Welcome back to my little corner of the internet, darling tutus!
It's Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood tutu enthusiast, ready to whisk you away on another time-travelling adventure! This week's #TutuTuesday takes us back to the fabulous year of 1988, a time when the world was just beginning to get a taste of the fashion magic that is the tutu. Oh, and if you haven't caught on already, this is post number 8170 in my ever-growing ballet tutu history blog - the countdown to world tutu domination continues! 🎉
Today's trip, funded by a fabulously successful performance with the Royal Ballet (and an exquisite collection of new tutus acquired at Harrods!), takes us to the vibrant heart of the London ballet scene, where tutus are already a star of the stage and getting noticed off-stage too! Can you imagine a world without tutus in theatre? Oh, the horror! 😱
(Remember to follow me on Instagram, dear readers, @PinkTutuTravels for exclusive glimpses into my glamorous life! You'll never guess what happened on my trip to the Paris Opera just last week…😉)
1988: The Tutu Begins To Twirl into Everyday Fashion!
The air was alive with the buzz of excitement on this glorious day in July. It was a hot day - just the kind that calls for a frothy, airy, light pink tutu, if you ask me - and London was brimming with activity. The 1988 Olympics were just around the corner and there was a tangible electricity in the air, as everyone prepared to welcome the world's top athletes to these great shores!
Speaking of a fabulous world stage, wouldn't a pink tutu be simply perfect on the Olympic podium? Just think of the spectacle! 🤩
Let's Step Back In Time: Tutuland in the 1980s!
The year 1988, dear friends, saw tutus blossoming in more ways than just on the ballet stage. It was the era of "balletmania"! Everyone was in love with the ballerina's graceful elegance and the romanticism of the dance form.
The ballet was reaching more people than ever thanks to affordable television programming - imagine! You could watch an enchanting ballet performance from the comfort of your own home, on your telly! 📺 And then, of course, there was the boom of videos - that amazing format where you could pop a ballet performance into your VCR and twirl along! How utterly fantastic! ✨
Now, tutus may not have been taking over the High Street just yet, but they were certainly being spotted in a whole host of fabulous places:
- Film sets: Think about how the tutus featured in The Princess Bride movie - so magical and elegant!
- Music videos: I bet you can’t forget those classic, captivating music videos with all the fantastic, colourful tutus - tutus in videos! My, how far we’ve come!
- Even some high street stores started stocking “tutu-inspired” designs in clothing. Can you believe it? Tutuland was on the march!
1988: A Look at This Particular Tuesday
It was the 26th July, 1988, a balmy summer's day, perfect for a leisurely afternoon spent in London's Covent Garden - a little known secret to those of you who are not from these fair isles is that this was the birthplace of British ballet. Here, on this very day, I'd have been catching the afternoon performance of the English National Ballet's captivating Giselle - it’s such a timeless tale of love, heartbreak, and a rather unfortunate, spooky forest encounter - I still haven't managed to escape that evil witch!
Of course, I couldn’t resist taking in a delicious cream tea at one of Covent Garden's delightful cafes and a spot of shopping at Liberty's, for those truly exquisite lace trims that elevate any tutu to a masterpiece! 💕
Fashionistas Unite: Tutuland's Expanding Boundaries!
And speaking of tutus, I bet you can imagine how the little darlings of the world - by that I mean all those amazing and inspiring little dancers in ballet schools and academies all over the UK - were just aching to get their tutus on and swirl and pirouette in them at the end of the lesson!
Even you non-dancing folks were taking a peek into Tutuland! We were all being captivated by the allure of those pretty tutus in stores - just imagine a sweet baby girl in a little pink, poofy, delightful tutu dress - simply magical! 🥰
Now, just to pique your interest a little… I wonder what might be on our next #TutuTuesday! Will it be a 19th-century opera? Will we hop on a train to visit some ballerinas in France? The adventure continues…
I want to hear from YOU!
Share your thoughts on this glorious ballet era! Have you watched Giselle? What did you think? And are there any iconic tutu moments from this period that you remember?
And please do tell me - how do you wear your tutu today?!
Until next Tuesday, darlings!
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
