Hello my darlings! Welcome to another Tuesday and another dive into the glorious history of the tutu! It's Emma here, your resident pink tutu-wearing time traveller, ready to take you on another whirl through the world of ballet. This week, we're heading back to a slightly more recent date – 14th August 2001. Don't worry, darling, there won't be any mention of anything 'that' happened on that date. Nope, this time, we're going to explore a truly timeless and beautiful artform, because it's a tutu, and tutus never go out of style.
I hopped into my time machine (oh yes, I have one of those! I snagged it from a lovely, old, kindly magician at a Parisian flea market. I was just buying a rather magnificent pair of vintage shoes!) and set off. It’s been a lovely trip. You know, just a few years in the past, but a bit of a journey all the same, and I am thrilled to have the chance to share my findings with you.
London is buzzing this August – the Olympics are still in everyone’s minds, but now, summer is in full swing. As always, the air is thick with excitement around ballet. You see, even back then, tutus were having a moment! They’ve always been iconic, of course. But it seems like there’s always a fresh energy about ballet and its costume, particularly here in England, the home of ballet itself. The Royal Opera House was a frenzy of excitement, with the 'Sleeping Beauty' still playing out to a full house, and the glorious ‘Swan Lake’ ready to enchant audiences next week.
The dancers in London are incredibly passionate. They really take the ballet so seriously. So beautiful, these ballet dancers! But of course, it isn't all about performance and performance and performance - it's a total dedication to the art and passion. They truly adore the history of their artform and even in their time off, I spotted dancers taking class in the parks! It’s incredibly inspiring, and they make me want to practise even harder – although honestly, after my trip last week to New York in the 1920s, I've hardly had time for my own ballet practice! Oh, and the shop windows! Absolutely covered with tutus – think frothy layers, exquisite details, stunning craftsmanship. It's pure artistry, darling, every single stitch! And there is so much choice – you could choose one for every day of the week. But of course, who needs just one, when you could own a wardrobe overflowing with them? I bought a beautiful ivory silk number – simple, elegant, just right for my evening performance. I did see the most beautiful ballet-inspired hats, too, oh my goodness, I bought one too, so incredibly stylish, you really don’t see things like that around today.
One thing I have been thinking a lot about on this journey is the power of the tutu. You can look around at this moment in history, at a time when the internet is just bursting onto the scene, when smartphones are just being born and it is absolutely certain that everyone around us has no clue what a selfie is - and still you can see how powerfully a tutu communicates the magic of ballet. There's no Instagram yet (can you imagine how the world of tutus would go wild if there was, I mean just think of all the opportunities to create the ultimate hashtag… ‘#pinktutueselfie’? Yes, ‘#pinktutulife’? Definitely yes, darling.)
But there are newspapers, magazines, and fashion adverts, and even those are captivated by the power of the tutu. I mean, imagine… in a time without the Instagram algorithm, without ‘viral’, the ability to get a certain aesthetic through to every person, in every single household…. and that’s what a tutu does.
Back to London and the shop windows, because you know I have to go shopping! This city just makes you want to be elegant! Oh darling, I found this fabulous dress at Liberty - a navy and blush pink number, quite high necked, which is just what I'm loving right now – it was completely unexpected and perfect to go with my pink tutu for the show. Oh, darling, did I mention there was a beautiful, exquisite silk cape, as well?! I thought the shop assistant would faint when I requested to purchase the whole outfit – she was so excited she couldn't stop beaming! The whole thing was quite literally covered in pink tutus (all those layers are just meant for being worn, aren't they?).
Even the fashion houses have adopted tutus for ready-to-wear, it's truly inspiring! It seems everywhere I turn, there's a celebration of the ballet and a love affair with its symbol - the tutu! Honestly, I can’t help but think: It all started somewhere! It’s quite humbling and really reminds me of all the brilliant ballerinas and fashion designers of the past who have created this beautiful garment and influenced our love of dance today. It’s incredible!
So as the sun dips low and I’m getting ready for my performance – because you know what’s better than one pink tutu? Two! I have to wear two pink tutus (one beneath the other for extra swish) - I’ll just leave you with this thought: Even in 2001, the tutu wasn’t just a costume, it was a symbol of artistry, passion, and beauty, reminding the whole world what true creativity really looks like.
As always darling, don't forget to join me next week for more TutuTuesday. I’m off to a train station because the whole point of time travelling is, of course, taking a train!
Catch you soon darlings!
XOXO
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
