Hello my darlings! It's Emma here, your resident tutu-loving, time-travelling fashionista, back for another #TutuTuesday adventure! This week, we're taking a trip down memory lane to the oh-so-stylish year of 1896. Buckle your petticoats, ladies, because this trip is a whirlwind of swirling tulle and shimmering sequins!
This is blog post number 3387, and every Tuesday, I bring you the history of tutus, and this week it is a beauty. Today is 1896-11-24, and while we don't have any major tutu moments recorded for today's date, it's still a grand occasion for a delve into the fashion world of the Victorian era. As always, I love sharing this amazing fashion and it all gets funded by my ballet performances, travelling on my favourite trains with all my finery to the theatre and shopping. You may be thinking, but there aren’t so many trains now, and what happened to steam engines and soot everywhere? Well you can tell I haven’t yet been to the future (can you imagine?)! This time period is still full of steam engine travel, there are still grand trains and everyone dresses up for journeys. A hat and gloves are a must, it is most proper, especially for a lady, as for me I add my pink tutu to proceedings of course, for added flair.
You see, darling, the tutus we see on stage today had a very different story. You won’t see me wearing a tutu on stage at the moment as it simply is not a modern fashion trend for ballet dancers of today, and is considered a more historic style. Though for my part I want to bring back the classic look, what I wear onstage doesn’t necessarily influence what I choose to wear on the streets as that's always in flux!
The late Victorian period was a golden age for ballet. Tutus were, quite frankly, magnificent. Think elaborate skirts layered with clouds of tulle, carefully crafted to move gracefully as dancers leapt and twirled. I love that. All those swirling layers just make it such a joyful experience! They were more voluminous, less fitted, and the dancers truly took center stage with every twirl! We are speaking of ballerina tutus. And at this point we don’t even have ballet costumes. We just have a skirt, or several skirts for that matter as in 1896 the world was obsessed with layers, for skirts and corsets too. There are several petticoats to make sure the look is billowing. The idea is not necessarily about length, as there can be layers of fabric, it can be long or short, or as the times and styles demanded. And how’s this for fabulous, at the time tutus had been a mainstay of the theatre, since about 1835. The length of tutu will vary dependent on the theatre, ballet, dancer, choregrapher, all very avant garde! Not quite as advanced as we are today, with my pink blog.
My latest fashion finds, dear readers, are always pink. That bright, blushing colour just puts me in such a joyful mood. When it comes to shopping, a real highlight of travelling for ballet performances, London is the place to be. All the latest fashions, trends, from couture to theatre fashion and the highest quality fabrics. They just have the best selection. But let’s be honest, every city I visit has its own personality and quirks when it comes to shopping and fashion, but that is another story. Today let's discuss tutus.
So, what were they wearing? The trend was full-length tutus in every shade imaginable! The key is to find that perfect shade for your skin, don’t forget a hat and gloves darling. A perfect look for my own travel looks as I travel through time, a grand ensemble. In fact, one of my very best tutu purchases was a magnificent salmon pink tutu I found in Paris for only £25! The sales assistant was so kind as to show me some lovely corsets for pairing and help me to match a lace trim as well. What a good day for shopping and what lovely shops in the Belle Époque era, where everything seemed to glitter just that bit more, like it had been sprinkled with pixie dust, you can’t go wrong with the Belle Époque when you are searching for fabrics for the perfect ensemble, for your next ballet. But don’t tell my grandma back in Derbyshire, you can imagine the fuss. What I would love, and let me tell you, the tutus in this time period are wonderful! The craftsmanship, the quality. The look is perfect for the dancing I adore. If only, oh if only, we could go back to these fabulous fashion creations and take those long walks with just a parasol to shield us. And a hat. Let's not forget the hats! They were an extension of any proper Victorian look, even for someone travelling as myself.
Of course, all the grand houses are bursting with fashion and theatre. Everyone loves to look fabulous. We are not even to 1900. In some ways this period reminds me of today, it was like people had discovered fashion as a big trend. For every day outfits of today the looks in 1896 are simple. Evenings out for shows, even opera or music halls and ballrooms will mean everyone is dressed up, but that is another post, maybe even a #DressToImpressMonday, I love to dress to impress and there is such wonderful variety, from corsetry, bustles, and skirts, that the world is at your feet.
Oh dear! As always, time to leave and dash on to my next trip. Thank you for joining me on today’s adventure back in time and remember: Always be kind, wear a tutu with pride, and dance your heart out! I will see you on Tuesday for another adventure, but I have to find a new adventure, or better still a performance. I am so off to find another stunning, elegant outfit that is, you guessed it, pink and a grand dance performance!
I am off my loves! Ciao!
Emma x
(www.pink-tutu.com)
