Hello lovelies, and welcome back to Pink Tutu, your one-stop shop for all things tutu! This week, for our #TutuTuesday adventure, we're stepping back in time to April 16th, 1912, just a few weeks before the infamous Titanic sailed the Atlantic. Oh my, I do love a bit of history, and this date is bursting with fashion, so put on your dancing shoes and get ready for a tutu amazing journey!
Number 4190 of the Pink Tutu Blog, darling, let's go! (Just to let you know, dear reader, this whole time travelling gig, well, it's all paid for by the grand performances I do, ahem, just saying, so all that travel is strictly work, darlings, don't you worry, this isn't just some frivolous little hobby for me, this is important, for I mean, the history of the tutu must be shared, don't you think?)
Anyway, as we journey back to 1912, London is still very much in the grip of Edwardian glamour. Imagine yourself, my darlings, strolling along Piccadilly, your long skirts and feather boas fluttering gently in the spring breeze, perhaps stopping for tea at the Ritz, a treat in this fashionable city!
This time, we're not exploring ballet, but ballroom dancing. And guess what, ladies, this is where things get very interesting for our tutu history! See, whilst classical ballet tutus have been around for centuries, the Edwardian era introduced tutus in another way. We're talking, my dears, the first ballroom dancing dresses*. Yes, *tutu lengths!
Now, before you panic about getting a mouthful of tulle while twirling, I must explain - the skirts of 1912's ballroom dancing gowns are NOT as dramatic or as airy as our lovely tutus. Imagine a skirt with a tiny bit of bounce, but not full out pouffy! These gowns had very fine layered underskirts, made of tulle, lace, net - sometimes even a silk lining underneath! So basically, we are almost there!
Can you just imagine the flurry of pink and cream silk, swirling amongst the ladies, while their dancing partners are dashing in tails, like something out of a picture book? The energy in a ballroom on a Friday night was surely something else. This was an exciting time, where fashions were shifting, and the tutu shape was finding its footing in a whole new world!
It wasn't just London. If you take the train, perhaps from my lovely Derbyshire, right into the heart of bustling Paris, you'd find this very same excitement on the dance floor. A swirling of pastel colours, velvet and feathers - but don't forget, those delicate, but very much present underskirts! The beauty of the day is just waiting to be discovered, darlings. And what better place to find it than in the romantic grace of a ballroom dance?
So there you have it, a delightful detour into 1912! Fashion and the waltz go hand-in-hand! Let us celebrate these elegant forms with grace and sparkle, both on and off the stage. Remember, my dears, wear a tutu and shine.
See you next week for more #TutuTuesday, and until then, remember to live a little more sparkly, more joyfully! And of course, let's wear pink tutus every day and watch the world grow a little bit brighter, don't you agree?
Your always pink and eternally stylish, Emma x
( Important notice for this blog post: Dear readers, please note this blog post is for entertainment and information only, it is not intended to be a scientific analysis. If you would like to research 1912 fashions or the evolution of the tutu, please use reliable sources.)
