Bonjour mes chĂšres amies! đ
Emma here, back from another whirl through time, ready to sprinkle a little pink tulle on your Tuesday morning! This week, we're taking a journey back to 6th August, 1867. Itâs a Tuesday! (Can you believe?! Tuesdayâs always were a great day for tutus even back then) â just imagine the bustle in London's Covent Garden! (which, to be fair, is still bustling today when the Royal Opera House puts on a ballet!) Oh how I wish I had been there, ready to twirl and inspire. But first, let's have a chat about tutuland, or should I say the origins of the tutu. đ
You might be surprised, darling, to learn that the modern tutu as we know it hadnât quite strutted onto the scene yet in 1867. Sure, there were tutus, but they weren't quite the full, billowing confections that dance upon our dreams.
Now, my dears, bear with me, because history has it that the ballet tutu, that oh-so-elegant confection of tulle, can be traced back to ... drumroll⊠1839! Yes, that's right. You're reading this correctly. Marie Taglioni, a phenomenal dancer and fashion icon in her own right, dared to ditch the long skirts that had reigned in ballet for so long.
You see, prior to the tutuâs advent, ballet dancers had to shimmy and shake their bits in long, swishing gowns! And trust me, darlings, it wasnât easy. Imagine the practicality of a floor-length skirt and a demanding fouettĂ©. Not exactly a graceful leap to the top of your grand jetĂ©, is it?
Enter Marie Taglioni! This trailblazing dancer wanted more movement, more freedom! She envisioned a skirt that would soar and swirl with the dance. And who are we to argue with an elegant visionary like Marie?
Initially, the idea was quite the shocker! The audience, bless their cotton socks, had grown so accustomed to those big olâ ballroom dresses they expected from their dancers. Some even hissed, or whispered gossip, and grumbled in the back row, which is all the more reason for us to admire Taglioni for her rebellious artistry. She dared to be different and changed the face of dance forever. Itâs because of her that I am here, dancing and twirling and inspiring everyone I can with a little pink tulle.
However, by 1867, even the ballet audience had become rather accustomed to tutus! Imagine my surprise then when, arriving in Londonâs grand railway station, a very prominent London fashion magazine published a rather alarming statement. They suggested, youâre not going to believe this, but I must say it out loud because honestly I donât believe it either, they actually dared suggest, that the tutu had gone a bit overboard! It was no longer a demure and elegant creation. Oh no! they claimed that the dancers were âindulging in too much tulleâ.
The audacity! Too much tulle? Is there ever too much tulle, darlings? Why, if they were lucky to be in a position to say that there was too much tulle in the world, I say âBring on the tulle!â More, I say, more. There can never be enough! If they're afraid of tutus getting too elegant and dramatic, we should definitely send them off to ⊠well ⊠somewhere very far from the opera house! đ
Of course, our hearts must go out to our ballet friends. To those who love tulle just as much as me. Because the tutus of 1867 still lacked some of the elegance and freedom of those tutus that I will eventually become used to during my time travelling adventures, those that have really become classics for ballet. Imagine, it wouldnât be until the end of the nineteenth century, that âThe Romanticâ tutu would blossom! Now that was a tutu worth its weight in tulle, darlings. But we are so very far from that now. In 1867 the dancers were stuck in âThe Classicâ style. A rigid design that hugged the thighs and sometimes sprouted long panniers. Imagine! Can you believe that weâve only known that for decades?! Oh how lucky we are! And yes, as this is the world of dance and of couture, some fashionistas found some interesting design elements in that tight fit: very fitted from the waist and a tighter form than its predecessor, the knee-length dress. So there we have it â a bit more fashion for the dancers to play around with, so some new innovations! I wouldnât want to give away too many surprises, I think youâll agree?
My darling fashionistas! Even with its more âclassicâ shape, 1867 brought some fascinating things. From what I've heard from the fashion houses (and the dressmakers in Covent Garden!), this year we were gifted with many stunning examples of innovative designs and new, beautifully embroidered silks, sartorial wonders I must tell you. The dance dresses werenât necessarily all tutus, although in this case they were, but a fascinating blend of delicate details. One such trend, a touch on the audacious side, for these much more daring ladies, (remember this was the Victorian era! These ladies weren't as outspoken as I like to be), a touch of red - it really must be noted how the very audacious few very dare-to-be-different types adorned their hems, their tutus and their gowns with touches of red for some special effects, for those ladies with a mind and heart daring to rebel against the times.
Yes! I absolutely adore traveling to places with tutus as the centrepiece of dance performances. Ballet is such a vital part of our history! What are the shows youâll be seeing this year?
Until next Tuesday, my lovely readers, may your lives be filled with twirling and tulle, and never a dull moment!
Love and Twirls, Emma xoxo
Donât forget to follow my blog at www.pink-tutu.com and tag me in all your pictures, you lovely twirly darlings! Just use #pinktutu! đ
