Good morning, lovelies! It's Tutu Tuesday, and I'm thrilled to be taking you on another magical journey through time, all from the comfort of my very pink-tweeted perch at www.pink-tutu.com! Today, we're going right back to the heart of the 1860s – can you imagine? Tutus haven't been quite so frothy then!
For the past year I’ve been touring the globe, traveling by train, taking in shows, dancing in classes, shopping till I drop and learning all about ballet history and its fashion. It's not always easy juggling it all, being a time traveling ballerina, but darling, it’s so much fun! All my travels are funded by performing, which is a rather wonderful way to spend my days and nights. The most wonderful aspect of these tours is discovering and sharing fascinating historical tidbits, all for your delight! I believe in spreading the joy of tutus to everyone, so today's #TutuTuesday is all about how tutus have been making their mark on the world - and how their story keeps changing, just like my ever-evolving pink tutu collection.
(Please do have a read through my previous posts too. Oh I’m sure you are!)
A Parisian Affair 🇫🇷Our story starts in 1864, dear readers, which I know is way before our current love of super bouncy, tutus - think of the glorious ballet history unfolding now! Well, before tutus really existed, to be quite honest. Back in this timeframe, it's Paris that's the heart of the ballet world, as you know, so we are there too!
Our lovely dancers, with a far stricter routine, were mostly sporting Romantic tunics, and it wasn't till later in the decade that 'The Black Swan’ and a new form of tutu were unleashed by the very fashionable and dramatic Mademoiselle Marie Taglioni - in a ballet I can't imagine missing – The Lake of Swans.
The 29th March 1864, just to put you in the picture, falls exactly in that year - before the first black swan took flight and the real evolution of what we love so much began. Think of it this way, darling - every beautiful piece of dance history we enjoy today started with those first tiny little baby steps in the history of ballet tutus. And those first tutus? A far cry from the tutus you can see at The Royal Opera House and Sadler's Wells, but just as magnificent - think, 'Romantic' tunics, almost flowing like a dress and all so incredibly chic!
I do love to see a ballerina's dress made up of soft flowing chiffon. A ballerina is just so chic in this kind of dance wear, so chic in their graceful dance movements as they flow so beautifully through the ballet moves - you could almost see that on that day in March, it's all so dreamy to imagine. Perhaps one day, dear readers, we will meet up on March 29th, 1864!
Ballet Fashion Inspiration: 🩰💖Now, even if we're still a ways away from the classic tutus of the present day - believe me, darling, there's still some amazing inspiration to be found. If I'm being truly honest, the tutus they've been rocking in this era are incredibly gorgeous. I find them wonderfully captivating in their elegant sophistication, especially if we take the Romantic ballerina’s look for example. And, even with a bit less frill (tututu!) in those early days, it's amazing how much detail went into those Romantic tunics. They were made from a special and fine lightweight silk, giving a flowy feeling and looking absolutely spectacular! Just imagine a ballet, with a sea of pale pink or beautiful pastel tulle. The 'romantic’ era' ballet dancer really was the ultimate ballerina of that age. I wonder if we could take some ideas for our modern looks today?
Travelling AroundWe must take time, darling, to go beyond just the dance stage and the 'on-stage' tutus, as those romantic ballerinas in the past have something to teach us for our everyday outfits! Those gorgeous tunics might look like some ‘on-stage’ dance dresses today.
How I love to travel by train and admire the stylish ladies wearing beautiful dresses and long skirts. You can see those styles influencing the world of ballet, right? There are so many fashionable ideas that we can pinch! (Just think balletwear in its beginnings is fashion - what's not to love?!) It's actually fascinating to see these ‘every day’ looks inspiring dancers. What is it, do you think, about dancers that makes them so attuned to the fashion trends? We just have to thank all of these influences in the fashion history and style around us today - don't you think?
This #TutuTuesday has reminded us that tutus, or the origins of their story, are everywhere, in every form. I’m still travelling around, loving every moment - from learning ballet history in an ancient Parisian theatre to hopping onto a train heading to an amazing ballet street performance, and searching out unique dancewear shops while on the journey!
There’s still so much to discover about this fashion story and this is just a very short part of our #TutuTuesday. I want you to keep thinking about the origins of our lovely modern tutu! Until next Tuesday! I do so love spreading a bit of joy with every ‘pink-tutu-tastic’ #TutuTuesday and don’t forget, darling - there's a pink tutu for every one! 💖
Love Emma. 💕
