Hello lovelies! It's your favourite tutu-clad time traveller, Emma, here, and it's a gloriously sunny #TutuTuesday in...drumroll please...Paris! I just adore this city, from the cobbled streets to the towering Eiffel Tower and of course, the fabulous ballet scene. Speaking of ballet, today we're delving into the captivating history of the tutu, darling.
Hold on tight, because we're going back in time, petal. This week, we're whisked back to 18th Century Italy, to a world where tutus were more than just a symbol of graceful movement, they were a statement of artistry and power. The story goes, back in the day, ballerinas wore gowns that were so long and bulky, they hindered movement. Enter the vision of ballet master Carlo Blasis, who decided something needed to change. He created the "tutu à la Camargo," a knee-length skirt, which, by today's standards, is pretty much a ballroom skirt but a revelation back in the day.
This tutu, inspired by the famous French ballerina, Marie Camargo, gave dancers more freedom of movement, showing off the strength, grace and agility they possessed. This breakthrough paved the way for the development of the tutu as we know it today, with all its lovely flourishes.
Fast forward to 1830, darling, where Marie Taglioni graced the stage in a magical, white "tutu à la romantique," which, while a little longer, still showed off the beauty of the legs and enabled delicate, fluttery movements. Imagine that graceful floating, those leaps, it's truly mesmerizing.
In the late 1800s, darling, the iconic "tutu de ballet" made its grand appearance. With its shorter, structured form, it accentuated the graceful lines of the body and allowed for even greater freedom and range of movement. A dream, really!
Today, we are spoilt for choice! We have our gorgeous, full-length Romantic tutus and then our playful shorter ones perfect for jumps and turns! For me, my absolute favourite, especially when I’m time travelling, is a gorgeous vibrant pink tutu. After all, what else is there? Pink just has the perfect air of romance and excitement. You’ll often catch me twirling through historical landmarks in a beautiful pink tutu! It definitely has the "wow" factor and the historical impact. I do love my tutu. I'm a big advocate of dressing in pink. It just lifts the mood!
This morning, before catching the train down from London to Paris, I had an absolute blast browsing the gorgeous clothing in Selfridges. Now you might be thinking "Selfridges?" The beautiful department store is the place to be for amazing clothing, fabulous handbags, and delicious cakes. Today though, it was all about shoes and outfits! So many shoes and so many tutus! A fashionista’s dream come true! I just couldn’t resist indulging myself. Now, it was a tough decision, but I chose a fabulous outfit perfect for the French ballet performance this evening. I know, I’m spoilt! You see, the beauty of time travelling is that you get to experience the very best performances all around the world, without the tedious and messy part of travel (imagine hours stuck in traffic!). Not me darling, it’s all about first class train journeys, a few strategically timed stops to refresh with a new pair of shoes, and amazing performance outfits!
So now darling, while you're dreaming of ballet bliss, I'm about to see the most exquisite performance of "Swan Lake." Don't you just adore Tchaikovsky's masterpiece? And those stunning costumes! The fluffy tutus! You just can't go wrong!
For now, I'm off to explore more of this vibrant city. Keep checking back each week, I have tons of new stories to share on #TutuTuesday. After all, who doesn't love a good ballet tutu?
Until next time lovelies! XOXO Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
P.S Do you have a favourite tutu story? Share your love for tutus in the comments below! 💖
