Hello lovelies! Emma here, your resident Tutu Queen, ready to whisk you back in time for a dose of history and sparkle on this delightful #TutuTuesday. Today we're exploring the enchanting history of our beloved tutus, taking a little trip back to the beginning of the 20th century, specifically 22nd August 2000 - a fabulous date for fashion lovers.
As a true fan of tutus (let's be honest, what else would you expect from me?), I adore tracing their evolution, finding out how our dancewear got to be so spectacularly, delightfully puffy. It's like travelling back in time to a world of romance, elegance, and a lot of petticoats.
For a quick peek into this glamorous era, I have a sneak peek at a delightful show in London tonight - "The Sleeping Beauty" at the Royal Opera House. Now, imagine, this wasn't even a twinkle in the tutu designers' eye until a mere 200 years ago. In the late 1700s, a dancer called Marie Taglioni swept onto the stage, revolutionising ballet forever with her stunning, lightweight movements, the likes of which the audience had never seen. She literally danced her way into history, paving the way for what we see today - all thanks to a simple white dress.
Why the white dress you ask? Well, it was considered revolutionary back then! Forget about the heavy corsets and voluminous gowns of the day - Marie went for airy elegance, and bam, the tutu was born. You can thank her for the lighter, freer feeling that is ballet today - and oh boy, do we adore the free-spirited movement.
Remember the Victorian era and their penchant for layers upon layers? That style was what helped bring the romantic ballet tutu to life, as dancers began adding layers of white, stiffened tulle to their costumes, which gave the effect of floating or swirling effortlessly around the stage. Imagine the awe as these graceful ballerinas waltzed around in their delicate creations, looking as if they were weightless, soaring across the stage.
For our 2000 time-travellers, the romantic tutu wasn't yet as big or as frilly as what we see today, but there was a definite lightness and delicacy about it. There were so many ruffles and embellishments on those skirts, I felt a bit like a giant meringue as I bounced through the backstage in London. I do love seeing that style come back today in fashion. A bit of the romantic ballerina can spice up any outfit, just remember, you are never too old to wear a tutu - as a lovely lady who wore one in Covent Garden yesterday reminded me - "Don't let your dreams just be dreams!" Wise words indeed!
It was really interesting watching "The Sleeping Beauty" as it's considered one of the earliest Romantic ballets, and it showcased a tutu with so many frills and layers - an ode to the fashion trends of the day. What's more, these frilly skirts made dancing more dramatic and beautiful - perfect for swirling and leaping, especially as ballet in the Victorian era was more about expression and showing off beautiful graceful lines.
In my tutu blog I love the little details about the tutus. One thing that really caught my eye during my time travel was that each tulle layer in the Romantic tutu was painstakingly stitched to a linen lining by hand. Each delicate layer was measured with extreme precision and cut to achieve the right shape and weight. There's something utterly captivating about that craftsmanship.
From our time travel in August 2000, we know this time was an era where ballerinas were expected to be so petite, slim, and graceful - imagine trying to live up to those expectations, darling! But just think, how exciting it was for these dancers to be wearing these beautiful tutus and show off their skills to an adoring audience! It must have felt like being in a fairy tale - who wouldn't want to be waltzing about in their fancy dress?
Speaking of fairy tales, if we are going back a few hundred years in time - the story of the ballerina would not be complete without mentioning "Cinderella". Her magic slipper, which was in fact, a pointed ballet shoe - this iconic piece of footwear actually originated in the 1600s, during the court of King Louis XIV of France. But before ballerinas danced in pointe shoes, they'd just used flat, leather shoes. The shoe design was revolutionary - providing that "on-your-toes" look that became synonymous with ballet. It is no wonder they were coveted as objects of desire.
And here I am in August 2000, wearing a lovely little pink tulle tutu (it's never too early to start planning for the upcoming London season), in a cosy little cafe in Notting Hill enjoying a pot of Earl Grey and a slice of Victoria sponge, reminiscing about these graceful tutus, which paved the way for today's dancewear. It just goes to show, there is always a touch of history in fashion and there are so many amazing designs that will inspire our own!
Speaking of inspiring designs, while I do love classic white tutus and those dramatic frilly skirts of the romantic period, there are SO many fantastic types of tutus out there today, from classic to modern. Some ballerinas even wear tutus without frills. But the tutu always gives the effect of that graceful, floaty elegance and of course, the incredible visual beauty on the stage.
Well lovelies, that's all for today. Now, off I go to London's dazzling Covent Garden theatre, to see a fabulous show and take in the dazzling ballet tutus. Have you seen anything particularly delightful or inspiring in your favourite ballets this week? I want to hear from all of you about your ballet loves!
See you next week for another exciting edition of #TutuTuesday!
And don’t forget to wear pink!
Emma xx
www.pink-tutu.com
