Hello lovelies! Welcome back to www.pink-tutu.com - your one-stop shop for all things tulle, twirls and tutus! Today is #TutuTuesday, so grab your favourite pink tutu and let's embark on a journey through time! This week, we're whizzing back to October 7th, 1919, a day brimming with style and elegance, a day just begging to be experienced in a pink tutu, wouldn't you say?
You know me - a Derbyshire girl at heart, but I do love my travels. And this week, I've hopped on a rather swish express train, heading for Paris, the heart of the fashion world in 1919. Oh, darling, Paris is the place to be for ballet, couture and simply fabulous people. The city buzzes with excitement, everyone's just emerged from a world war and are keen to have a good time. I hear there's a brand new dance called "Charleston", quite the sensation apparently, and everyone is keen to learn.
As a ballet buff, my first stop was the Opéra Garnier - imagine, a magnificent theatre built with plush red velvet, gold detailing, glorious chandeliers, just oozing that classic, timeless Parisian charm. You can just imagine the fabulous outfits people would wear! The Parisians love their style and you just know the ladies will be wearing their most fabulous gowns and feathered hats. And, darling, you wouldn't catch them without a delicate dusting of powder! Now, you wouldn't believe what I saw in the lobby! It's almost unheard of now but... people are actually smoking cigarettes! What are the times coming to? They even do it at the opera!
Oh! You know me, always the one who needs to make a note of what's going on! Well, guess what? They're staging "Giselle" - oh how I adore that ballet! A story about a beautiful young girl who dies of heartbreak, how utterly romantic! I do love the drama and excitement that ballet provides. Now I must say, my darlings, I found this most intriguing. "Giselle" had the most extraordinary costumes, but the ballerinas in this production... they are wearing rather different skirts - you know, those billowy skirts which are called tutus nowadays. Well, they weren't actually called tutus back then, but those frilly, pretty things were becoming more popular and fashionable for dance shows, replacing those earlier versions of ballet skirts. And these ones were quite dramatic!
If only they could see me now! You just wouldn't believe what's happening with the style of the tutu since 1919. Oh my, where do I start? They are being used in ballet street dancing, dance school recitals... even in a very modern show where a dancer uses three tutus, each one in a different colour! They call this a contemporary dance, whatever that means... but the idea is to show emotions through movement and dress, apparently! I must admit it looks quite thrilling!
Now, dear readers, as for 1919... It was a time of great change and a time for fashion, especially when it came to tutus. Those ballerina ladies were going from traditional, flowy skirts to something a little bit more form-fitting! They've got all kinds of tutu styles nowadays - there are those that reach their knees, others that are incredibly short! There are the layered styles and tutus with lace and netting, there's tutus for performance, dance lessons, for children and even for every day - or is that just me?! I saw some women sporting tutus while shopping for new frocks at Galeries Lafayette, the ultimate department store. You simply can't imagine, darling, the opulence! All kinds of beautiful frocks to wear, so much fabric, with such attention to detail! It really is something!
But I'm a simple girl. And I think it's great fun to see the development of fashion over time. I don't mind if I'm seen on a London bus, travelling on the Tube, at the pub, at the theatre - and all wearing a fabulous pink tutu, but it's all about personal expression! I just hope that it is catching on!
Now, on a personal note... I simply had to buy a couple of dresses to remember this visit. And darling, there's one that is so cute... I just had to snag this wonderful lace number with frilled hem! It’s almost as lovely as my favourite pink tutu! But no! No such thing! A pink tutu, it is the only outfit a truly fashionable and fun woman will ever need! *Do join me in our love of tutus, and don’t forget to pop over to the pink-tutu.com store to browse the collection! * It's a wonderful selection!
Keep those twirls coming, you beauties, and let’s talk tutu next week! #PinkTutus4Ever
