Hello darlings, and welcome back to my little corner of the internet where all things tutu are celebrated! I’m Emma, your time-traveling fashionista with a passion for pink and a love for all things ballet. This week, we’re going back to November 28th, 1854, and I’m wearing the most exquisite pale pink tutu, all tulle and frills.
Now, this date isn’t technically the date of a famous tutu moment, but it's a beautiful starting point for discussing the evolution of ballet attire, darling. Let's go back in time to when ballet was finding its legs in the Victorian era - or, rather, its slippers! You know, the era where the corset was king and hoop skirts were queen!
I'm here to tell you, those costumes? They weren’t exactly tutu-licious. Back in the day, a ballerina's outfit would be quite restrictive - layers of stiff fabrics, often heavier than a dancer could bear. This meant movements were limited, graceful flowing movements were out of the question. Oh, how I feel sorry for those girls in their stiffly layered clothing, not quite getting their chance to really dance and fly like ballerinas should!
The first real sign of a tutu was the introduction of the "tutu à la française", which meant the skirts were longer and very much gathered with loads and loads of layers of tulle and netting. Think of it as a big, flowing cloud of tulle - very ethereal and beautiful!
But I tell you, those 1850s tutus? It's so fun to watch! We had lots of big sweeping dramatic movement and plenty of room for artistry, which is my absolute favourite thing in ballet. If the choreography was not always a marvel of modern technique - it was dramatic. And remember darling, it’s all about the choreography. If the costume is hindering your dance moves, it's no good.
Let me paint you a picture - imagine the excitement, the elegant waltzes and jumps that made a woman in her 1850s tutu a delight to watch!
Let’s not forget those pretty ballet slippers too. They’re another essential element to ballet - all dainty and flexible for elegant pointework - even though those early dancers might not have been up on pointework just yet.
But back to the clothes - think beautiful flowing silhouettes, ruffles galore and those dainty satin ballet slippers - so cute and feminine, just like us!
Oh, I also want to talk about trains in this post! It's simply wonderful how rail travel grew during the Victorian era! I’m a real train lover, you see, the smell of coal smoke and that soothing clatter of wheels as I dash off to my next ballet performance. So luxurious! And so elegant! Especially in the big grand ballgowns of the 1850s. All I want to do is pop on my pink tutu and go on a train ride in that era. Just imagine! The excitement!
So darling, it's these early times we can thank for setting the scene for our current dazzling tutu looks - although I am much more partial to a little bit of a tutu that goes 'oomph' on the hips - just look at what we have now - the stunning little wonders of the ‘tutu à la russe’ or the ‘tutu à la Camargo.’ Now these little darlings show off the dancers body - but I'll be talking about these more in a future post!
I love how those early days set the stage for our modern, fun tutu style! Even with those restrictive fabrics. They dared to dance, just like we should!
This week, while you’re enjoying your ballerina buns and dreaming of fluffy tutus, try to imagine the ballerinas in their gowns and layered tutus in the 1850s. It's just wonderful, so full of grace and drama - truly inspiring, even if the costumes were a little heavy.
And now, darling, tell me: are you excited for a pink tutu and a trip to the theatre to enjoy a beautiful show? Or perhaps, a trip to your nearest dance studio to give it a try? The world of ballet, you see, awaits!
Until next Tuesday darlings, stay twirling and remember to embrace your inner ballerina. Always!
Emma xo
P.S
Don't forget to check out www.pink-tutu.com, for more tutu fun and exciting blog posts every week!
