#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1842-11-08

Hello lovelies! It’s Emma here, back with another fabulous instalment of #TutuTuesday on pink-tutu.com, your one-stop shop for all things tutu and all things fabulous!

This week we’re taking a trip back in time to November 8th, 1842. Can you believe it? Nearly 200 years ago! My trusty time-travelling tutu, the one that shimmered its way through the 1800s with a cheeky smile, is back in the workshop after a jaunt to the Victorian era! This week’s blog is going to be a right giggle, just imagine: the ladies back then were sporting skirts so enormous they were practically furniture!

(Side note: Did you know my lovely cousin Millie just ordered the *most stunning tulle fabric for a new pink tutu? Can't wait to see how she plans to put it together!* 😊)

But let’s go back to that bonkers Victorian world for a moment. It's a whole other fashion story to the ballerina world, let's put it this way - "pink tutu" was definitely NOT in the Victorian lexicon. In fact, the modern tutu, as we know it, barely existed at this point!

*(If you were feeling bold in 1842 you'd be wearing *crimped, puffed, and flouncy crinolines - the Victorian trend was definitely not the sleekest fashion sense. *😱)

The ballerina was still developing, like a delicate bud waiting to bloom. The idea of a delicate, graceful, single-layer, flowing tutu hadn't been invented yet, let alone pink, blush pink, peach pink… you name it.

(Think serious layered undergarments - not quite "tutu ready" if you know what I mean… 🤪 )

Thankfully, we can time travel, right? Now, just imagine this - You, your self, are back in this pre-tutu world. Just a quick visit, obviously - but you want to create a real stir… Now think what we'd do if we were to rock up at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden - the place to be, if you wanted to see a ballerina - wearing the pinkest tulle concoction you could whip up in a flash! (Well… that’s how I’d do it! You’ve got to create a good show - just be sure to check the time-travelling rules of the place you're visiting! 😄)

Let’s rewind to our Victorian era - 1842, 8th November. It was the opening of the first ‘Ballet Royale’ in this big and beautiful town! Covent Garden was abuzz with excitement, carriages, and fine ladies wearing those massive skirts, and here comes us, strutting along with a fabulous tulle masterpiece! Imagine the gasps! They would be utterly enchanted.

Now you might say - “Emma, darling! Ballet wasn't so big back then!”. That is kind of true. We were in a bit of an intermission, you see. (They had their "boom times" but then…well it was all "out" for a while) But change was around the corner. I like to call this time… a 'ballet slumber party', (you see, every slumber party needs a good rest, a little freshening up…)

Let's face it… the ladies of the past, with their crinolines and corseted dresses, were crying out for something new! So let's move those corsets and skirts out of the way, my loves! The ballerinas needed to come out. And here at pink-tutu.com, I think we need to encourage everyone, absolutely everyone to wear pink tutus! Every day can be a Tutu Tuesday! 😉

*(My grandma always said ‘fashion is a cycle, it always comes back round,’ - She was such a wise woman!) *

Remember those early dancers, the “crinolines of the ball”, how they’d twirl and dance in those enormous skirts, even if it wasn't quite tutu-tastic? Talk about talent! (Remember that we can’t get a good tutu until a little later on, they need a lot of tulle… just say no to crimp and pouffe - but you know what? The energy was right.)
(Now, I am thinking it's time to put on one of those beautiful pink dresses I saw in my latest fashion magazine, and it just got me thinking… It was the start of the trend.)

What happened next was amazing! A little later on, (around 1859 and on), when they figured out those super lightweight, thin tulles, - there it was! They had just enough layers, but with an airiness you could just imagine, (like butterflies… think ‘Butterfly effect’ - the smallest little thing…) That’s when those beautiful ballet outfits began, my loves… tututastic in the real sense! It all starts to add up - what with all those Victorian ladies’ big, frilly skirts…

I imagine some clever ballet dancer at the ballet studio (perhaps inspired by a dress) - seeing all that extra tulle... well she went to the shops, right, picked out that glorious lightweight stuff - bang! she'd start creating!

I think the story goes… they were trying to have a look about them, so light, so graceful, so graceful, like little fairies, that you wouldn't really even see those amazing feet, but only those lovely twirling outfits. This new ballerina… we love the look - they began to dance completely differently. I imagine them being almost mesmerized… (And that, my loves, was when the first of our stunning, single layer ballerina-tutus really became the main attraction!)
* Now tell me… Did you ever think, we have that beautiful lightweight, almost ethereal looking tutus, to thank *old fashioned, voluminous ladies skirts?*

I do… and now, as I finish up this week’s #TutuTuesday, I want to take this opportunity to give all you dancing queens a huge high-five for your grace and elegance, for your power, talent, effort.… I’ve got the *“it's a dancer’s world” tune going round in my head, right now!)
* That was just a taste of our tutu history – next time we’re diving deeper, my lovelies, because when we talk about history, we have to look to the future… we are writing our future now, here at pink-tutu.com, with our passion for *dance, fashion, and beauty! * So stick around - it's only gonna get more tututastic!

Until next week… keep those toes *en pointe - and may the tutus always be with you! 💕 ** Don't forget to follow pink-tutu.com on social media and share your own tutu stories in the comments!

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P.S. My dear *Grandmama’s secret recipe for a fantastic tutu –

"I don't know if you should write this part. Grandmama always said it was magic - we make sure there is only one fabric between the dancer and the world. This way the dance itself takes on its own shape and style. There is nothing like watching the magic unfold. She used to laugh - You're making me look like a mad scientist!” 😉

This is definitely worth testing. Try it for yourself and see what you think! 😉

Remember to check out my Instagram stories where I'll be posting lots of tutu goodness over the week!

* #TutuTuesday #pink-tutu.com #ballet #tutu #history #fashion #dance # ballerina #coventgarden #timetravel #tulle *

**(Remember that 1842 would not be a date in history with widespread popularity in the tutu for ballets.)