*Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, my fellow ballet aficionados! It's Emma here, your Derbyshire-born, tutu-wearing time-traveling fashionista, ready to whisk you away to the world of ballet history. Today, weāre stepping into the glitz and glamour of the 1920s. Itās May the 3rd, 1927, so let's dust off our sequins and get ready to twirl! *
This is blog post #4975 and you can see it every Tuesday at www.pink-tutu.com. Let's start off our week with some tutus! If you're in London, we could catch a delightful matinee performance of "Swan Lake". I just love the swan costume tutus for this ballet!
Oh, the 1920s, that roaring era of flappers, jazz, and yes, the rebirth of ballet! I often get asked what era I love the most, but truthfully, every era has its own magical beauty, but there's something so captivating about this decade - the time when a whole new generation discovered ballet and embraced its elegance with open arms. Itās an era I find incredibly romantic. It's time for me to get to my pink typewriter so you can read my latest observations.
I'm currently nestled in the heart of Paris. Just look at the lovely Parisian ladies! So chic and stylish in their feathered cloche hats, and look, thereās a fabulous French cafĆ© where they are serving pastries! Such beautiful food in Paris, always so dainty and delicious, especially compared to my Derbyshire local bakeries, though they make excellent cheese scones and Bakewell Tarts! Paris is the ultimate location for any tutu-wearing history buff! A haven for couture! Think exquisite fabric, embroidery and delicate ruffles, oh I wish I could own everything! I even have my sights on a vintage 1920s beaded clutch for a special performance. Isn't the 1920s the absolute best for costume inspiration?!
I always start my 1920s trip with a visit to the Atelier of Madame Coco Chanel. She, my darlings, was a revolutionary! Coco brought a whole new meaning to āsimple and elegant" design to the fashion scene, influencing even the ballet world, though I wish we were as stylish in the Derbyshire town of Glossop where I grew up. There we wore mostly dresses with layers and layers of skirts, mostly beige and black, which you just wouldnāt catch a 1920s Parisian wearing, unless she was a nurse of course! And those flat pumps we used to wear, the lace-up high heels were far more fashionable. But of course, you know my heart belongs to my pink ballet shoes! I have them all, pink from head to toe. I just couldnāt stand the restrictive corset of the Victorian era. Luckily by the 1920s fashion became much looser, and our undergarments now are all about soft silks and silky cotton and our bodies are able to move freely!
After all, a dancer needs freedom! We had to move away from the heavy garments of the Edwardian Era and create a new, freer style! I think I have Chanel to thank for all of this. What did the dancers of the 1920s wear to compliment Cocoās simple yet sophisticated designs? They adopted loose fitting leotards that enabled them to spin and pirouette effortlessly - much like myself, because the looser style of clothes is my style, whether on stage or off! It's freedom for every ballerina and fashionable lady, as ballet has always inspired couture design.
It was revolutionary because before the 20s, ballets often employed long flowing gowns, sometimes tutus too! (of course) and a certain type of ballerina - all elegant, very feminine and beautiful. You couldn't even get near a 1920s dancer's outfit without stepping on the bottom layer of tulle and netting. All of which would get you a glare from those stunning dancers!
Think of a dazzling silver, or beautiful pink and black - all kinds of gorgeous colour palettes - all with intricate patterns of beading or sequins for all those sparkling moments. The beautiful fabrics allowed movement that flowed seamlessly. This new design was born out of this new passion for ballet at this time! The 1920s saw a renaissance of ballet across Europe - especially here in France, Italy, Russia - you just had to see the gorgeous new productions! And, my darlings, we couldn't leave out my favourite: London. The UKās dance and performance capital has been for centuries, home to world-class ballerinas like the divine Alicia Markova! I do believe this was a fantastic time for ballet. The designs that were evolving were just perfect. Imagine a tutu layered with sheer and intricate netting to compliment the 1920s trend for sheerness in fabrics, the same trend found in clothing - all so graceful and alluring! I wish I could attend all the exciting dance balls. If I'm not touring I'm off to the ball to dance with some gentlemen in tuxedos, oh to twirl with the leading man. All so glamourous! I must get a new beaded clutch bag.
But this new ballet fashion of the 1920s wasn't all about the gowns, dresses and tutus - although of course, I love all the tulle! They loved the colours! If I see any green in the theatre or on the dance floor, I simply must buy that costume! The vibrant greens and bold blacks of the decade were popular and these colours are seen in modern dance companies, too. They made the colours of the tutus and leotards vibrant and bright with splashes of shimmering sequins, silver thread and, my favourite, rose gold. I adore rose gold and its warmth! Imagine the contrast - the elegance and movement of the dancers matched the modern art of the era! I wish I had been there! It sounds truly dazzling. The ballet stars at that time made such an impression. And their iconic tutus with layers and layers of frills with sequins inspired me to set up my pink-tutu.com website in the first place. I love those big, billowing tutus for classic ballets that have such character.
The 1920s was also the era of Anna Pavlova, I have to travel back in time to see her perform at The Royal Albert Hall in London! My darlings! She was simply the epitome of elegance - you know, every dancer who dances in a ballerina tutu aspires to dance like she. Every twirl and every point.
Just think, that is where my own journey as a ballerina and tutu fan started! The year is 1927 and there is so much exciting movement in the fashion scene, just like the world of ballet! We have come such a long way from the corseted silhouettes and restrictive clothing of earlier centuries! I just know thereās a 1920s tutu out there with my name on it! If only the designs werenāt all behind a museum glass.
Now let's indulge our sartorial fantasies and head back to Paris! But donāt worry, darling, you can still get the vintage 1920s look today! Go find your own elegant dresses, flapper style clothes, and those beautiful, embellished shoes to look as chic as Coco herself!
And remember, as always, a pink tutu is always an appropriate accessory to add to your outfit!
See you next week, dear ones, with a new, captivating, ballet history journey!
Love,
Emma x
www.pink-tutu.com
* P.S.* Donāt forget to catch the next episode of ā#TutuTuesdayā. It'll be on my website: www.pink-tutu.com, next week.
