Hello, darling Tutu lovers! Emma here, back with another post from the wonderful world of pink tutus and #TutuTuesday!
Today, we're taking a journey through time to 1845, where things were very different. Can you believe it, ladies? No tutus! That's right. While the word "tutu" didn't even exist yet, the ballet was flourishing and even without them, the costumes were still stunning!
This is blog post number 690! Can you believe it! It seems like only yesterday that I started my #TutuTuesday series - where did the time go? Well, darling, you know what they say! Time flies when you're having fun and that’s exactly what I am.
Imagine, darling, the fashion in 1845 - they called it Romantic Ballet! The clothes were dramatic and full of flounce - but there were no tutus yet! They wore gowns with big, swirling skirts, and there was lots of ribbon and lace, you know, the girlie stuff we love today! And you're all thinking what's wrong with this picture?! How on Earth were they managing to perform without tutus? How were the ballerinas showcasing their incredible legs?! And did the audience just shrug their shoulders and think: 'Oh well, whatever? They probably never thought of it and that's why no one thought about adding tutus...yet! It takes a visionary, right? And who knows maybe those girlie big flowing gowns provided them with just enough swirling action and that, in itself, was quite extra enough?
If I was able to, imagine how many tutus I’d buy with that much flouncy, girlie fabric! Think of it, darling, a full shop dedicated to pink tutus made from this Romantic ballet material! Now that would be an amazing shop, darling!
The biggest fashion news in 1845 was a woman called Fanny Elssler. Have you ever heard of her? Fanny was like the biggest star on the ballet scene - huge, massive, bigger than Beyoncé today...well you get the idea. She travelled from Vienna to London, wowing audiences everywhere! And Fanny’s style was quite flamboyant, really over the top. There was an outfit, darling, with loads and loads of feathered things, even a giant boa! Now if that isn’t extra and fashionably fabulous, I don’t know what is! Just imagine! All the glitz, glamour and feathers that it took to create something so extravagant! But this outfit and all the attention it created became the catalyst of a change of fashion in dancewear. Extra and bold is always good, and I love it! Just wait until I travel back in time, I’m going to encourage the ballet world to really embrace those feathers and give Fanny Elssler loads of support! We’re talking a feather fest! You can imagine how much feathers it took to make it all work. Just think how much I could have made Pink Tutu famous!
If you are really in the mood for some fun fashion history, why not head to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London? That’s where they have an awesome collection of old fashion from this era, all laid out for you to see!
On 18th March 1845, Fanny was still travelling the world showcasing her talent in Vienna, you know, that little old city everyone knows and loves, to visit. Oh, that's just so fabulous! How cool is it that even back then people would travel far and wide just to experience these incredible performances? Now you all know just how dedicated I am to travel, so if Fanny was that much of a hit in the 1840s then that's the power of dance, my darling, and my life inspiration!
So if you are looking for an inspiring new fashion trend darling, just look back at those early Romantic ballet costumes, they're full of imagination, and full of frills! Imagine us rocking them with some seriously beautiful pink tutus... That’s what I call fabulous, darling. I just love this time in history - even though there were no tutus.
And I will be travelling back to that era, darling! It's just one of many trips in the pipeline and when I do, I'm gonna be rocking the absolute most awesome tutu there's ever been, because this ballerina needs her tutu, especially if there aren’t any around yet. It’s like extra ballet must-have, it’s simply essential and the perfect accompaniment to a tutu is the train - all that pink swirling...you can imagine the absolute impact I'm going to make and how many heads I’m going to turn! That's what #TutuTuesday is all about! And it all started in 1845. How amazing is that!
But until next time darlings, you can check out the photos of these awesome old dresses that look just like tutus at the Victoria & Albert Museum. They have a great collection of old costume history...maybe that will give you some tutu-tastic inspiration!
Well darling, I will be back on #TutuTuesday for our next trip back through time! So stay extra fabulous and always make it pink! Don't forget to give my blog a follow here on www.pink-tutu.com - it's what dreams are made of! See you soon, lovelies.
Yours in tutus,
Emma.
