Hello my lovely tutu-loving friends! It's Tuesday, which means it's time for another #TutuTuesday! This week, we're whisking ourselves back in time to the fabulous year of 1926. Can you believe it's already been nearly a century since this shimmering year graced the world with its elegant style and, of course, those dazzling tutus? I’m so excited to share my latest journey to the roaring twenties.
As always, I love travelling back through time to see how tutus were styled and the way that the fashion and artistry were portrayed on stage! This time, I found myself stepping off the train in London, where the air is positively electric with excitement and, frankly, more tutus than you can shake a stick at. This is the golden age of the ballet scene and London's West End theatres are absolutely overflowing with talent, glamour, and of course, those wonderful pink tutus!
Oh! Speaking of which, did I tell you about my latest pink tutu discovery? It’s simply divine! Imagine a blush pink tulle with layers and layers of delicate embroidery in a floral design that's oh so vintage with little delicate pearlescent beads scattered about... Absolutely dreamy! It's perfect for catching those glimpses of vintage Parisian fashion shows - which I was lucky enough to witness in my time travel exploits! You just can’t beat a good old-fashioned Parisian fashion show with beautiful elegant tutus adorning those long, lean ballet legs!
But let’s delve into the world of 1926 and the history of tutus! Back in those days, it was a thrilling time for ballet, particularly in England and France! A flurry of avant-garde artistic movements were swirling like the skirts of a prima ballerina's tutu, so of course it is reflecting beautifully in the stage costumes. Ballet in 1926 was still mostly confined to grand theatres like the Covent Garden Opera House here in London. Ballet had just barely transitioned out of its days in Royal courts in Russia and in other European nations!
Now, while we might have a grand assortment of tutu designs to choose from nowadays, it seems the tutus back in 1926 were all about classic shapes. This was the golden age of romantic ballet, where tutus had a full and flaring shape, sometimes with the bottom of the skirt shortened, which was an exciting new fashion! Many were crafted using layers and layers of tulle, creating a dreamy and ethereal silhouette that made the dancers look like beautiful little fairy godmothers! Absolutely magical!
In 1926, I also discovered a really special little shop tucked away near Regent Street, where they specialised in handmade tutu costumes. It was like stepping into a tutu haven! They even had these beautiful antique dance books with photos of iconic ballerinas of the era sporting the very latest tutu trends.
Speaking of iconic dancers... 1926 marked the year of the magnificent Anna Pavlova’s swan-themed show The Dying Swan. It is a truly legendary ballet that continues to capture hearts, including mine, even to this day! And can we talk about her tutu? Absolutely breath-taking!
I, of course, got to watch the performance, my eyes filled with awe! She moved with a fluidity and elegance that felt almost otherworldly. You could see that each twirl and leap came from a deep well of passion and artistry! The Dying Swan’ was simply mesmerizing! I even saw her after the performance while wearing the pink tulle, and she told me to never give up on wearing tutus and pink!!
That brings us to my beloved London Coliseum theatre which had a big night that very week with their performance of The Sleeping Beauty in the midst of celebrating the iconic work of a true British ballerina. Madame Adeline Genée was known for the quintessential British dancing style and The Sleeping Beauty was her crowning glory. This is a piece that I still have the chance to see now, in my time. It is an enduring, magical classic that always puts me in the pink of a good mood!
While some ballerinas might have been captivated by The Sleeping Beauty, there were still other important performances around the country! A delightful Parisian Ballet performance by Serge Diaghilev took London by storm! With stunning sets and costumes and with dancers sporting the most intricate and flamboyant tutus... oh how we all got into that! But I am keeping the true story behind this troupe of performers close to my heart and chest - as I believe it would simply be a bit too shocking for my readers to handle... I can’t talk about their tutus being pink enough for their eccentric and scandalizing ballet shows! They were simply too much for me to share with my pink tulle-loving followers - at least not today! I can assure you the pink-tutu is going to have a good place in my travel time - that is certain!
I also had to pay a visit to the legendary fashion store Liberty of London! This is a treasure trove of beautiful things, where fashion meets art and imagination. They were definitely ahead of their time, introducing The Bohemian Style to London... which had so many wonderful tutu variations and color designs - so many pinks, too! Oh, and did I mention the fabulously colourful ribbons on display! All the beautiful silks and textures, a veritable wonderland of fashion inspiration for the ballet!
My tutu diary tells me that Londoners back in 1926 were quite fascinated by flapper fashion and Art Deco design, a time of exploration in so many realms of art, from dance, painting, film to architecture. We really are on the brink of a truly incredible era in Western World fashion and it is just overflowing in every detail.
For example, I found a rather splendid flapper dress with beaded fringe – pink, naturally, because even then, pink and tutus seemed to have this divine, unspoken connection! * This type of dress had the freedom to really show off those beautiful flapper dance moves, and imagine twirling in that dress with a matching tulle tutu – perfection! It wouldn't look out of place in any London dance club at the moment!
I also saw this fabulous little book with sketches of flapper fashion and there it was – the tutus! You know how I love finding new tutu fashion inspiration and 1926 seems to be an excellent vintage period to have this love for the tutu blossom!
My journey through the fashion wonderland that was 1926 continues! In all the joy of this discovery I do have to say I am a tad jealous of those fashionably bold women who have the chance to wear all these wonderfully designed tutus - from simple styles with just one colour and a simple trim to the more extravagant and dramatic variations with multiple colors, shimmering accents and dramatic textures.
However, I shall continue to dress in pink and wear my tutu, a true testament to a passion I share with countless others across the ages! I can't wait to travel through time and see how tutu trends developed further! I feel an urge to set a course to the 1930s! Do you think tutus in that decade will have as much drama as flapper fashion! If you've got any fashion insights about this era of tutus, please do share them in the comments below. Don’t forget to let me know which tutus you'd like to see me travel to see!
*See you all next week! Keep twirling, keep sparkling, keep loving tutus and most importantly keep being your fantastic selves! *
*Love, *
*Emma *
*(Pink Tutu Blog Owner) *
*(Find me on Instagram and Facebook @PinkTutuBlog) *
