Hello, darlings! It's Emma here, your resident pink-tutu-clad time-travelling ballerina, and welcome back to another #TutuTuesday adventure! Today, we're taking a whirl back to the enchanting year of 1926, a time of flapper dresses, Charleston dances, and oh, those incredible ballet costumes! Buckle up your ballet slippers, we're going on a journey back to the glamorous twenties!
This is blog post number 4954, and it's so lovely to see you all back here again on www.pink-tutu.com! Don't forget to grab your fanciest tutu - the fluffier the better, darlings - and join me for this historical fashion voyage!
Today, December 7th, 1926, was a bustling day for London! The Christmas lights are starting to twinkle, the shops are filled with glittering presents, and a real sense of joy hangs in the air. What better way to celebrate than with a trip to the ballet, wouldn't you say?
Speaking of the ballet, the year 1926 was a real game-changer for the world of tutus. It's like the tutu fairy herself decided to sprinkle some extra sparkle on this era! Just think, the dazzling Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova had recently wowed audiences across the globe with her beautiful dancing. The way she would float on stage in a delicate tulle tutu, like a butterfly, mesmerised audiences everywhere!
The "New" Ballet Movement in Europe, influenced by artists and movements from the past like the Impressionists, and a dash of fashion-forward trends of the day, saw designers getting bold and innovative with their designs. We're talking flowing lines, lightweight materials and oh my, such a vibrant mix of colours! It was like the ballet stage had transformed into a living painting - a riot of beautiful, creative tutus dancing under the limelight.
Imagine the tutu of 1926. Gone were the heavier fabrics, replaced by gauzy chiffons, tulle that was light as air, and silk so fine it barely clung to your skin. The look was romantic and ethereal, just like a daydream in pink! The ballerina’s body looked more feminine and graceful than ever before! You just had to see how these light and airy skirts swirled and twirled with every pirouette! I bet you’d feel like floating if you tried it!
One thing you might have noticed in the early twenties - the rise of the "flapper" dress, that glorious little gem that helped define the age of fun! It was the ultimate symbol of rebellion and empowerment! It’s quite amazing how that flapper spirit spilled over into ballet design too, a wonderful touch! This was reflected in the shorter tutus! Shorter hems allowed dancers even more freedom to dance, allowing their legs and feet to tell a more dramatic story.
Of course, colour played a huge role in all this, darlings! You just couldn’t imagine ballet costumes without the gorgeous shades that took 1926 by storm! Picture, if you will, lavender tutus accentuated with shimmering beads, bright jade designs adding pops of colour and cherry red skirts swirling across the stage! It was like the world had been dipped in a paintbrush of vibrant possibilities, and the tutus of the time perfectly reflected this joy.
You could also get your hands on those utterly adorable, bejeweled ballet shoes too, glittering like stars against a backdrop of twinkling stage lights. Imagine, shoes in all colours from silver and white to shimmering, rainbow shades - and even a touch of metallic gold - a real dream come true! Oh, it was an era where fashion embraced beauty, creativity, and pure, unabashed FUN!
The 1920’s was really a magnificent time for tutus - it was like the era’s imagination exploded with colour, fashion, and new ideas. The tutus of 1926 brought the magic of the ballet stage to life like never before, reminding us all about the power of whimsy and wonder, a beautiful reminder of what a pink tutu can truly bring!
Right then, that’s enough twirling through history for now!
Next #TutuTuesday, we’re heading back to the 1930’s for a closer look at the evolution of the tutu - the fashion and style updates, the exciting new innovations, and the stories behind those amazing, larger than life ballerina tutus.
So keep twirling those pink tutus and let’s dive right in next week! Until then, darlings, don’t forget to live a life full of glamour, grace, and most importantly, pure, unapologetic tutu love! 🩰 💕
Yours in pink, Emma
