#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1854-10-24

Hello dears! It's Emma, your resident tutu enthusiast, and it's #TutuTuesday again! I’m back with another fascinating peek into the history of the tutu! This week, we're going on a trip back in time to 24th October 1854 - can you imagine what the world of ballet was like then? As always, I’m travelling through time in my favourite pink tutu. There's nothing quite like swirling in a tulle confection while you're zipping between centuries!

Oh, before I start, let me know if you’re wearing a pink tutu today! Tell me about your style in the comments below!

Our destination this week is Paris. You all know how much I love the City of Lights - the elegant buildings, the fashion houses, the coffee… oh, and of course the Ballet! Back in 1854, Paris was absolutely the centre of the ballet world. You might know Carlotta Grisi, she's like the ultimate ballet icon - she wore the most amazing costumes in The Corsair ballet back in 1856! Just the image of her flitting around on stage in the early stages of tutu development just gets me so excited! It's so much more exciting than, say, the tutus in ballet in England around the same time, which were more full-length and kind of heavy looking, though Fanny Cerrito, that famous dancer was wearing those stunning tutus with a lot of layers, it's all about layers for a good dramatic look, darlings, which she paired with some pretty lovely short skirts with sparkly trim - imagine! Can you imagine that outfit on stage today? It sounds absolutely magical.

It wasn’t always about tutus in Paris. In fact, romantic ballets often featured dancers in elegant but practical clothes, the sort of attire you'd imagine someone walking in a pretty garden in, kind of like a delicate, beautiful Victorian vision in tulle. Even if the designs were just getting more streamlined and the dancers were going for that shorter silhouette. And let’s not forget about the lovely ballet shoes – they’ve always been a core element of the ballerina's outfit.

Imagine, dear readers, wearing that amazing tutu with all those beautiful, sparkly, luxurious trimmings - a dream for any fashionable young woman!

Last month, I took a glorious trip on the train to Paris and found some fabulous vintage tutus. Just think about this! These were actually being worn on stage - and I actually own them! How amazing is that? The vintage finds are my absolute favourite. It’s hard to describe how amazing it felt - especially with a little vintage tulle and feathers fluttering around me!

But before I delve further into my French adventures, let's chat about this date - 24th October 1854. I bet there wasn’t a lot of fuss, especially not on the theatre side, but for us, that day is all about tutu history! Think of what the dancers were wearing on stage at the Opera Garnier, or what might have been in shop windows in Paris at that moment - maybe some pretty frilly lace dresses, a bit different from the styles that have grown into those breathtaking, iconic tutus we see today.

We're seeing the dawn of something very exciting for fashion! And while tutus are the star of the show this time around, let me know what YOU want to explore in ballet history! #TutuTuesday can take you anywhere - just give me a date and we can travel in style!

Now back to my Paris adventures! You can imagine all the glamorous stores I visited and the vintage garments I’ve found, oh, there are so many fascinating stories that will take me ages to tell! It’s always a whirlwind of fabulous discoveries when I hop on the train for Paris, or for any other ballet related venture. Speaking of travelling, I’m currently thinking of visiting St. Petersburg – that's all about ballet and tutu-tastic fashion, with those stunning, beautiful dancers in lavish costumes… But anyway, I better go. I've a busy day ahead, with an evening performance to get ready for. What's a fashionable ballerina to do? Shopping and a bit of pre-show dance practice… it's a tough job! Don’t forget to leave me a comment below about your tutu favourites, or your favourite ballerina outfits. See you next #TutuTuesday! And remember – live life in a pink tutu!