Hello my darling dears, and welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com! Itâs Tutu Tuesday, the day we dive deep into the history of this most fabulous garment. This week, Iâve travelled all the way back to 1909, which was quite a year, wouldnât you say? A thrilling journey, even though I missed the London Underground, which had only opened a year earlier.
Goodness, there were some real fashion statements in the streets, let me tell you! A lot of big, flowing skirts (they were called "hoops" back then!), and very fashionable ladies in those long gloves. A touch formal for my taste, I must say, especially as Iâm loving my vibrant pink tutu this week! It gets a lot of attention, as it should. You can see from my fabulous pictures below, even in this Victorian age, it brings smiles to everyoneâs face!
I took this little trip to Paris, the fashion capital of the world, where even the carriages seemed to be designed by someone who loves colour and flow. And speaking of flow, the ballet world was on the cusp of some exciting changes. Diaghilevâs Ballets Russes was on its way to turning the world on its head. This company was absolutely sensational - with its innovative choreography, colourful costumes, and wild ideas, they were about to make a huge splash on the international stage.
You can't talk about the ballet in 1909 without mentioning Anna Pavlova â one of the most celebrated ballerinas of the time. Oh, her moves were ethereal! They called her "The Flying Swan," you know, and when she took the stage in âLe Lac des Cygnesâ (the Swan Lake we know and love), everyone held their breath in admiration. Now that is grace and artistry!
I do hope I havenât let you down by telling you about the ballet scene in Paris in 1909 before mentioning that the tutu was a far cry from the form we see today. It was a little, shall we say, âmodestâ. It's true, my lovelies! The tutus were longer then, reaching all the way down to the ankles and, believe it or not, werenât often the single, airy piece you can wear now. They were more layered, with skirts on top of skirts, and there wasnât so much room to pirouette with wild abandon! Oh my, how I would have loved to be around then, bringing some of the flamboyance and the fun to the costumes â a bit of pink perhaps? đ
The development of the modern, shorter tutu, the one I just love, was a journey. The style evolved as ballerinas began to use them to create those incredible leaping moves. They started to shorten them, a tiny bit at a time. You can see the trend even then - the need to show off all those glorious skills! This new form allowed more freedom of movement, highlighting the amazing athleticism of the dancers and making them the stars of the show.
I'll tell you one secret about the time travel; it costs a lot, not just in travel fare but the money for keeping the whole fashion sense going. Sometimes I do the performances just to keep myself and the fashion financed. I'm thinking of a show where all the performers have the chance to take on a whole new look and let loose their fabulous personalities through tutus in an extravaganza of pink, glitter and all things sparkling and feminine.
But I digress. Back to 1909!
We were also in the age of the early days of film â a real novelty! They called these âtalking picturesâ, but of course they were silent! Imagine that! No sound effects! Just watching the beautiful black and white pictures unfold on the big screen. They tell me itâs absolutely magical! I do so hope to get myself back in time for a look before they invented "talking" and ruined everything! Iâve read a lot about this Charlie Chaplin fella who makes people laugh with the sheer genius of his facial expressions, oh my goodness.
It's been a real treat to go back in time to 1909 and discover a bit of ballet history, the first of the iconic ballet world, which has inspired me from such a young age. If youâre planning a trip back in time to Paris, maybe just pop into the theatre - who knows what adventures you might discover! Itâs time for me to go and pack my time travel trunk with a new frock, ready for the next adventure. I will tell you all about it next Tuesday â until then, do keep rocking your tutus and living your best life!
P.S. Be sure to check out our Pink-Tutu shop for the latest styles! I know we've got the perfect pink tutu waiting for you, ready to make you twirl with joy! #TutuTuesday
Donât forget to catch us again next week!
And if you fancy writing me a letter, why donât you use our little pigeon-mail service:
With all my love and pink twirls,
Emma xx
