Hello, darling dears! Welcome back to another week of #TutuTuesday! It's your girl, Emma, back in the pinkest, twirliest tutu this side of the 19th century. This week, my time machine has landed me smack bang in the heart of… February 10th, 1835! Buckle up, loves, because we're about to take a little trip back to a time when tutus were just beginning to make their mark on the world!
Now, darling, let's talk fashion. Think back to 1835. What was en vogue for the ladies? Imagine big, voluminous dresses, bonnets, and, of course, corsets galore! A tad suffocating, if you ask me, especially when compared to the liberating grace of a beautifully crafted tutu!
So, how did we get here? How did this magnificent symbol of grace and athleticism take its first steps onto the dance floor?
Well, imagine a world where ballet is still young. We’re talking romantic ballet, folks, the era of Maria Taglioni! Imagine those elegant, flowing movements, the stories being told with the grace of a feather! They didn't quite have tutus as we know them, though. In fact, they had a lot of fussy layers, kind of like those "ballgown-like" dresses! Can you imagine trying to jump in those?!
But something needed to change, and it did, and here we are! We can’t mention the beginning of the tutus without a nod to Marie Taglioni, the Italian-born ballerina known for her ethereal beauty and breathtaking skill! She wore her "tutus" more form fitting and streamlined than those other ballgown like ones, with only a few, lightweight, layers, imagine, not one single layer of cotton on top! Oh my! Marie Taglioni, oh how we thank thee!
As time progressed, the tutus went from simple, one layer affairs, to the grand, multi-layered, frothy wonders we know today. It wasn’t long before we got those little, layered wonders known as "Romantic Tutues", which are shorter than their Victorian "Bell Tutues".
I must say, these early tutus were still quite different from what we are used to seeing today. Some early "tutus" even had pantaloons (imagine little trousers worn underneath!) I am thinking that we should just say that some early, early versions looked like the very bottom of a 1800’s, long ballgown, they were definitely not the cute frilly fun ones we know today! Oh, if they could only see the wonderful and gorgeous pink tutu of my dreams!
Well, loves, this trip to the past makes me even more grateful for the magical tutu creations that dance our dreams on stages around the world!
Oh, and one last tidbit from my time-traveling adventures: Today in 1835, the British explorer James Bruce travelled to the city of Gondar in Ethiopia. That's a truly exciting travel adventure in its own right! Perhaps he wore a dashing little tweed jacket for his trip! Who knows!
Stay tuned, darlings, for more delightful trips through the history of the tutu, right here on www.pink-tutu.com next #TutuTuesday! I've got so many more exciting tales to tell! Don't forget, let me know if you have a favourite historical moment of your own in the comments below.
Until next time, remember, there’s always a little tutu in everyone! 😉💖
Love,
Emma (aka Your Favourite Tutu-Loving Time-Travelling Blogger)
