#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1955-01-18

Hello my darling tutu-loving friends! Emma here, back again for another #TutuTuesday! I’m absolutely thrilled to be bringing you a super-special edition today, it’s January 18th, 1955 - can you believe it? Today’s post marks a milestone in the history of ballet tutus, and you won't want to miss it!

I know, I know… you’re all probably thinking, “Emma, why are you jumping around in a pink tutu in the middle of a snowy January?” Well, darlings, my travels in time, as always, are driven by the call of the tutu! Today, we’re delving into the history of ballet tutus around 1955 - the era of elegance and poise!

And just like any good ballet trip, my journey started at the train station. What a fantastic thing about travelling in the 50s, all that fabulous luggage and those amazing coats, just to be sure you look stylish and graceful when arriving at your destination! And arriving in… Well, I’m not sure you’re quite ready for this yet… let’s just say we're in a world where the love of ballet knows no bounds, especially those glamorous tutus! Oh, don't worry darling, I promise, you'll find out in a couple of minutes.

Today, as I flitted around this spectacular world, it became crystal clear - the tutu in 1955 is at its peak! A symphony of romance and beauty. We're talking all those fabulous soft romantic tutus…

I mean, think of it. What’s more charming than a dancer's lithe form adorned with flowing layers of tulle? Imagine the ethereal swirls, the graceful movements, the story those fluttering tulle layers can tell!

Let’s start by acknowledging the undeniable power of the romantic tutu, think Marie Taglioni’s graceful portrayal of “La Sylphide” back in the 1830s. And even then the tulle started its journey into fashion. You’re telling me you’ve not seen someone in tulle and layers at the latest fashion event?!

1955, that era, was when those exquisite lines of tutus just made sense to me. It was all about that stunning symmetry - so much to love. Just think about how all the beautiful fashion designs flowed down the runways and through to ballet design, creating the perfect look that matched those romantic lines! The world's eye for style and beauty, even outside ballet! And I, your Emma, just fell into it! Oh my, what a year, my heart skipped a beat at every single fashion store I could find… (yes darling, even in 1955! Who doesn’t love some good old shopping)

From the long, soft, graceful shapes in those 50’s films to the ballerina costumes... The magic and the beauty of it all! The tulle has become a fashion staple. Imagine that, going from stage to street! And that little voice in my head told me… Emma, if you can just go into history… 100 years… maybe 200 years back in time… The more fashion evolves the more you get to play.

You're absolutely right, little voice… what could be better! I don’t care what anybody says! This is what inspires the fashion shows, and I think… (thinking out loud darling… just a bit… nothing too personal!) It makes sense.

Now don't get me wrong, every time I take a time traveling ballet trip - the 1800’s is incredible and there’s such a long history for tutus there too...but, my dears, we must not get sidetracked by what’s in the past… We are here, now! The past helps us learn so we can grow the tutu trend and, well, bring on those tulle dresses for us all to wear… I mean the dresses we get to wear in all of our fashion and ballet travels. Oh yes, we love that mix and mash style in this place called ‘history’.

And my trip here in January 1955 tells me we’re on to something special. This tutu business is certainly going places. So get ready because we’re about to explore just how fabulous these tutus are and why!

So, imagine yourself at a beautiful theater, and we're not talking West End… Oh my dears, we’re much bigger than London - but more on that in a second... We're stepping into the grand foyer of the very famous Grand Theater in (redacted city name) in 1955. It’s bustling, alive, so many beautiful ladies. They’ve just finished their shopping and they’re all so excited to watch the beautiful, lovely dancers who are just waiting in the wings!

Can you imagine this gorgeous atmosphere? As the curtain rises, we’re about to see all those amazing designs, the beautiful costumes that will be shown off in this particular ballet - a world renowned piece in (redacted city name)!

This, my dears, is just one of those stunning spectacles I was able to soak up during my travels - it truly set the stage for what tutus in 1955 meant. In those glorious grand halls of ballet (we're going to explore a lot more of those on this blog over the next few weeks!).

My first encounter with these 1955 era tutus really did steal my heart. The styles - just imagine romantic fluffy shapes - and that tulle just looks stunning on the stage, even with all the incredible colors… I’ll get into that next time! The elegance! You know I love elegance, oh my!

And if that doesn’t make you want to take up ballet then you’re completely missing the point - every dress has a purpose!

Here is where we get back to the idea of how big the ballet is here. What does it all mean, darling? How does the fashion and tutu design change based on the era, the audience and… let's be honest… the ballerina's body shape and ability! It’s a lot, I know… but what is the link… well, that’s what this blog is all about, let’s break it down…

And there was a big trend… it is about what makes a perfect silhouette when on the stage! Can you see what I'm getting at here… and you guessed it… We’re about to discover just why the Romantic style took off the way it did! We'll look into all of these things a bit later on!

Oh my… We could talk about this year all day long. Every little bit is fascinating, from the style of dress to the actual stage show!

“ (redacted show name)” - It is probably my favourite piece from that period, and guess what my dears? You should see it for yourself.

Imagine for a second… The (redacted name)… The perfect show!

We’re Talking Style, darling!

It’s all those delicate pastel pink, baby blues and white colors... We are going for that romantic look! The tulle itself was absolutely magical… so lightweight and full of movement! And we’ve talked about the shape before - a ballerina just looking absolutely flawless on stage… graceful lines - we’re going for an elegant look! We're trying to get all those beautiful graceful lines!

Let’s bring it all together - tutus, the movement and the beauty. And to be honest darling - I have to thank the 1830s for that… if not, we might not be doing this in the 1950s…

Let's not forget about that elegant style… It all fits together… From the ballerina’s poise… The fashion! Oh my! We get so caught up in fashion! I mean - tutus are definitely a key piece of any fashion… so here we are on #TutuTuesday. Oh my, it's just got to be about the tutu! (Take it easy, my dears, there's no need for too much exclamation!

From Stage to Style… a World of Ballet!

Now, here is where I think we can all get lost for a second… Oh, and by the way, the time traveling in these tutus… We can totally talk about that for weeks. (Emma, Emma, Emma… the details, the details are amazing! My dears… stay tuned for a few more posts about this! We can always do a “Fashion 101”!

1955 gave the tutu its big breakthrough and you just know we can always connect what’s going on in fashion today with those glamorous 1950s dresses, right?!

And it’s just beautiful, elegant! This isn't about the history… I am looking at that look, and trying to make it today's look.

Think about it. This is a global ballet phenomenon, we've got big shows here (and by the way - there is going to be another trip this summer…) And these gorgeous ballet stars are totally in those lovely pastel tutus with their fabulous moves. What’s not to love!

And if you've ever watched the Nutcracker (another one of those legendary ballet performances…) you know those ballerinas have the right fit. Yes, you've got the romantic tutu. Oh! Can you see those little pink, white, and blue ballerinas and the amazing beauty, just swirling and twirling! We are back to the tutu as a piece of art and we need it in our everyday lives… that is our mission here!

Time to Shop!

My trip here this week… I need some new pieces! Where are you off to this week, my darling friends? I've got this fantastic trip coming up!

Have a fabulous TutuTuesday!

Yours in Tutu Love!

Emma #PinkTutu #TutuTuesday

www.pink-tutu.com