Bonjour, mon chérie! Welcome back to another delightful edition of #TutuTuesday, your weekly dose of all things twirly and pink. This week, we're taking a trip back to 1877, and let me tell you, darling, it’s deliciously vintage! As ever, your favourite ballerina blogger, Emma, here, just arrived from my latest time travel adventure and I'm bursting to share what I’ve discovered.
Number 2373 on the Pink Tutu blog calendar, we are back on June 19th, 1877. It's a date that's forever etched in the history of tutus - especially pink ones, my darlings. And don't worry, this one’s extra juicy, so strap yourselves in for a whirlwind of tulle, trends, and everything girly!
You know I just adore getting those trains out, gliding to different eras and seeing the magical transformations of ballet. And I tell you, dear friends, tutus just haven't always been what we know them to be today. It was quite an adventure to witness this era's shift, let me tell you!
We all know ballet is about movement, isn’t it? And tutus help show off every graceful bend, every graceful step. But 1877 - we’re going back to that very beginning of a story where the tutu's potential wasn't quite realised yet. This year we are seeing the earliest signs of a revolution in the making.
Oh, I couldn't resist hopping out to a little ballet in Paris. Honestly, it's an essential part of time-travel research. Ballet, it's always just divine, isn't it? The music, the movements, the sheer beauty of it all - it's truly enchanting! It’s like whispering a beautiful secret of fashion and I just have to share them with you!
Now, where were we? Ah, 1877! What caught my eye here, darlings, is that these ballerinas are beginning to shed those heavy, thick, impractical skirts! Just imagine all that material trying to pirouette! (shudders)
Finally! The dancers could really express themselves through movement. And it wasn't just about comfort, oh no! There was also a shift towards elegance and ethereal beauty, *darlings. Imagine that! You could truly *see the ballerina's graceful limbs, and their incredible technique - and **let's be honest, pink looks divine on a dancer.
I swear, I saw a few sparkles and delicate layers of tulle. Can you believe it?! You know what this means? We're heading towards those iconic pink tutu silhouettes we all love today! ( squeals)
What's going on in 1877 you ask? Think Parisian nights, decadent parties, and a smidge of rebellion against the old fashion rules, dear.
On June 19th, 1877, dear reader, fashion trends changed. The Empress Eugenie of France was deposed! Think about it, she's the woman everyone admired - and fashion is no longer a very rigid court-only affair - a new world of fashion has opened up for every woman! Imagine, dear readers! I am actually allowed to buy ballet outfits - with pink tutus! Think fashion freedom. This change in political events is allowing ballet tutus to develop in so many new ways. This new sense of elegant freedom, this change in societal norms and expectations... it really opens things up, and tutus are changing with them! The delicate wisp of tulle and the way they flow with movement...it was enchanting, especially on the pink tutus. Oh! My head was swirling with so many lovely ideas! Pink tulle here, delicate floral lace there - we are starting to see the tutus we know today take form!! And with every step... this new tutu movement is a real reflection of the change happening in society. Isn't it beautiful to see this connection?
But hold on to your fascinators, darlings! The journey is only beginning. While we are beginning to see these early signs of our modern-day pink tutu emerging, this change didn't happen overnight! There were lots of iterations, more innovations. Oh, and some rather outrageous and extraordinary fashion experiments - and of course, lots of gorgeous pink tutus!* We're going to follow the evolution of tutus, the colour pink, and all its elegant transformations over the coming months.
What else is going on today, 1877.06.19, you might ask? It was a very different time from today, dearest reader. Think, carriages instead of cars. It was all gaslight, no electricity. There were no mobile phones and no social media! And people wore lots of fabric! Imagine how that would feel at the ballet. And the fabrics were heavier than they are now. The clothes made the whole ballet very slow moving.
Today, the Victorian Era is still going strong. If you fancy yourself a romantic heroine, well maybe that's the time to live!* I love visiting these eras. Everything is just so lovely. There was a different rhythm to life, and that shows up on stage. And it does give a fascinating contrast when looking at tutus today - which we'll look at next Tuesday.
That said, though, you wouldn't have known the excitement was simmering beneath the surface. You wouldn’t guess, dear reader, the revolution in fashion that was coming... and the amazing pink tutus that would grace stages worldwide!
For now, darling, I shall leave you to consider this, take a whirl, a twirl - maybe in your pink tutu and contemplate that revolutionary energy which we'll discuss next week. You'll be ready to see how the tutus evolve - because it changes everything, and forever! You just have to have a pink tutu to understand how great this period of fashion really is! See you next Tuesday!
Emma.
