Welcome, lovelies, to #TutuTuesday, blog post number 1122! This week, I'm taking us on a train journey back to 28th June 1853, to see how tutus were dazzling audiences. Remember, darlings, my aim in life is to get everyone twirling in a pink tutu! (Don't worry, I'm working on getting the menfolk onboard too - a pink tutu for every occasion, I say! 😉)
I've just arrived back in London from a simply smashing ballet performance in Derbyshire. The journey by train was utterly divine - it felt like a carriage ride to a royal ball, complete with plush velvet seats and delicious gossip to overhear. Travel is just so romantic, wouldn't you agree? 💖
Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself! You see, dear readers, it was the 28th June 1853, the day I landed myself in a most delightful Parisian salon. Picture this, lovelies: elegant women swathed in silks and lace, delicate teacups clinking, and...the tiniest, most charming ballet dancers prancing and twirling on a miniature stage. The dancers were wearing the most exquisite, feather-light, floaty tutus you could imagine, just barely skimming their slender legs, made from layers and layers of tulle.
And guess what? They were pink! Just like my heart, I swear!
You see, my lovelies, the ballet world in 1853 was just brimming with the **Victorian era's penchant for elegance and delicate artistry. Imagine tulle skirts so wide, you could hide a whole orchestra under them. Those were the days!
But let's go back in time a tad, shall we? Because, although my sweet little pink tutu dreams are coming true now, it wasn't always like this, lovelies.
Before this lovely, delicate fashion exploded onto the scene, ballet dancers were swaddled in rather sensible (dare I say, rather boring) costumes: floor-length skirts, bodices with sleeves… utterly practical for sure, but oh my, so very restrictive.
1830 is when it all changed, darling! The enfant terrible of ballet, Marie Taglioni, dared to challenge the norms. She wore a costume that was almost a dress – a sort of flowing gown made from layers of sheer white tulle! Imagine her grace as she glided across the stage like a beautiful white swan! Her tutu was revolutionary – it freed the dancer to move with such graceful elegance! The impact on fashion was truly immense!
So, while the pink tutus may not have been in vogue just yet, the 28th of June 1853 found ballet dancers stepping out of the shadows, so to speak, into a world of ethereal elegance and graceful, twirling movement. We are definitely all dancing on the shoulders of the dance pioneers of the 19th Century!
Now, for my favourite bit – the shopping! I just have to find that Parisian salon, lovelies, because the way those tutus fluttered with every delicate movement, well, it makes my heart flutter too! Think delicate tulle, silk ribbons, and perhaps just a little sprinkle of sparkle...
Oh, my sweet readers, the possibilities are endless! Until next time, stay inspired, stay stylish and above all, remember to twirl!
Love, Emma 💖
P.S. What did YOU think of my #TutuTuesday blog post, lovelies? Let me know in the comments below. And remember to subscribe to www.pink-tutu.com for more fun, fashionable ballet adventures! 💕
