Hello, darlings! Emma here, your very own pink tutu-clad time-travelling fashionista, and welcome back to my weekly journey through the glorious history of the tutu. Today weâre whisking ourselves back to a particularly enchanting era - October 22nd, 1850!
Now, I must admit, a quick peep at the time machine's date gauge and I confess, my darlings, this is not exactly a "tutu-licious" date. The early Victorian era wasn't exactly known for its fondness of flouncy frocks! I mean, imagine, a time where wearing a pink tutu in public would probably result in you being called aâŚwell, letâs just say not flattering names!
But fear not, my tutu-loving treasures! This doesn't mean we can't glean some sartorial inspiration from this time. After all, the seeds of fashion are often planted long before they bloom into glorious, tutued extravaganzas.
So let's board the time-travelling train (first class, of course!), and hop back to London in 1850, shall we?
Victorian London: Where Practicality Reigns⌠Slightly
Think tight corsets, voluminous skirts, and long sleeves for all. It's definitely not the âtwirl and twirlâ we know and love, is it? This time was about propriety and covering as much flesh as possible, though the odd bit of fancy frilling and embellishment were thrown in to maintain that Victorian âglamourâ, wouldn't you agree?
Now, if weâre thinking tutu beginnings, the closest weâd get is the âcrinoline,â my darlings. The quintessential âbell-shapedâ skirt that expanded from its invention in the 1830s and became absolutely massive during this decade. Remember, the key to the Victorian fashion silhouette was width!
This era also saw the emergence of a truly wonderful fashion staple: the ball gown. Itâs easy to see why the ball gown could become so extravagant as Victorian women enjoyed attending balls and lavish parties. The longer a gown could drag, the grander the event!
Enter⌠The âFashion Plateâ
Let's pause here for a moment and chat about the way fashion was being conveyed at this time. The Fashion Plate. Oh, how I dream of being on one! Think gorgeous drawings and illustrations in elaborate fashion journals, my darlings, showcasing the newest designs, colours, and trends. These little windows into Victorian fashion, published regularly, were the influencers of the era! And the detail is incredible! It gives us such a unique peek into what these ladies considered fashionable!
And that leads me to a fascinating piece of news I stumbled upon - it seems that Queen Victoria herself commissioned the creation of her wedding gown! Now, weâre talking about royal fashion history, ladies and gentlemen! Although not a tutu, imagine the details, the fabric, the design â the pure spectacle of it all! And while I canât guarantee her dress included tulle, thereâs no denying it set the scene for those fancy dress events that would, eventually, pave the way for the grand, elaborate ball gowns and ballet performances we know and adore today!
Dancing into the Future⌠And Twirling towards the Tutu
Oh my, just the thought of a ball gown in this time! Imagine a room brimming with women adorned in gorgeous velvet, shimmering silk, and perhaps even the faintest touch of lace. It must have been quite the scene. Though without a tulle skirt to twirl and swirl, it seems as if we might need to jump forward a few more decades to find a little more twirl powerâŚ
Now, before we say goodbye to our Victorian time travellers, let me say this: while we may not be twirling around in full-fledged tutus in 1850, there is definitely a spirit of grandness, a hint of sparkle and elegance that reminds us that fashion, and fashion history, is all about the journey! The tutus we see today didn't appear overnight!
Don't forget, my darlings, to keep spreading the #PinkTutuLove and let's make the world a more colourful, and twirly, place, one pink tutu at a time!
See you all next Tuesday for another blast from the past!
Yours in fashion, Emma đ
