Hiya lovelies! 🩰 Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com! It's #TutuTuesday, so you know what that means! Let's dive into another historical pirouette through the fascinating world of the tutu, and today, darling, we're swirling back to 21st July 1959.
I travelled through time in my signature pink tutu and vintage suitcase (stuffed to the brim with floral print dresses and a fab pair of red ballet shoes!), which, in this time period, landed me in...New York City! Now, New York in the late 1950s was buzzing with life - think bright colours, bustling crowds and the first rumblings of a fashion revolution. It was simply brimming with style and inspiration!
Now, 1959 wasn't just the year of fabulous skirts and slick hairstyles. Oh no, my dears. This was also a very important year for tutus.
It was the year of... drumroll The Bolshoi Ballet Tour! The Bolshoi was in America, and everyone was absolutely mesmerised!
Imagine a massive red carpet with glittering chandeliers overhead, and all the best people from high society (dressed to the nines of course!). Then picture, the grandest ballerinas, twirling on point in those iconic fluffy tutus, and the audience gasped, cheered, and gasped again! The Bolshoi brought a fresh and exciting energy to the stage. The women, with their strength and grace, made the most dramatic entrances, those flowing, billowing skirts like a whirlwind of beauty. Every night was a spectacular extravaganza, a celebration of classical ballet and stunning tutus.
As I sashayed through the streets of Manhattan in my pink tulle (just picture a perfect cupcake pink, darling), I soaked up the fashion frenzy. I even managed to snag a couple of vintage dresses and, wait for it... a fabulous pink tutu from a store in Greenwich Village! (They had this incredible polka dot fabric. My kind of style.) It's just as good as new now and I’ll be sporting it to my ballet class on Friday, it's got the perfect amount of swish!
I’ve noticed in this time that the tutu itself isn't quite as ubiquitous as it is now, though those in the know, those passionate about ballet, those who understand true elegance, the beauty of the dance, they love tutus! In the theatre, the tutu was becoming synonymous with the magical feeling of the ballet. And what else could have been more stylish and graceful for these beautiful dancers? I say, none!
You know, my dears, the best bit about all of this? Well, I learned that my little corner of time travelling was actually making an impact on fashion. All the ballerinas in my vintage dress finds? Their tutus were even more spectacular than I could have ever imagined! The skirts were made with more tulle and lace, more layers and swishes, more dramatic and intricate. Just a little nod to a time travelling tutu enthusiast from Derbyshire, I thought! Winks.
Let’s go back to my original pink tutu now, lovelies, to end on that lovely pink note. A tiny pink tulle ribbon with some diamantes around my hair, that's how we leave 21st July 1959, full of fashion, tutus, and the exciting promise of an era-defining ballet tour.
Until next Tuesday, remember: you're beautiful, graceful, and deserve to twirl!
**Keep shining, my lovelies,
Emma**
P.S. Don’t forget to leave a comment below and let me know where you would like to time travel to with me for next week’s #TutuTuesday!
