*Welcome back, lovelies, to my little corner of the internet! It's your favourite pink tutu-clad blogger Emma here, and I'm positively thrilled to be bringing you another edition of #TutuTuesday! We're venturing back in time this week, and I'm wearing the most fabulous shade of pink - it’s called ‘Candy Floss’ - it’s perfect for our trip! This week I'm whisking us all back to the fabulous year of 1938! *
I just love this era! The fashion, the music, the social scene! The world felt full of optimism and excitement for the future and tutus were really starting to make their mark. It was all so exciting and a bit more glamorous! The 1930s really were the "Golden Age of Ballet"! Can you believe it? Let's step back in time and discover how tutus evolved into the beautiful dancewear they are today.
A New Era for the Tutu:
1938 was a truly defining year for the tutu, especially in Paris! We're in the heart of it all, my dears! It’s the year Serge Diaghilev, the incredible founder of Ballets Russes, passed away, but oh, the legacy he left! The amazing Ballets Russes troupe took the world by storm and inspired a new generation of ballerinas! Their beautiful, exquisite costumes, especially their tutus, are simply iconic and revolutionary!
Remember those stiff, pointed tutus from the late nineteenth century? Forget those! Serge Diaghilev brought in the “Romantic Tutu”, made of light and airy layers of tulle. This became the design everyone was talking about. We’re seeing it everywhere on the stage! This new design of tutu - more layers of light, floating tulle meant it just seemed to move with every twirl and leap - such beauty!
Now imagine this light-as-air romantic tutu. It's so wonderfully graceful and dramatic! It helps create the most stunning silhouettes, don't you think? I’m wearing one right now in the same style as the Ballets Russes dancers! The new ballet fashion was truly breathtaking! And don’t forget, these tutus were absolutely everywhere, and I mean everywhere! From theatre productions to even street dancing.
Ballet Stars: From Stage to Screen
Back then, film was only just really starting to take off, but already ballet stars like Alice Markova, the darling of the British dance scene, and the Ballets Russes, were being captured on celluloid for audiences across the world to admire. I imagine those ballerinas feeling the power of making ballet more accessible to everyone!
Fashion Forward, Tutus on Trend!
Of course, it's not all about tutus on the stage, lovelies! I have to get my fill of fashion from Paris to London and everywhere in between! My favorite spot, Liberty London - oh darling, those prints are divine. And speaking of prints, we see those beautiful floral and geometric prints appearing on everything! It is really striking! The fashion was starting to show that bolder, brighter designs, as seen on ballet dancers and especially in those fabulous tutus, had arrived! And we just know this will influence what we are going to be wearing in future years, especially as we head towards the wartime era!
And then there are the shops. You really cannot beat a Parisian fashion shop. It's like a world of glamour! Especially if you have an eye for detail! So much inspiration! The colours are amazing too – I saw a dress last week the color of those beautiful ballerinas' silk slippers and another, a pale yellow. Perfect for a trip to the theatre. There is even an elegant black with delicate pearls, it reminded me of those iconic tutu costumes worn by ballerinas from the Russian Ballets!
Oh my! My love for all things fashionable is nearly as great as my passion for tutus and all things dance. That's why this week I've picked up some fabulously pretty vintage fabric in Parisian chic colour patterns - pink, of course - that are perfect for creating my own beautiful, Romantic tutus. I can't wait to get them sewn and I'm even thinking about incorporating some gorgeous beadwork – those pretty white pearlescent beads that add a touch of elegance. I think my own take on the ballet ‘look’ is going to be perfect – sigh.
I know, dear reader, this post is flying by – so much to fit in, so little time! And I must get my outfit organised for tonight’s performance! Oh, what a lovely treat I’m in for! The Sadler’s Wells company is dancing "Giselle". I do love ballet, it really is such an escape from all that’s going on in the world - so beautiful!
And just so you know – my pink-tutu.com website will soon have a shop. Oh yes, you’ll be able to buy beautiful, gorgeous pink tutus designed by yours truly – they will be the envy of every ballerina and all you fashionable people. Don't forget – the #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History will be here every Tuesday on www.pink-tutu.com and I have so many more exciting pieces of ballet history to share. Until next Tuesday!
**Happy twirling!
Emma**
PS Just before I forget – today, January 4th 1938, marks the birth of one of Britain’s most loved actors – David Niven – one of my favorite movie stars of this era, so a big Happy Birthday to Mr Niven from me and a **big shoutout from all of us at pink-tutu.com!
