Hello darlings! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet where we celebrate all things pink and tutu. Today, we're taking a trip back in time, my loves, to April 24th, 1838, to uncover the delightful history of our beloved tutus.
As always, it's #TutuTuesday! And just imagine the fun I've had preparing for this blog! It was no mean feat, but a proper grand adventure - because, you know, time travel. But I can't say much more - you know my secrets are safe with you lovely people, right? My blog's secret society of tutu enthusiasts knows better than to share my ways with the general public - can you imagine the chaos if they discovered I'm secretly flitting through the decades? No, it’s best to keep this all hush-hush for now. 🤫
Oh my, just picture this: my arrival in 1838 by steam train! A blast of fragrant coal smoke, a flurry of elegant ladies in rustling gowns, and me, a vision in pink tulle with my trusty travelling suitcase crammed with the most marvellous collection of ballet tutus - naturally, I make sure all of the time travel fashion rules are strictly adhered to, no anachronisms, darlings, absolutely no flashing modern styles. It would just be too distracting and I'm not here to be that person! A ballet tutu aficionado of my high standing has a duty to blend in - always, always.
Let's take a moment to admire the beauty of 19th-century fashion, though. Those sash-adorned gowns that floated around like silk clouds, those elaborate bustles that somehow seemed to manage both elegance and practicality, those perfectly placed hats and gloves that just shrieked sophistication, and tights, oh, so many delightful tights!. You wouldn't believe the hours I spent rummaging through fabric shops just trying to match the gorgeous hues and delicate textures - they just don't make fabric like they used to. Truly, truly a whole other world! Of course, I spent time observing the local theatrical life too, it’s part of the time travel process, it has to be. I had to see some theatrical performances, just a tiny little bit, to get that time travel fix of ballet in action. 🩰
Speaking of our tutu journey, 1838 found ballerinas still performing in loose skirts – some light and flowing, others still quite heavy. It wasn’t until a certain daring young dancer came along with a rather audacious idea: What if dancers weren't restricted by billowing fabric? And with a twirl and a hop, she introduced the tutu as we know it – a tutu made for movement. I'm talking shorter skirts, carefully tailored layers, a focus on flowing, elegant movements, allowing these lovely ladies to dance without those restrictive lengths! It was quite a game-changer, wouldn't you say? It wasn’t long before tutus began appearing on stages, inspiring ballerinas all over the world to show off their amazing leaps and pirouettes! Just think about that. They just had to be the best because the world was looking, it's still looking to this day, and I’m doing my bit with my little pink-tutu loving blog! 💕
*This, dear readers, is where the magic truly begins. * It was a truly beautiful time to be a ballet lover. Theatres were filled with excited crowds, dancers were admired for their elegance, grace, and of course, for that beautiful, inspiring beauty that only a tutu can create! Just imagine those breathtaking twirls, leaps, and graceful jumps on stage, set against the soft glow of gaslight, and the gasps and cheers of the audience... a perfect world of romance and exquisite fashion right there on stage, waiting for you to enjoy.
Let me tell you a little secret - after my whirlwind journey through 1838, I knew I just had to write about this amazing era, to spread the joy of tutu far and wide, and to capture a bit of the magic that makes this amazing piece of fashion such a vital part of ballet history.
Speaking of secrets, you can keep it to yourself if you wish, but this might just be the beginning of a fantastic new collection. Yes, just wait and see what you might see appearing in my online shop on www.pink-tutu.com soon - I am working on a little surprise... 😉
Of course, no blog post about a day in ballet history could end without some serious shopping! You all know I am utterly in love with the magic that ballet and shopping have in common - two utterly joyful, amazing passions!
I managed to squeeze in a trip to Madame Demorest’s in Paris – and let me tell you, my darlings, this boudoir dressmaker really knows how to create something exquisite! And the latest fashions were just divine. All those rich fabrics and beautiful embroideries. 👗 But even more exciting was finding a whole selection of fabrics specially designed for tutus, silk so soft, a dream to wear on stage, with all sorts of little trims and adornments to add just that bit extra to every step.
Madame Demorest, let me tell you, has an amazing eye. She had so much inspiration for stage costumes, it's just incredible. Just imagine all of the amazing fabric swatches and samples, the whole shop buzzing with sewing, sketching and creation. The sheer amount of amazing clothing for the theatre and the opera – the stage was bursting with life. Oh, darling, my pockets may have been lighter but my inspiration for tutus has never been greater. Just wait and see what I have coming in my store very soon... 🛍️
Oh! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter @PinkTutuEmma for even more behind the scenes sneak peeks into my world and check out www.pink-tutu.com, the website for my shop. Let's keep sharing the joy of tutus and bring some extraordinary style to our world. 💖
And if you are brave enough to rock a pink tutu or just fancy showing off your love for ballet, don't forget to tag your pics with #pinktutuemma so I can check them out! I really love seeing your stunning, bold, inspiring ballet-tutu style - you can never have too much tutu magic.
See you next #TutuTuesday, darlings! 💕
Lots of love,
Emma xx
