Hello, darlings! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet, www.pink-tutu.com! It's Tuesday, which means it's time to dive headfirst into the wonderful world of ballet tutus, and let's face it, we could all use a little more sparkle and twirl in our lives, right? Today we're taking a trip back in time, to the vibrant, colourful 70s, and, believe it or not, tutus were having a fabulous moment! I'm so excited to share a little bit of fashion history with you, so grab your favourite pink tutu (yes, even if it's a bit too warm for one right now!) and join me on this incredible journey!
This is blog post #7583 on my #TutuTuesday journey, a journey I started to explore the delightful history of ballet and to spread the joyous pink tutu revolution, one twirl at a time. (And let me tell you, darling, the time travel perks of having the ability to do a fabulous showstopping pirouette at a famous opera house or theatre can be rather delightful! It certainly makes for more interesting travel companions than the average plane passenger, and those perks do tend to come in handy!)
The reason I find this era of tutu history so fascinating is because, as any true ballet enthusiast knows, ballet is ever-evolving! While tutus can definitely hold a strong link to tradition, I'm constantly reminded of how they've danced and transformed through the years! Back in the 70s, we started to see the emergence of a brand-new tutu style that challenged tradition and showcased a sense of free-flowing expression and romanticism: the Romantic Tutu. It’s the ultimate fairytale-princess vibe! I absolutely adore it for its flowing lines and ethereal look. This tutu featured a longer, billowing skirt, with a tighter bodice, allowing dancers to move more freely and naturally. Gone were the days of stiff and rigid skirts that seemed more like boxes than garments. It felt like a delightful whisper of revolution within the ballet world, embracing the soft, graceful movements of the era, like swirling dresses and wide-legged jumpsuits. This was all happening around a little-known ballet piece I found myself watching the other day. I won’t spoil it for you in case you ever happen to catch it but let’s just say it was absolutely mesmerising!
Imagine the shimmering layers of tulle dancing and swirling to a classic waltz – so magical! They certainly were onto something, darling! I mean, a truly enchanting tutu must be able to dance right?
Now, as you can probably guess, when I talk about the 70s, there’s only one person I simply HAVE to mention. Do you know who I’m talking about? It’s our favourite French fashion darling, Yves Saint Laurent. He, of course, put the 70s on the map, making his mark on fashion, and inspiring ballet, as well as fashion in every corner of the globe with his amazing creations. We all know that Mr. Saint Laurent is the man behind many fabulous creations, and the ballet world, it seems, wasn’t immune to his charm. Oh, how he understood how to marry dance with elegance!
This brilliant man embraced the ballet look in his designs and showcased stunning tutus, incorporating them into ready-to-wear clothing. A classic Saint Laurent silhouette for a while featured ballet flats paired with flowing skirts, adding a distinctly dance-inspired edge. There was so much glamour going on at the time. It truly was an era when everyone was falling in love with dancing! Ballet was taking the stage, and designers, it seems, were taking a front-row seat. Talk about inspired! I’m still quite obsessed by the pieces from that time period, and it looks like my dear friend, and very famous time-travelling designer, Karl Lagerfeld, was too. He referenced Saint Laurent quite a lot for Chanel in the early days, and he often talked about being obsessed with tutus! In fact, when he was first starting out, he often designed ballet shoes for Mademoiselle Coco because he just loved how ballet reflected grace, beauty, and movement, all of which, I truly believe, every ballerina loves and every woman must always embody.
I often wonder what exactly that particular decade did to capture the heart of fashion. Was it the colour, darling? Could it have been that wonderful embrace of movement? The way the fashion at the time took such joy in flowing and twirling? And tutus? Oh, how tutus were so fabulous back then! The best way to illustrate just how important a tutu is to me is to think back to the moment when I stepped out of my local ballet studio. A ballerina always needs a good tutu to celebrate the grace, the agility, and that touch of the fantastical – and that, darling, is why we’re doing this blog! I always have a story, I always have a journey to share with you, all thanks to that very important little piece of fashion history that is a tutu! So, where does a time-travelling fashion blogger go when she is really wanting to learn about the amazing history of the tutu? I hopped onto a very fast train and traveled straight to New York City, baby! That is, of course, because in this time period New York City was truly the city to watch. Not just for fashion darling, but also for ballet and all of the wonderful arts! And it certainly was the city that inspired a generation. A generation who embraced the ballet and the wonderful art form of dance.
So what is my favourite tutu style from 1977, you ask? I adore the classic Romantic style and the graceful, ethereal beauty it creates. However, it’s also the perfect starting point for inspiration in creating your own modern styles and finding a tutu that suits your unique taste. Why settle for just one tutu, when you can have an entire collection? We know you can’t take your favourite ballerina tutus everywhere but at least there are places like New York where we can get our fix! There are many ways to channel a ballet style!
Okay, time for a #TutuTuesday Challenge! Go through your closet and dig out the pieces you own that would be great with a flowing skirt and flat shoes and then pop that baby on your social media – remember to tag #TutuTuesday on all of your photos! Don't forget to tag me at @pinktutu as well.
It is important to share our passions with the world, isn’t it? My aim, darling, is to get everyone dancing in a pink tutu! And for those of you who haven’t made it into a ballet studio yet, and still need to have a tutu-wearing experience? It's okay. We can all create our own special occasion for tutus. Put on a dress you adore that evokes that ballerina style – and we can all take some fashion inspo from 1977!
And if all of that weren’t enough to tempt you to put on your favourite tulle darling, you’d be surprised how fun a tutu is in the most unlikely situations! (That one’s going to have to be a blog for another day, though.) For now, I want to know what YOU think about the evolution of the tutu!
Join me in our collective adoration of dance, the history of tutus and that joyous expression of creativity, beauty and art. Remember, darling, I am only a train ride away on #TutuTuesday, so drop me a message!
See you next week!
Your Pink Tutu Friend, Emma
