Bonjour mes amies, and welcome to another enchanting Tuesday with your favourite tutu-wearing time traveller! This week, I've waltzed back to 21st September, 1897 – a period bursting with captivating dance trends and fashion finesse, naturally, and it's a trip I won't soon forget!
For my travels this week, I packed a delightful pink (my signature hue!) tutu and a stunning vintage lace shawl, and settled into the plush velvet carriage of the Orient Express. It’s incredible how far technology has come – I'd love to share the intricacies of the journey itself with you, but I don't want to bore you with technical details when we have so much dance to discuss!
Now, if you are new to #TutuTuesday, this is where I whisk you through the history of ballet and fashion from my delightful time machine (shhh, don't tell the mechanics!), to share fascinating stories and discover what happened with the ballet and how that translated to fashion in a chosen year. You know I love a good journey through history.
The Heart of the Ballet
Upon arrival, I ventured straight to the Opéra Garnier in Paris. Oh, how stunning it was! The opulence, the glamour! But the highlight of the day was a delightful evening performance. Now, remember my darling tutus? We might think of tutus as purely modern attire but they were actually quite fashionable in 1897 – though not quite what you might imagine today!
The tutus on stage were stunningly elaborate, a veritable kaleidoscope of vibrant colour and decadent materials. And this is the exciting thing – back in 1897, every ballet performance would have worn tutus, so what we take as ‘a traditional outfit’ of our time was still a brand-new look!
The most impressive performance of the night, which completely blew my socks off (though thankfully not my ballerina slippers!) was “La Esmeralda.” I don't want to spoil the beautiful storytelling of the performance, but let me tell you the tutus on show were so intricate, it truly looked like every seamstress in Paris worked their needle to create them!
Fashion Through Dance
The influence of “La Esmeralda” was undeniable. In fashion, *the bustle era was in full swing, so imagine my thrilled surprise to discover a charming connection between both ballet and fashion – a little surprise for my fellow tutu aficionados!
The dramatic silhouette of the La Esmeralda costumes (think dramatic long sleeves, puffed shoulders, with all those lovely frills! ), resonated with Parisian fashion in an exciting way – just look at how we saw similar layers of fabric, the emphasis on long trains (almost like ballet costumes themselves) and those beautiful corsets that added to the elegant silhouette of the women's fashions!
And speaking of colour, imagine my delighted gasp when I walked through the boudoirs of a local atelier. The same vivid colors from the ballet stage – luscious reds, dramatic blacks, rich golds, vibrant greens and, of course, a stunning pink that I immediately knew would have to find its way into my next pink tutu.
Now, a big thing about dance fashion back then was the inclusion of real gemstones! Pearls, emeralds, rubies, were all de rigueur for a well-dressed prima ballerina. Just imagine – a delicate lace tutu glittering with rubies? The imagination truly runs wild when thinking about these creations!
I also stumbled across gorgeous printed cotton gowns with enchanting floral patterns , oh, it was absolutely dreamy. It was a delightful inspiration to witness a time when dance so seamlessly connected to everyday fashion – it was breathtaking and, of course, made me very happy as my love of fashion was well and truly ignited.
A Whimsical Fashion Note: Embracing the Pink!
Don’t forget about my passion for pink! 1897 might not be considered our pinkest decade (unless you count those gorgeous pastel pink silk gloves!). But let’s just imagine for a moment – how exquisitely chic a pink ballet dress might look! Now I’m starting to get those time travel wheels turning…
Sharing My Findings!
Remember darling tutus, every #TutuTuesday journey teaches us something! In 1897, the sparkling magic of ballet seeped into everyday fashion. So remember you are a part of this story – your unique fashion choices also have a special connection to the beautiful dance performances you enjoy!
This week, embrace the dazzling hues of pink, embrace your inner ballerina, and enjoy the dazzling journey of dance fashion! See you next week – on another spectacular #TutuTuesday!
Until then – keep twirling and stay fabulous, darling tutus!
XOXO,
Emma
