Hello dearies! It's Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood tutu-wearing time traveller!
Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, where every Tuesday we celebrate the most fabulous piece of clothing in history, the glorious, oh-so-whimsical TUTU!
Today, my lovely ladies, we're going on a time-hopping journey to September 25th, 1855. That's right, darling, nearly 170 years ago! Imagine, the steam engine was still fairly new and we were all getting used to being able to move so fast around the country! Imagine my surprise when I learned the tutus were just becoming popular way back then!
And why was 1855 such a monumental year in tutu history? Well, dearie, because on this date, the legendary dancer Marie Taglioni was invited to a royal ball in Russia! Oh my goodness! Can you imagine being THAT fashionable?!
Imagine the fluttering of her beautiful tulle skirts as she gracefully glided through the ballroom, an ethereal vision in white, a a true ballerina goddess! That was the power of the tutu, even back then. It was so elegant and airy, the perfect symbol of a woman's grace and power.
Now, this being #TutuTuesday, I simply couldn't go on this grand journey without rocking a little pink myself. And darling, let me tell you, travelling to 1855 was quite an adventure! Imagine - I found a beautiful silk petticoat in a dusty antique shop, it was actually exactly the right pink shade, and I took that train all the way to a lovely shop near London, to get the most exquisite, sheer, tulle - I absolutely adore vintage fabric, don’t you, dearies? The lady in the shop even helped me make a perfect fluffy, feminine little tutu! It just felt so... authentic.
The journey through time was fascinating. I even got to experience the world of Victorian fashion for myself! The bustle of a railway station filled with well-dressed gentlemen and ladies in their elaborate hats was quite something! And let's not forget, it was all thanks to the railway that tutus got even more popular at this time, darling. With trains whizzing people around the country, dance troupes had much bigger audiences!
I could almost smell the fresh blooms in their elaborate arrangements, hear the chatter of people catching up and admiring the newest fashion trends. Oh, darling, the ladies had their petticoats all stuffed up with whalebone! Honestly, their clothes were quite constricting! So when those lovely dancers twirled in their delicate tutus, what a glorious contrast they were to all those layers! Just picture it! So light and free... It’s no wonder that everyone adored tutus back then!
And guess what? Back then, even the males wore tutus! Can you imagine? That's something I would never dare wear to the local shop! You could call that tutu real gender-neutral fashion!
However, you have to understand my dearies, they weren't exactly Pink tutus, as I know and love them! Imagine if they'd had the color choices back then that we have now! My pink tutu dreams wouldn't be a dream at all - oh, darling, the world would be so much more colourful and vibrant!
So darling, do you like my new pink tulle masterpiece? I just know it would’ve been perfect for Marie Taglioni to wear to the Tsar’s royal ball, wouldn’t it? It's certainly given my trip a very stylish kick-start. And I even made my own little crown - because the right tutu needs the right crown, don’t you think?
And who knows, maybe in a hundred years or so, when some adventurous little fashionista finds this very blog post, they’ll be able to find my lovely pink tutu on display in a museum. Or better yet, maybe I’ll get my very own boutique! Oh, to have all the colours of the rainbow to play with! Imagine the joy!
But darling, there’s a question that keeps running through my mind as I explore ballet’s past:
Would the world really be so much different if Marie Taglioni had worn a PINK tutu on September 25th 1855?!
It makes me wonder… maybe, just maybe, she would have become even more famous and the tutu’s fame would’ve grown even more quickly! Oh, darling, imagine if the history of ballet was awash with glorious, colourful tutus from the very start?! My dearies, I need to go back and see!
But until then, keep those tutus twirling, dearies, and remember, life is much more fun when you embrace the pink!
Stay sparkly,
Emma xx
www.pink-tutu.com
P.S. Want to help me bring those gorgeous pink tutus to life in our timeline? If you agree with me that every day should be tutu day - do tell everyone you know to follow Pink-Tutu.com! Together, we can make this happen!
