Oh, darlings, what a delightful day for a jaunt through the annals of fashion history! This week we're waltzing back to the glamorous 1920s, where flapper dresses danced with the Charleston and bobbed hair was all the rage. But what of the tutu? Where are those frilly frocks we all know and love? Well, the answer is rather intriguing.
As my trusty time machine hummed and whirred, whisking me from the bustling London streets back to this exciting era, I found myself amidst a whirlwind of shimmering silk and satin, where the long, flowing lines of the dresses mirrored the graceful movement of the dancers themselves. But while the ladies of this period reveled in their flamboyant frocks, a new silhouette emerged for the stage: a leotard with an illusion tulle skirt.
No, I don’t mean a tutu like the grand ones of the ballets russes we know today. While Diaghilev’s company had stunned audiences across the world with their exquisite and daring creations, it was only within the rarefied atmosphere of the ballet stage, rather than in the public gaze, that we were seeing anything approaching what we think of as a ‘tutu’. The ballerinas weren't quite in pink frothy glory yet, and even in the ballet world the modern dance styles that were finding popularity tended towards these leotard and floating skirts. These weren't quite tutus in the modern sense, yet still showcased such femininity and flair.
Instead of a billowing cascade of tulle, think more of an almost… demure* little skirt? A barely there, just a whisper of tulle. You can still see those beautiful shapes of legs and movement in these earlier designs - the beauty and flow, yet without the volume of the tutu that we’ve come to know.
Of course, back then, everyone had more demure attire on the street - long dresses, long coats, not much flash of skin, and only glimpses of ankles. It's fascinating to consider how those elegant, form-fitting lines of the flapper dress were mirrored in the leotards and skirts worn by ballet dancers, hinting at the evolving ideas about femininity and movement in fashion and dance.
As I wandered the bustling streets of Paris, that magnificent hub of fashion and art - did you know there is even an avenue de l'Opéra? - I popped in to the Garnier opera house to see La Source, a stunning ballet from this time. Imagine! Not a tutu to be found. They still wore these almost Grecian-style leotards and skirts, beautifully adorned with ribbons, with a long, flowing gauze skirt in the back - they looked gorgeous. Not what we associate with ballet tutu at all! But equally breathtaking.
As a pink tutu lover myself, this little revelation actually feels rather exciting. I mean, imagine the revolution the first tutu with this modern form created! When did it appear, you ask? The grand, voluminous tutus we’re familiar with weren’t quite commonplace until the 1940s, with the rise of styles we know as 'Romantic' and 'Classical'. The earlier ones were a bit, well… more subdued. Just imagine - not only does that leave so much room for the tutu as we know it to evolve, it also creates an entirely new avenue for its appearance in history. Think of the sheer volume of gorgeous tulle and layers we could be exploring from this point onward.
While my pockets were still filled with precious shillings from my performance last week (dancing on the train – well, my lovely, darling, it pays, my darlings!) I headed to the shops to have a gander at some of the flapper fashions. So much beautiful satin, the finest silk... and a veritable sea of bobbed hair! Just the thought of the change those dancers made, going for the bold choice of shorn locks and dancing in all those shimmering materials, fills my heart with joy, because they were paving the way for so much more! I felt so inspired!
And how could I, a true lover of all things fluffy and pretty, leave a trip back in time without procuring some delightful fabrics to add to my collection? The fabrics I bought will be wonderful additions to my tutu designs. There was some divine velvet – perfect for a tutu that really sparkles and stands out - and some glorious silk organza for the sheerest, lightest of tulle skirts. You see, even in 1921, a pink-tutu lover like me could find a treasure trove of ideas, just as you will now on my little blog! Isn’t that divine?
We shall explore more, my lovelies. More glorious layers and more glorious shapes. Oh, my darlings, if only they knew back then the volume, the glory, the wonder to come for our modern tutu… Well, as we say, what’s old is new again, my darling!
That is why my #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History blogs will, like the tutu, evolve. Stay tuned!
Until next time, darling! Don’t forget, every Tuesday is #TutuTuesday at pink-tutu.com
Much love from yours truly, Emma. xx.
