Hello my lovely Tutu-ettes! Welcome back to #TutuTuesday on your favourite tutu-centric blog, www.pink-tutu.com. I'm Emma, your resident tutu enthusiast and time-travelling fashionista, ready to whisk you away to the magical world of tutus! This week, we're venturing to November 26th, 1935, a date filled with tutu-tastic happenings!
(Psst! Don't forget to share your tutu-filled photos with us using the hashtag #TutuTuesday – let's make this tutu-tastic trend a worldwide sensation! And, for those who don't know, my name's Emma! And, this is post number 5422, wow! Who'd have thought a simple blog on pink tutus would get me this far. That’s probably over 100 years’ worth of tutus!).
So, grab a cup of tea and your favourite ballet slipper-shaped biscuit – let's take a little trip down tutu memory lane.
A Day of Firsts
The world was in a whirl back in 1935. Just imagine, the sleek, black Ford Model 48 was making its debut in showrooms, and those darling little Mickey Mouse shorts were the fashion rage in children's clothing. The "King and Queen" and their little Princess were busy touring Europe (the only little princess in the world with her own dress-up collection - we can all aspire to that kind of wardrobe!). And in America, those fabulous ladies in matching, white-tutu-esque dance skirts known as the Rockettes were hitting the stage! They made wearing white, pointy-toed dance skirts glamorous. Who needs frills and sparkles? Not the Rockettes. No sirree! And guess what, ladies and gents, those Rockettes are still captivating audiences all these years later. They are the longest running theatrical show in the world and they wear white tutus - imagine! So we definitely must celebrate all tutus - long and short, ruffled and frilly.
Tutu Fashion Trends 1935
Now, back to fashion. You know how much I adore shopping, especially when I can spot a magnificent tutu! But this week’s trip back in time took me a little further afield - not just my usual flit to Paris, but straight to New York!
New York is absolutely bursting with the latest fashions in 1935, ladies and gents. Fashion trends in 1935 meant, dresses - they had to be slinky, but flowy, long sleeves (usually!), and full-skirted with a bit of bounce. Sound familiar? Like something a tutu can accentuate perfectly, right?
Imagine all those fabulous fashion houses vying for a spot on the cover of Vogue and all those glamorous women wanting to emulate the fashions featured. If we had access to such wonderful fabrics back in my time in the year 2022 - well let’s not dwell on that. Imagine what a tutu from the 1930s would look like – I'd be so tempted to travel back in time with a sewing kit, and see what a 1930s Tutu Fashion Magazine would look like. That would make me the most stylish, fashion-conscious time traveller on the planet!
Time to Get Back to the Theatre…
Oh, don't get me started on all the theatrical productions back in the day! London, the home of the magnificent West End, had productions like “The Mystery of Edwin Drood" at the Savoy, or a timeless production of “The Merry Widow" (this show had some spectacular tutu moments – and believe me, I went and saw it). Now, even those ladies in their 1930s fashions would know all about those glittering tutus dancing across the stage.
*Did you know? *There was an absolutely amazing Russian ballet company performing in London in 1935 at the Alhambra. (Let me tell you - it's hard for a theatre to compare with the sheer grandeur of the Alhambra - this is the venue where the very famous “White Horse Inn” premiered in 1932 and where so many of those fabulous West End plays made their mark! I almost always need a tutu-themed trip to London. They still do magnificent ballet performances there. But oh, if only the costumes and tutus from those shows in 1935 were around today… Well, one can dream can't they?)
And now it’s time for the obligatory Tutu Shopping trip.
A Visit to Liberty’s, of Course!
What a tutu-licious shopping trip that was! I went straight to Liberty's, ladies, what else? London's premier department store, a shop overflowing with beautiful things, and an absolutely sensational choice of fabrics. The sheer fabric on offer - oh, you could create the most marvelous tutu for dancing with silks, and delicate satins that felt almost ethereal... (I have to confess - my luggage does come back a little heavier after I’ve visited Liberty’s. It takes more than a simple suitcase! )
Oh, those fashion-forward Londoners really do know how to do shopping well - they do love a good dance (and who wouldn't?). So many fabulous tutus must have been strutted and pirouetted in those shops! And, who knows, maybe someone wearing an extravagant pink tutu with little, little sparkles like my own inspired them to do a “one-two” around Liberty’s, the Covent Garden, or even Buckingham Palace itself. The Londoners do like to dance in the streets too – perhaps the first ‘street’ tutus started here.
A Toast to The Past... And the Future of Tutus
Ladies and gents, 1935, a fantastic year of fashion and performance in London, and of course New York (you have to love a big city. Just like those girls from Derbyshire, where I’m from - so hard to get a tutu to dance around in, it takes so much more than a simple walk!) What are we waiting for - let’s all step up our tutu game, and maybe you could even wear your tutu while reading this! Maybe you’ve even taken your tutu out for a walk with your dog, and your puppy's already taken his/her first step towards joining the tutu trend - with my blessings! We can create such wonderful, fabulous moments when we dress in tutus - it doesn’t have to be a special occasion, it can just be for fun and dancing - whether it be dancing down a London street in the company of fellow fashion enthusiasts - and, as much as I love the 1930s and what a Tutu could mean back then, today is the day we all wear our tutus, the future’s looking so bright – even better, it's sparkling pink!
* Until next time, darling Tutu-ettes. Keep those tutus swirling! 💃 💕*
( For those who do not know - I am Emma! And, my trip to 1935 cost me $7521 in all, but that was before the tea!) I need to get back to that shopping - and don't forget to see those spectacular Ballet productions! (Those Ballet productions will help to keep the money coming in for another week - as soon as my tutu has worn itself in of course. The best tutus need wearing!) What’s the best place to get tutus – or even to wear tutus in the world ?
(Please do give me feedback. Do you think that tutus can only be worn at the theatre or for Ballet – we all know how much we adore the Theatre and Ballet. However, is it not about expressing ourselves? And if that is not in pink tutu then I am sure I am wrong. But let me know! You know where to find me, and please be sure to mention a new trend if you see a really magnificent new tutu being worn - and let us celebrate all those fantastic tutus! The new fashionista is wearing tutus - and so should you. See you next week for more #TutuTuesday! )
