Hello Darlings!
Welcome back to my blog, www.pink-tutu.com! It's Tuesday, so you know what that means - it's time for another edition of my #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History series! This week, I'm taking you on a trip back to 1909-11-09 to delve into the wonderful world of ballet tutus in that era. I’ve arrived here by train, a journey from the Midlands I love doing, my Pink Tutu travelling safely and securely with me in my cabin. Oh, darling, it’s such fun to time travel!
(Please note: This is post number 4063 of my Ballet Tutu History blog.)
This time around, I’m in Paris, the City of Light, which is known for its fashionable and dramatic opera, ballets and beautiful dancers - all in gorgeous tutus, naturally! Just like us. Paris is a haven for everything luxurious and extravagant, and a delightful place to experience ballet in the early 1900s. Oh, the joy of a long weekend here!
(And as a reminder, dear friends, please do tag #PinkTutu so I can see all your glorious Pink Tutu moments! )
Now, let’s get back to that fascinating date - November 9, 1909 - and talk about ballet history. Back in these days, the world was getting all flustered about modern dance, a very, very different style of dance with its own type of dresses which did not involve tutus. However, traditional ballet, the ballet I’ve come to visit for, remained incredibly popular and of course that meant - tutus!
Did you know that tutus as we know them today - a true staple for any ballerina’s wardrobe, and for all the tutu-lovers of the world! - hadn’t even reached the big stage in the way they would be worn a few years later!
Yes, darlings! In 1909, tutus were definitely around, but there were variations of design and a general looseness about how ballet companies preferred them. They were definitely on a bit of a “journey” and finding their way.
(Now if you love the drama of theatre like I do and all of the colours, make sure to add those lovely, feminine, dramatic *#PinkTutu accessories to your #PinkTutu outfit, darlings! )*
There was so much creativity and freedom back in 1909! Oh, imagine a world of tutu design possibilities that are open for exploration, such excitement! I am so incredibly grateful for this glorious history. Let me tell you a little bit about the tutus in these earlier years, so we can learn more about our beloved, frothy creations.
The Romantic Tutu: These had longer, flowing skirts that often came down to the dancer’s ankles, creating a graceful, ethereal look that epitomised romanticism. We are looking at those light, fine silks. Imagine an evening of dance when those beautiful materials and fabrics danced with the dancers themselves.
The "Shortened" Tutu: Now, some ballerinas started getting more adventurous (in those more daring times). So we started seeing “shortened” tutus around this time. These were those romantic tutus with slightly shorter skirts, a precursor to the form we see today. Some people called this The Romantic Tutu. In Paris, those ballerinas looked very stylish indeed. You just have to know the perfect shoes for the ballet!
The Colour White - was the main colour and was meant to represent the innocence and purity of a ballerina’s movements, especially when performing classical ballets.
- Pink? It’s always a little tricky when you time travel back to 1909 to talk about pink. Oh, I adore the color Pink, and it always has been such a stylish, delicate and feminine color, and yet ... it didn’t quite get the same “pink” love as today! Now, to find it was always fun as the ladies might add a pink tinge to the whites.
I mean darling, just think. What if in the 20s there had been an obsession with pink? Just like what has happened in the 21st century! Could there have been a “Pink Tutus Only” era in that decade? Maybe we could time travel back and encourage a trend to Wear More Pink! Perhaps we could organise a “Pink Tutu for Life” ballet. I hope you're enjoying this, darlings. If you have any memories, or would like to share some of your ideas about pink tutus, or, how much you love the ballet, then make sure to comment on my post at www.pink-tutu.com
Decorative Detail: The ballerinas also wore a great deal of ”decor”, adding that touch of feminine elegance to make the entire costume look so extravagant! Delicate embroidery, hand-stitched laces, intricate beadwork and a plethora of sequins, feathers were all seen to be adorning their tutus - this was definitely about looking utterly divine, darling, and no expense was spared, believe me!
Fabrics: Of course they didn't call it “tulle,” and in many ways ballet had the luxury to use materials which are harder to come by, such as those expensive hand-crafted and woven silks. A really special creation in that era of time was known as “ toile, a fine and sheer material and often the fabric of choice - think about how the ballet moved with such beauty and flow. They’d use those woven silk “ fabrics” as we know them now - but they’d call it "toile"! - It added that really, really feminine, lightweight touch, I just adore it!
Oh, the glamour, the delicate details. Let’s also not forget the importance of those wonderful ballet shoes! Made from silk and satin they were really beautiful, but it would take decades more for ballet shoes to develop as they do today!
(My dear friends, be sure to *check out the beautiful dresses and tutus in my "Pink Tutu Collections!" I am adding more outfits every week!)*
It wasn’t just all about tutus. This era saw ballets, operas and theatre performances, so the women dressed for these, with the men looking just as lovely - well as lovely as a man could look. These events were all extremely fashionable! That's what drew people from far and wide and they wanted to dress in their best to impress everyone! We would look at many of these outfits with that delighted retro chic and feminine appeal! It’s such a fascinating period to revisit, with those lovely hats and bonnets.
It was the 1900s! Let’s take a look back at November 9th, 1909 and its social calendar! There was some absolutely wonderful theatre going on - let's have a glimpse of what the world was experiencing at that very special date!
- England At The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London was ”Carmen,” an opera which features such drama, beauty and intense music, that, frankly, I have to visit soon. I simply can't miss seeing this!
Now at the Shaftesbury Theatre there’s “The Quaker Girl”. This had already opened, as its run was from November 1st, but if I'm going to be at The Shaftesbury, what is better than to catch this beautiful musical comedy that had London by the scruff of its neck! Just so wonderfully flamboyant, and I love to catch this kind of drama in those really beautiful costumes! It's so inspiring to think how they put all this together in 1909, even those gorgeous ladies’ dresses! I can just picture them wearing lovely hats. I can’t wait to visit there in the 20s when they will be going wild for those feather headbands and hats. I do wonder how much the women were encouraged to add flowers into their hair. I am so, so tempted to grab some feathers and wear a stylish hat. They really did embrace drama, luxury and beauty, just as much as we do! I need to try some of these headbands on to make sure I look like a lovely Parisian! (If you love hats and hair-dressings don’t forget to *like my Pink Tutu website, where you will find details of my new *” Pink Tutus, Headbands and Accessories!” * Pink Tutu Style Book! You can find them here at www.pink-tutu.com - I've created lots of tutorials!) *
- France:
The Theatre des Champs-Elysées, Paris - was having “Aida” a production of drama, power, the wonderful* (of course, darling!)** music - all on an extravagant set design. We have some really famous opera stars involved here, who, let’s face it, loved to flaunt the drama.
(In Paris, when you travel through those beautiful old buildings, remember they still whisper with the drama of all those theatrical and balletic moments! The energy is incredible! Just think of that incredible energy flowing through every corner of Paris. Every corner of the Theatre des Champs-Élysées! I’ve made several ballet journeys here to experience those very special ”tutus”)
- United States:
For those travelling a little further across the pond: in the US "The Wild Rose" a popular operetta, set in rural Austria at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York. Those “wild roses” just oozed so much drama and passion, don't you think? A true treat of feminine theatrical passion! It’s such a lovely thought that back in 1909, there were already a bunch of lovely ladies out there living out those lovely “Pink Tutus!” (Maybe not the color pink literally, darlings.) - Well, why don’t you check this out next week. Perhaps you can see whether this operetta took the fashion of the world into account!
It is interesting to remember, darling, that those opera and theatre lovers loved their gowns!
You know those evening gowns they’d wear for operas and theatrical outings and they would be full of a huge amount of embellishments and adornments - it really added that extra feminine* touch. Just imagine the elegant beauty, that sheer silk, it was all just breathtaking!
- Germany
Let's not forget Germany as the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Germany had “Der Rosenkavalier”. This was a beautiful and stylishly theatrical operetta by Richard Strauss, * and I really want to go here soon! My friend has just visited and, you know what? He sent me photographs of the ballet tutus - we must travel to see *”Der Rosenkavalier”, you really need to get on this one! Just think - how those dancers would perform in their wonderful beautiful tutu dresses - in Munich, that most glamorous of cities!
Oh darling, it is time for me to pack away my Pink Tutu and head to the railway station. Just look what the train is like: It is the Orient Express - which makes this little visit even more luxurious, for when I’m at the railway station, we are going straight from 1909 - and heading back to a lovely tutu boutique! It’s a journey I never tire of and this time around my tutu will be in an absolutely splendid and delicate blue, something very fitting, so elegant and divine, don’t you think? It goes perfectly with my matching beret, shoes and little gloves. We will be returning to “our” time after an evening spent looking at those stunning ballet and operatic fashion moments of the past. It is an era where elegance and style reigned. But let's take our lovely ” Pink Tutues “ with us - into our own era - the 21st Century. Let's try to encourage that trend to Wear More Pink Tutus, I believe we should celebrate that elegant pink style and delicate charm. Oh, my dear friends, as I’ve just realised - if you “love the Pink Tutu” like I do, then what will you be doing next? We should put on our “pink tutu dresses”, and meet in the nearest town to go on an excursion with a grand tea. What better day to do this, than on Tuesday! So until next Tuesday darlings, and your “pink tutu adventures,” - keep on liking, following, tagging #pinktutu All of my *“TutuTuesday” Blog series is located on www.pink-tutu.com.*
And for you sweethearts, do enjoy this: [IMAGE: a fashion illustration of Emma wearing her pink tutu as she arrives at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London]
