Hello my darlings! It's Emma here, your favourite pink tutu-clad time traveller, back with another fabulous #TutuTuesday instalment on the enchanting history of our beloved tutus!
This week, we're taking a whirlwind journey back to 1958! Buckle up, darlings, because it's a real corker!
Before we dive into the fabulously frilled world of 1958 tutus, I'm going to confess that I took the train down to London this past weekend. Quelle surprise! (That's French, darlings, for "what a delightful shock!"). You know how much I love a bit of London life, and it was a wonderful weekend filled with fashion, a sumptuous ballet performance, and some divine shopping at Fortnum & Mason.
Honestly, London just screams ballerina. Imagine it - all those grand Victorian buildings, elegant parks, the energy and the style! It really makes you want to twirl, doesn't it? And there were so many chic tutus fluttering about... a pink one, here, a turquoise one, there... truly divine!
But back to our voyage through the past! So, what was happening in the wonderful world of ballet in 1958? Well, as it turns out, February 4th was just another ordinary day in ballet history! Quelle shame! There wasn't any huge premiere or any exciting announcements of a new ballet about pink tutus (although, if I could go back, maybe I could suggest the idea to someone). 😉 But don't be disappointed, darlings! 1958 had a lot going on, and we'll be discussing a few of those wonderful moments.
Let's rewind the clock back to 1958 and find out what made it such a significant year for tutus and ballet in general.
The Tutu of the Time: You know how much I love the dramatic flair of the Romantic Tutu and Classical Tutu, but the 1950s had something else in store for us. 1958 was the year of the tutu with a difference, ladies! Yes, those beautiful and very practical short* tutus you see all the time! Picture this: a tutu barely reaching the knees, showing off stunning legs in perfectly fitted, almost skin-tight material. Imagine the ease and the freedom! So freeing, in fact, that many ballet companies across the globe were already embracing it. The graceful lines and sleek style helped to enhance the dynamic movements and elegant athleticism that define this incredible art form.
A Look at the Scene: Imagine that London’s Royal Opera House is bursting with life. The Covent Garden Orchestra is soaring with vibrant sounds, creating a musical wonderland of emotion and joy, and the entire auditorium is shimmering with an excited buzz! Yes, ballet is absolutely everywhere. It is the art form for fashionable and exciting women, men, and everyone in between!
Imagine Margot Fonteyn gliding across the stage! She's captivating and graceful, one of the greatest ballerinas of her time, truly an inspiration to anyone who even looks at a pair of pointe shoes.
Just like today, the most passionate and sophisticated people would gather for special events, to celebrate their love of the art of ballet, while they revelled in beautiful new designs. Fashion was booming! People were wearing these fantastic new, more lightweight fabrics, in vibrant, bold, wonderful colours. What an era!
Where the magic happens! Don't think you just find tutus at the ballet theatre or dance studio. From Covent Garden to New York and beyond, there are so many beautiful stores with amazing outfits for special occasions. Even department stores with clothing sections are teeming with all sorts of wonderful garments, from pretty dresses to stunning evening wear. What's exciting is the growing popularity of ballet classes and shows and with this comes a growing demand for all sorts of beautiful clothes. Can you believe that this all began with something as wonderful as the tutu?
Ballet Fashion for Everyone : I love this time, ladies! It was an era when you were not judged for your taste or passion, only for the strength of your expression! This was the period when ballet started to gain ground with all ages, inspiring a new generation to wear, to love and to create. Ballet, back in 1958, wasn’t something only for "the privileged" - it was the fashion statement for everyone.
This is my story: I started going to ballet classes with my younger sister. We would spend hours just swirling around and twirling, and we loved to play with colourful pieces of fabric - anything would do to be a ballerina in our dreams! We never wanted to be "just" a dancer, darling, no! We were performers. We were visionaries.
That's how the pink tutu took root in me, my darlings. I remember I saw a lovely little ballet shop window in Derby, just as I was about to head out with my family for a weekend outing to Alton Towers, of all places! This wonderful shop was all bright and girly with the most incredible pink tutu sitting right there on a gorgeous dress stand, just begging me to take it home! Of course, I had to try it on. I was hooked the moment it was on. My dreams of twirling had finally met their match! I told my parents, "I will own this tutu, or I shall become a pirouette." And darling, it all happened just like that.
This one beautiful tutu changed my world forever!
Travel with the Times! One thing that I find most intriguing about 1958 is the change in how we travelled. The rise of the train has meant that we can travel much more widely, across whole countries, to new places. We have gone beyond just carriages and wagons, we've now entered an age of sleek and efficient railway journeys. A very romantic, very exciting experience! Imagine yourself sitting on a train, peering out of a window to see the country whizz by in a symphony of changing colours and patterns! Just picture the fabulous clothes! Everyone is dressed with so much chic style... you know I was loving the trains! And that’s the magic of the past – the allure of a bygone era captured in one small pink tutu and a dream of travel and style that carries us on.
Now I've got to fly off, darlings. You know my life's mission is to inspire the world to wear pink tutus! You can get all your pink tutu information right here, on www.pink-tutu.com and don’t forget to tag me on Insta. Let's bring the tutu love back in! 💖 Have a glorious #TutuTuesday! 💕
