Hello lovelies! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet, dedicated to all things pink and tutu! 🩰💖 It's #TutuTuesday, which means it's time for another trip through the whimsical history of the tutu. This week, we're taking a trip back in time to February 11th, 1975!
Can you believe that this amazing creation of fabric and fluff has been a part of the ballet world for almost 200 years? Imagine dancing in that! I get a bit of a dizzy feeling just thinking about all those graceful pirouettes in those early days.
My trusty Time Travelling Tutu Machine brought me to New York this week. It’s such a vibrant city, full of amazing shows and places to shop. I’ve seen so much theatre and fashion! The tutu, of course, continues to be a vital part of it all, even after all these years.
This Tuesday in 1975, audiences were treated to a brilliant production of "Giselle" at the New York City Ballet, which included that iconic romantic tutus which I adore! I mean, imagine, this graceful beauty in billowing white with that iconic long bodice, is just stunning! It was a spectacular evening with some fantastic dancing. It makes me think about what tutus will look like in the future!
As always, the sheer diversity and elegance of the tutus that have come before us inspire me. Some things never go out of style, but fashion, of course, changes as we go. Remember the time I tried a full length tutu for a show in Vienna, oh my! Such a big floaty dream, it was.
While I was here, I decided to treat myself to a new tutu from one of the world’s most fabulous tutu shops – The Dressmaker on 5th avenue. Imagine, all that amazing craftsmanship in delicate tulle, the embroidery – and all in pink, of course.
But, speaking of that famous pink, let's talk about where our history of the tutu begins, shall we? As we know, the original tutu was not always so fabulous, actually, quite the opposite, quite severe, dark and simple.
The very earliest forms of tutus emerged in the early 19th century, and these tutus were more like a sort of skirt than what we have today. Not glamorous, they just helped keep the legs and feet visible so the audience could really see the dancing, the ballet as it was performed, nothing more, but they really worked!
Can you imagine the excitement when this innovative little fashion moment arrived on the stage? It must have been something extraordinary! They moved from the standard long, calf-length skirts and they finally embraced the dancer's shape and movements! It seems like the beginning of the rise of a beautiful icon, wouldn't you say?
When we arrive at the 1840s, though, it is time to begin our great tutu odyssey, because a more fabulous evolution began! This was the beginning of the Romantic ballet period, which gave us our glorious long tutu designs! Yes, a full length tutu with layers upon layers of beautiful white, tulle and those elegant long bodices, as I said, just magical. The long white tulle tutu is, to me, just pure fairytale, pure elegant grace, it has to be the most feminine part of any dance piece. The whole point of this new creation was to express freedom and fluidity – and look as if the ballerina is about to take flight, literally! How fabulous is that, so dramatic. Just a glimpse of these early tutus in the historical photos makes you gasp. Imagine! This elegant, dreamy, billowing structure in white, what an inspiration! They brought this vision of dancing on clouds to life. They just feel like fairy tales.
And who could possibly forget the brilliant "La Sylphide"? The original dance spectacle of this kind in a romantic tutu. That piece had such a strong impact that it pretty much defined how these tutus should look going forward. A big inspiration for our tutus today, for sure.
Speaking of, imagine, my friends, just how lucky we are to have these tutus today, it took an absolute genius to understand the beauty and elegance that could be revealed when a dancer in their form moves, to have that dramatic freedom. To dance to be graceful, and the magic of tulle, we owe it all to the very early ballets!
Now let’s move ahead into the 20th century! That time of incredible change in the way that people see the world and even tutus! Ballet dancers became trailblazers when it came to fashion and we have much to thank them for, because what they were doing, the freedom that they expressed in these incredible costumes, these outfits really resonated, right, they have shaped the whole direction of clothing across the world!
Just take a look at the way ballet dancers embrace short skirts and those fun little tunics that had a powerful impact on fashions, those beautiful lines and that sleek look became so important in the world of fashion in this era! And so many designers have drawn inspiration from that world of the dance – I adore that connection!
And as this fabulous world evolved so too did the tutus that adorned their dances! Ballet designers started using more vibrant colors and creating different shapes that captured our attention and expressed a wider range of movement. A fabulous evolution to keep everyone looking and feeling great! It must have been a revolution! I just wish I was there for the shows! I'm lucky to have this little time machine for just this sort of moment! I just love to go shopping for vintage ballet attire – and, of course, the tutus, I always keep an eye out for those gorgeous tutus!
One big change in tutu design, just in case you hadn’t heard about this, was a much shorter tutus, the type that are in some shows now. Can you believe that that really started in the late 1940s, after the Second World War. Now that’s what I call change! That really was a step towards even greater movement and agility. It was quite the statement.
Let’s take a break and talk about how to achieve the fabulous, oh, let’s talk fashion now! It’s amazing what designers and performers are doing in their creative process for ballet these days. The creative minds at the top are doing amazing things! You are so very lucky, if you get a chance to see a ballet performance that is what we call an “experiential ballet" it’s like the set, the lighting, the story and everything around the dancing combines to really move you, it’s really special. These productions bring these dramatic ideas to the forefront – like you're in a living dream, right? I find these productions really inspirational!
Now, for your tutu inspirations – the big tip for getting it right, and don’t you know, my followers do, they’re such tutu gurus now! The key here, my lovely lovelies, is, in terms of choosing your perfect tutu for your adventures - It’s got to be in that most beautiful pink, pink can't be beat for that whimsical feeling, a real pop! That's how you look great! Remember those tutu rules, for a successful dance and to just feel great and comfortable in it. So, get ready, be ready and most importantly, don’t forget the magic of pink! It’s my go-to for everything – in my world, if you see it in pink, it’s sure to be wonderful! 💖
See, this is why #TutuTuesday is so fun - It makes you appreciate the impact of dance fashion on the world today.
Don't forget to follow my blog every week and make sure to subscribe. There is no need for you to be a ballerina to understand the appeal and history of the tutu, just enjoy it all with me! This week has been fantastic, let's go dance and travel again, just wait till next Tuesday, we are off on another time travelling ballet adventure. Oh, darling, what do you think? Where do we go? Write in the comments and let me know. Until next time! 💕
