Hello my darling dears, and welcome back to another #TutuTuesday! It's your girl, Emma, back from another jaunt through time, and trust me, this week's journey was pure magic. Today, we're heading to Paris, the City of Lights, and stepping into the heart of ballet history. You know I just adore exploring how the world of tutus has evolved, so put on your prettiest pink shoes and let's twirl back in time!
Post Number 1349 - Buckle Up, We're Going on a Journey
You know, you can always rely on a good train journey to inspire creative thought. The rhythm of the tracks, the chatter of fellow travellers, and the whiff of coal smoke always set my mind spinning. And when that mind starts imagining fluffy tutus in all their glory, well, I simply must get to a keyboard!
I always do a quick hop to a bustling city before starting each time-hopping adventure. This week, I found myself in London's Victoria Station. The Victorian era is such a fascinating time ā you can just imagine the excitement as travellers prepare for grand adventures. But of course, it's not just the excitement that grabs me, it's the fashion! All those wonderfully full skirts and the men in their crisp top hats - what a dapper and dashing era it was! Speaking of full skirts... this is exactly where today's tutu history comes in!
A Peek Behind the Curtain: A Peek at 1857
The date? 1857, darling! The very year my dear old Great Aunt Prudence tells me she nearly saw Carlotta Grisi dance in the La Fille du RĆ©giment - she'd been planning to see her debut, but some nasty gossip from her friend Mrs. Smith convinced her to go to the theatre in Islington instead. But I digress! My grand plan was to get myself down to the Palais Garnier in Paris, which was just about finished being built at that time. It opened the very next year! Sigh ā I do love an opening night...
Let's Talk About Those TutĆŗs:
As a keen dancer, even if I am just a keen amateur these days, Iām a complete snob about my tutus. There's just something about a carefully constructed, perfect tutu that sets my heart aflutter. And today's date? Well, itās about the point where the tutu story really started to blossom!
Now, this isn't the first time we've seen a tutu ā Iāve already taken you back in time to when ballerinas started using lightweight dresses, or as they called them, skirts, which began in the 1700s, and even showed you the beginnings of the ātutuā as it was known back then ā more like a short skirt than anything else. But in 1857, things were getting much more refined. Itās the moment the world started to accept that a woman, as graceful as she was, could actually wear something a little less elaborate than her previous layered gowns ā she needed the freedom of movement. A tutu is meant to be about movement and the dance. And you just know all those new ballets needing exciting tours de force required those short skirts for a bit of drama.
Think about it, dear ones. Ballet itself had moved on from being simply dances and now was more athletic ā they needed a different design to highlight those lovely limbs! Imagine if all the grand jeteĀ“s were hidden underneath those beautiful old layers? No one would appreciate the power of those muscles. Ballet wouldnāt be what it is today. And certainly wouldnāt be the subject of my blog!ā
Enter The Romantic Era and the tutu as we know it today: Cue the swirling layersā¦
We were still a good decade away from Maria Taglioni becoming a star in 1827 and having the inspiration to kick off a ballet dance trend - thatās all about flowing tulle. However, if I am being truly honest - Maria had a big part to play in that! Those flowing tulle designs she and her sister used were the perfect inspiration. In those 1830s theyād begun to ditch their heavy, elaborate designs for much lighter versions ā and let me tell you ā they certainly knew how to work them. By the mid-1800s these styles were getting even more radical, as dancers and fashion designers started experimenting with new fabrics, shapes, and techniques, especially the lighter gauzes. And so began the trend towards what we consider the "Romantic Era" - one of the most glorious chapters in ballet history. Itās just such a feminine and powerful style.
In the Palais Garnier, as the audiences clapped for those dazzling women wearing the tutu as we know it today, they couldnāt imagine what was about to happen in 1870 when that infamous war arrived on their doorsteps, but by that point it had truly changed forever and became what it is todayā¦ a fashion symbol in its own right! Donāt get me started on the evolution of the ballet tutu from those light gowns that the earlier ballerinas woreā¦ itās a glorious story! The dance world, at this point, would never have known what a big change those first glimpses of tulle would bring about - in terms of style and fashion for both the dance and the general fashion of women.
Tutu Trendsetter: From Ballerinas to Beyond
What a lovely, inspiring story! Isnāt it so much fun? I hope you are thinking that the tutu story is a real fairy tale - with all the glamour, excitement and passion that we have been talking aboutā¦
It's a wonderful thought, that so many things which began simply with ballet - became fashion icons ā donāt just think of fashion design darling - remember the ballerinas themselves were also becoming famous ā the first fashion stars and muses! Think of it: Those dancers became as fashionable as the people in their audience. There are so many beautiful designs of the Romantic ballet tutu that could become part of fashion on the stage - the opera and then justā¦ for anyone!
Who is this blog really for ? Well darling, this blog isnāt just for those who dance and go to ballet. I hope it is for those people of course! But it is for you who loves to wear pretty things! Everyone, I tell you ā Everyone is meant to wear a pink tutu at some time! If I could travel even further in time, we might get them everywhere. Imagine everyone on the planet wearing a pink tutu!! Isn't that a delightful idea?!
And I bet that a lot of that change came about on 3rd November 1857 - what a magic date.
Now, to your usual Tutu Tuesday shopping trip!!
I'll be dashing off now for my shopping spree, of course! And I do have the perfect place Iāve found for those ballet-inspired pink tulle designs in Parisā¦.it is simply gorgeous!
I think my readers will enjoy these as a real āspecial treatā and just as a great example of why tutus deserve their place in any fashion wardrobe. Think elegant, but also playful and beautiful and it will fit in perfectly with whatever you decide to do ā wear your tutus, ladies - thatās my motto!
But before I do that..I have a questionā¦ What colour tutu do you want to see for our next #TutuTuesday blog post? Leave me a message in the comments and donāt forget, there's nothing that says "fashion darling" quite like the simple style and grace of a tulle tutu.
Until next Tuesday! Keep swirling!
XOXO, Emma www.pink-tutu.com
