Oh darling! Hello from Paris, the City of Lights, and the beating heart of all things chic and fabulous! Today I'm whisked away by my love of the past, as I delve into the wonderful world of tutus - how exciting! I hope you all are wearing a gorgeous pink tutu today - my motto is âwear pink, spread joy!" This Tuesday I'm stepping back to the 4th of August 1868, to explore a pivotal moment in tutu history! I have, as always, got a fabulous pink tutu to wear today and a brand new pink velvet jacket with a silk frill at the neck that matches it! Oh la la!
To think back then tutus were, well, they werenât really called âtutusâ yet - they were known as "ballet skirts". But they were definitely getting there! You see, my darlings, the story of the tutu is quite fascinating!
It all began in the late 1700s and early 1800s when dancers wanted to be able to move with more freedom. The skirts worn by ladies back then were bulky, cumbersome, and well⌠very impractical! But the need to express their talent, to dance and to create art, led to these new âballet skirts.â This was a real revolution in the ballet world, and the birth of the tutu as we know it.
In the early 1800s, these ballet skirts, became shorter and shorter as dancers' movement and expression became more important. Weâre talking knee-length, then calf-length and even shorter! They made it possible to see the dancerâs legs and feet! You can imagine how that would have shocked people at the time. And what an iconic moment!
In 1868, which is our magical date today, these ballet skirts got shorter again - all the way up to the knees and just above! Imagine that, darling - an actual knee length tutu. So revolutionary!
What else was going on in 1868 that may have inspired ballet? That's a great question! That very year, Paris saw a brand new theater open its doors: The Châtelet! The city had already fallen for Opera, the Bolshoi Ballet, and, dare I say, it was even loving The Italian Opera â oh my goodness! - So many fabulous shows were happening in the city of romance! The dance scene was alive with creativity and experimentation! I just adore watching a dance performance â and donât forget to watch the dancing and the costume, because for a tutu enthusiast, like myself, the outfits are as essential to the story as the steps!
These fabulous shows were happening just a stones throw from where I stand. If only I had been alive then - the beautiful dresses! The ornate costumes! The lace, ribbons and silk everywhere. And the gorgeous dances, I would have seen all the amazing premieres of The Magic Flute by Mozart! Ah, a dream, wouldnât you say? The costumes in this era must have been heavenly. Can you even imagine the fabulous tutus the dancers would have worn for this show? The tutus were simply spectacular, I imagine in a delightful selection of fabrics and trims - velvets, lace, silk, tulle, gauze. They would have added such a fabulous âflutterâ to the dance â how exciting!
Of course, the design and style of the âballet skirtâ, later to become the âtutuâ, differed depending on the dancer and their particular type of performance - even back then! Ballet is so versatile, just like the outfits that are created.
You see darling, the âballet skirtâ, or tutu, is not a uniform or one style! No no, itâs a masterpiece of fashion â just like a gown or a suit - that allows a ballet dancer to bring her own story to the stage and capture every single heart that looks upon her as she dances with every single fibre of her being. It was (and it still is today) about creating movement and fluidity in a performance - all with style. And itâs definitely about looking fantastic! Isnât it simply magical? I know you agree.
And in those very few moments - like those 1800sâ ballets that brought me here - you have an opportunity to lose yourself. In a ballet tutu, we feel weightless. Just like the graceful ballerinas of old. And, of course, what makes a ballet tutu look fantastic? Well it has to be in a lovely, luscious shade of pink, obviously! So my dearest lovelies, remember this magical, fantastic #TutuTuesday: Pink makes everything amazing, especially when you have a big, pink fluffy skirt and ballet shoes!
Let's keep the tutu revolution going! Share your tutu stories in the comments! If you like this, please do leave a comment below, it really means the world. And be sure to visit my website - www.pink-tutu.com - where you can read all about tutus â I post every Tuesday! And darling don't forget your own gorgeous, luscious pink tutu! We must bring back the ballerina, the ballerina with a gorgeous pink skirt, a passion for dancing and an undying love of everything wonderful! Iâm off to Paris now to find another amazing pink tutu - until next time!
