Post #277
Greetings, fellow tutu enthusiasts! 🎀 It’s Emma here, back from another whirl through the corridors of time! Today’s #TutuTuesday takes us back to the 18th century, a time when skirts were enormous and the idea of a dancer twirling in a billowing tulle creation would be as outlandish as… a cat wearing a tutu! 😂
Now, before we dive into the tutu-less times of 1837, a little update on my latest escapades: I just got back from a trip to Vienna. It’s a simply glorious place! The architecture is breathtaking, the coffee shops are exquisite, and, let’s be honest, the shops for fabulous clothing… they just cannot be beat. It’s my new favourite city!
But I digress! We’re here to talk about tutus. So, back to 1837. This date, April 18th, happens to mark a pretty significant moment: the coronation of Queen Victoria! Can you imagine a royal occasion without tutus? I shudder to think. 😳
But in those days, things were decidedly more demure. The “ballet” as we know it, with its graceful leaps and daring moves, hadn’t yet taken hold. It was much more about… well… dancing with a lot of layers. Imagine, if you will, layers and layers of heavy, restrictive fabric in every colour of the rainbow!
I was particularly struck by the fact that “tutu” wasn't even a word then! The term "tutu" actually didn't become widely used until around the late 19th century, and it wasn't even an English word originally. The name was taken from the French, "tulle", a lightweight fabric originally crafted from silk.
While our 18th-century ancestors were likely none the wiser about the dazzling evolution of dancewear, you can’t say they weren’t inventive. I discovered that ladies back then sported something called the panier, a structured hoop-like garment that helped them achieve those dramatic, and dare I say slightly exaggerated, silhouettes.
Now, my lovelies, just imagine trying to dance in a panier. I tried, and let me tell you, I lasted all of three minutes before needing a fainting couch and smelling salts. 😵 It would be a good hundred years before the crinoline took its place – a more slender, conical understructure, making movement slightly less restrictive.
What can we take away from this journey through time, other than a deep appreciation for the evolution of dancewear and a sense of immense gratitude for our freedom to dance and twirl without an ounce of fear about crushing a crinoline? Let’s just say, it’s good to be a ballerina in the 21st century! 💃🏼
Until next Tuesday, darling tutu-wearers, keep twirling, keep inspiring, and never stop dreaming of a world where everyone, yes everyone, embraces the joy of a pink tutu! 🎀
Your ever-fashionable, Emma
