Hello, darlings! Welcome back to Pink Tutu, your one-stop shop for all things tulle, tiaras, and twirls. It's a beautiful Tuesday, the sun's out, and you know what that means? It's time for another journey into the glorious history of the ballet tutu, my absolute favourite sartorial star!
Today, my lovely ladies, we're hopping on the time machine (it's a surprisingly comfy vintage carriage – we take our time travel fashion seriously, of course) and zipping back to July 13th, 1852. I must say, dear readers, this date holds a particularly special place in my tutu-loving heart!
You see, back in the early 1800s, ballet wasn't the delicate, airy affair we see today. It was far more grounded – think heavy, layered, floor-length skirts! Talk about restricting your leaps, right? Our dancers, bless their tiny feet, would have to traipse across the stage like they were weighed down with their grandma's finest velvet curtains!
Now, let's rewind to the 1840s – enter a French ballet genius by the name of Marie Taglioni, and prepare yourselves, dear readers, for an era-defining revolution! It's in these times that we start seeing the early tutus start to emerge. Taglioni, renowned for her lightness and ethereal movements, wanted something different - something that wouldn’t hamper her elegant dance moves. Enter the tutus we see the beginnings of today!
Just picture this: swirling silk, wispy gauze, and, of course, the perfect amount of strategically-placed tulle – Marie was not only a ballerina, she was a fashion pioneer! The shorter length of this early version allowed for freedom of movement, and the soft, airy fabric emphasized the graceful gracefulness of a dancer's body. The "tutu" itself – that oh-so-wonderful word that brings delight to our very soul - became associated with the very essence of ballet, something which has never left. It was the perfect symbiosis of practicality and beauty, dear reader.
This brings us to our pivotal point, dear readers. Today's date in 1852 is important, you see. Because a special show was performed in a grand French opera house called The Grand Opera House in Paris – yes, Paris - where fashion is the air we breathe, don't you agree? It was there that Taglioni introduced an even shorter* tutu (one even lighter and more floaty), and it became an instant hit with the public, leaving them completely besotted. A truly iconic fashion statement – and something that continues to influence how dancers move on stage Today's contemporary ballerina stars like Misty Copeland, all wear a modern form of her iconic invention, even when their dancing is modern, as ballet dancers use these tutus so readily they’re instantly recognisable for any ballerina even today.
Now, as you can imagine, change doesn’t always come without whispers of dissent and disapproval – people are very stuck in their ways, don’t you think? Imagine, the shock, the disapproval. It must have been so entertaining to watch this ballet-crazed audience get to see this new shorter tutu, something truly extraordinary. They would have gone absolutely crazy!
But change is good! Fashion changes - it must in order to truly stay fresh. And like all the other iconic outfits through time – take a look at the Little Black Dress for example, the trench coat, or that perfectly tailored suit - we all still cherish what the tutu has done to empower women, make them feel bold and beautiful, whilst still showing their incredible physical prowess - it’s pretty remarkable!
Just imagine that this little dancer in the 1800s helped usher in the beginning of an absolute Tutu-Mania on stage – who could have thought that in the decades to follow it would make its way off the stage and on to the street? Who could have possibly dreamed this iconic ballet look would take on the meaning of femininity, beauty, joy, power, even a feeling of rebelliousness? And not to mention that it just looks so stunning with our new Pink Tutu designs for the home…
This was the start of something incredible – a ballet fashion movement - which we will keep exploring every week in our wonderful little space here on Pink Tutu. And, of course, the beauty of the Tutu as it’s developed, especially the *Romantic tutu, we see in these earlier dates, has a beautiful impact on our outfits and fashion today*
And just so you know: It wouldn’t be Tutu Tuesday, darling, if I didn't let you in on some delicious pink-tinted secrets... It turns out our favourite, iconic tutus of the 1850s didn’t exactly feature the vibrant pink we see so much in our fashion and designs here at Pink Tutu. Now, you might say it's tragic (but I can’t help it but say I feel the pain), but here's the story you’re all itching for....The shade of pink wasn’t as bright and joyful as our gorgeous designs. They were more likely to be in *delicate shades of rose or pale peach. It was a subtler approach to the colour, one we may appreciate less now in today’s world.
It wasn’t until the 1900s we see a vibrant bold pink emerge in this style of ballet fashion as a truly iconic shade for all ages. From our little girls wanting to be like the elegant princesses from a fairytale and grow up in a ballet dress like that to all those fantastic dancers wanting to showcase their physical skills with the beautiful fluidity, lightness and elegance in this iconic look…I really have a weakness for a bold beautiful pink. So we, as pink tutu aficionados of this era - or of any era - have to think of this development in pale, pink hues* as just another glorious piece of the evolving beauty of the Tutu which goes back hundreds and thousands of years in various cultures and designs across the globe. It has an amazing, captivating history*
But just imagine, all those years before this... when the world first experienced this iconic garment as a ballet fan… Just to see something so unique and exciting... it's almost a shame we can’t jump on the time machine together.
It's all those historical elements of a wonderful dress - that we love so much to this day. Just think, a design created for practicality was designed to capture a dancer's agility and lightness. But as years went by, that fashion detail would capture a world – and with it we have seen the emergence of a global fashion moment!
As always, darlings, I want to know your thoughts! Share with me your favorite Tutu moments in the comments below, whether it's a ballet performance that left you breathless, a chic Tutu-inspired look you saw on the streets, or your very first (and probably not last) twirl in a tutu.
What are you waiting for? Get ready for a whirlwind of tutus! Stay tuned for #TutuTuesday next week - same time, same place. Remember, the more tutus the merrier, and as we say in my lovely hometown of Derbyshire... Happy Twinning, darlings!
P.S. I love you all – more than you can ever imagine, and so does my tutu – the most gorgeous pink tulle tutu you can find! It just goes to show that if there is something you love - you need to work towards it. Keep believing in that, and like our little ballerina dancers – don't stop believing you can achieve your goals!
Emma xx
