Bonjour, darlings! Emma here, your resident pink tutu aficionado, and it’s #TutuTuesday! 🩰✨
Today, I'm taking you on a whirlwind journey back to the glorious year of 1893. I just finished up a fantastic performance in Paris – those French audiences, they’re simply divine! I love performing here, so many fantastic shops! My tour of Parisian couture and boutiques has been absolutely bonkers – so many incredible, breathtaking pieces, but nothing quite beats the whimsical allure of a perfectly draped, oh-so-pink tutu, darling.
Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, 1893! This year, while still a few years off from the invention of the modern tutu (which we’ll be talking about next week – keep those pink tutus at the ready, dear readers!), the stage is starting to get set, if you will, for the tutus to take the world by storm. It’s like a delicious anticipation – a hint of tutu-iciousness on the horizon.
Just this past year, in 1892, the famed Russian ballet choreographer Marius Petipa began experimenting with shortening the ballerina’s skirt. Instead of the floor-length skirts of the time, his ballet "La Bayadère" featured ballerinas in shorter skirts – shorter than before, but certainly not tutus as we know them. We still see quite a bit of fabric swirling, though, giving the ballerinas the movement to display their graceful, divine talent. But that glimpse, that brief peek, at bare legs, darling, is just tantalising!
That spark, that little glimmer of bare skin, it's starting to cause quite a stir in the theatre world, and everyone’s talking. This change, while quite small in the scheme of fashion history, was significant for a time when women rarely, if ever, exposed their legs!
Think about it: this was a time when the bicycle was only starting to become popular, so to have an all-female ballet company showcasing their legs in a theatrical performance was nothing short of shocking. Imagine, all those gentlemen in the audience with their hearts fluttering at every little twirl! Talk about the power of fashion, darling!
So, as we move towards the late 19th century, think about what a statement shorter skirts would be for the ballerinas. This change is leading to what I truly believe is the dawn of the tutu, paving the way for those wonderful short, billowing skirts, just right for twirling and showing off their divine skills. It’s like an exciting journey, don’t you think, darling? A peek into what is about to be an iconic fashion trend for ballerinas.
This date holds other exciting moments! I was absolutely captivated by the beauty and fashion on display in Vienna, as the first International Art Exhibition kicked off there, highlighting beautiful pieces from across the world. That beautiful Vienna! What an amazing city! As a Derbyshire girl, I found myself absolutely enthralled by the delicate details, the swirling fabric, and the breathtaking art!
Now, what can you expect from the rest of this exciting, groundbreaking year of 1893? Well, darling, buckle your dancing shoes, because it’s going to be a tutu-astic year! Look out for more on the fashion, history and exciting tidbits about our favourite, fabulous twirly dresses coming your way right here!
Stay tutu-fully fabulous and never be afraid to let your pink tutu shine, darling! Don't forget to visit www.pink-tutu.com every Tuesday for another thrilling episode of #TutuTuesday, and remember, darling, we are all about to be taken on a journey of tutu-tastic, magical, and wondrous fashion history together!
