#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1841-09-28

Oh my darlings! Welcome back to another delightful Tuesday here at pink-tutu.com, where we travel through time in the most glamorous way possible – with tutus, of course! It's me, Emma, your Derbyshire ballerina and purveyor of all things pink and twirly. Today, we're heading back to 1841, and believe me, the fashion is utterly charming!

So, pack your tulle bags, darlings, because we're taking a little train journey to… Paris! That’s right, the City of Lights, where fashion, as always, is at the forefront. And wouldn't you know it, the year is 1841! Why, this is a significant year for ballet in itself, the year we finally saw a woman's face at the ballet, but more on that in another post! However, as a quick peek into the past, I have to confess this was actually a scandal, but I must say it made for a quite lovely silhouette as far as the history of the tutu is concerned!

I recently discovered the most splendid archive, full of theatre programmes and illustrations. I even found the advertisement for the very first show featuring Fanny Cerrito, the legendary ballerina. You can imagine my excitement - imagine! The first woman with her face visible to the audience at the ballet! I must have skipped right through the streets to find myself a suitable dress!

As the Victorian Era was just blooming, so were the beautiful layers of tulle! Now, it's time to unveil a bit about the tutu. Well, it wasn’t quite the tutu as we know it yet. You see, this iconic ballet garment, like the dancers themselves, has gone through an evolution. The tutu was the perfect answer to those amazing jumps and pirouettes. Oh how I love pirouettes! What do you think, would I be a better dancer than the ballerina in this first programme for a theatre show I found with Fanny Cerrito’s image in it?! It makes me giggle. Of course, they'd just wear layers of white fabric under their costumes. Just a beautiful swish as they’d step across the stage. Can you imagine, such a long train trailing after you. I mean it would just get in the way.

What is truly charming about the evolution of the tutu is that it mirrors the history of the women on stage themselves!

Now, to my little dears, you’ve all been so patient. I wanted to go on a little exploration, a little train ride to take a look into fashion history for you all to understand what our Ballerina Fanny wore in her performances, or as much as we can glean from our historical explorations. Why yes, here is Fanny’s fashion and the historical connection to those dancing beauties before her on the stage.

The most charming fashion in the 1840s.

It was a time of such loveliness, where every single piece of the fashion for the stage would be just that, stage-worthy. Why, it was just delightful as it really made the woman so elegant as she walked across the stage. This beautiful costume is truly the height of romantic fashion! I imagine dancing with such grace across the stage! Oh! What an idea, a show in a railway station for when my fellow time-travelling tutu enthusiasts have been doing so much travelling!

So, we see the ballerina's costumes evolving alongside their dancing. I believe it was all about freedom of movement, my darlings. It was truly the very definition of dancing in freedom! It had to flow, right? It's just an absolute joy to watch the ladies waltz across the stage and all with a big, beautiful swish of those tulle skirts!

So here are the charming little fashions and elements which created this delightful dress:

• Empire Waist: This style gave us all those delightful shapes, you see. The Empire Waist hugged the bustline but then cascaded down to the floor. This elegant, fluid design enabled the ballerinas to glide with a sense of effortless beauty.
• Romantic Details: Like bows, the softest silk, the sweetest embroidery! I must tell you that in this period of history, those ladies loved embellishing their gowns with everything, every piece they could lay their hands on! From little lace trims to flowers for a delicate touch to, of course, ribbons and feathers. It's not hard to see why I was quite enamored by the whole romantic look for dancing and its style and influence over the whole silhouette.
• The Inspiration: Let us not forget the great inspirations for these amazing costumes, you see. Fashion during the Regency Era was in its glorious height of fashion, which is also what sparked a real appreciation of women's bodies. And with romanticism in the air, well, just like Fanny’s performance, there were so many gorgeous creations during this time period that they actually influenced the silhouette of what is known to be one of the iconic, elegant women’s costumes.
• The Romantic Silhouette: Well this style actually comes from a period, a bit before our history today. However, in this era they had the ‘romantic silhouette’, well a slim-fitting bodice (which makes you just want to grab those pieces of cloth as it drapes about you. I think you might call it a fitted top!) A fitted bodice, this helped accentuate a tiny waist and then all those soft, flowing materials like the gauzy fabrics and, well, all of the ribbons of the costume, they all created such a beautiful effect. You see how these layers had such a large influence on the future design of what we call a ballet tutu!

Now, as I’ve done quite a bit of travelling on my time travelling, here are some fun and stylish essentials that any fashionable young lady must include in their wardrobe:

1. The Most Delightful Accessories: I love nothing more than a grand entrance! It's quite the adventure, travelling all about London and Paris and having that opportunity to find the latest styles and make my way down the carriage, a long train trailing behind! And with those accessories:

   • The Big Hat: Now, darling, nothing less than a huge hat, maybe even one with plumes and feathers. The more the better.
   • The Jewel Necklace: Something sparkling with exquisite gems, it needs to be grand for a grand entrance! Remember a little bling never hurt anybody! It needs to be something like a sapphire or a ruby for the finest taste.
   • Opera Gloves: The white, leather ones. Oh, the charm and elegance of this fashion choice. Remember my darlings, elegance is all! So get those gloves on!

2. The Pink Tutu: Okay, so this isn’t for 1841 yet. However, a girl's got to dream! Now, darling, I know I wear a pink tutu as a travelling ballerina, because what else would I be wearing! If you can dream it, you can wear it. It was an ode to those fashion-forward and bold souls from earlier periods who didn't let anything stop them, my darlings, you see, because pink is the new pink, darling. And it will be for 1841 when I get there, my darlings. Pink! It's absolutely exquisite, and there’s no other colour in my time travelling wardrobe.

So my darlings, today's journey to 1841 has been quite the trip. Just imagining all of those fabulous ballerinas and those wonderful dances. I’ll be doing some dancing myself for tonight's show – it’s what gives me the funds to travel. It truly does put me in a state of pure excitement! Do stay tuned for my next post on 5th October, I shall be revealing more amazing insights from 1841 as a look ahead at future fashions from those time-travel tours. And let's remember the great influence of the Victorian Era as it evolved in our tutu history for my #TutuTuesday journey. Oh my, we’re not even finished! There's just so much history to explore! And don't forget, until next week, you can get a glimpse into my love for ballet fashion with #PinkTutu! Until then, let your imagination soar and twirl your way into a stylish week!

Always stay delightful, Emma