulous week, be bold, and be beautiful!
Lots of love,
Emma xx
