Hello lovelies! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood tutu enthusiast, and welcome back to Pink Tutu, your one-stop shop for all things tulle and twirls! It's #TutuTuesday and we're diving headfirst (or rather, toe-first!) into the history of the tutu! Today we're doing a bit of a time warp, jet-setting back to 17th May 2016!
It's been quite a week! Firstly, I absolutely had to wear my new pink tulle overskirt to the theatre on Friday! I'm talking the Royal Opera House - London, darling, London - and a performance of the most breathtaking Giselle I have ever witnessed. Honestly, I still haven't fully recovered from the emotion! My own pink overskirt got quite the workout in the stalls too, so many happy little twirls in between acts!
Anyway, onwards to our history lesson! As I’m always saying, a good understanding of where something comes from allows you to appreciate it all the more, and what could be more fabulous than appreciating tutus?
Now, back in 2016, when we were living amongst the mortals... well, tutus were having their moment! You couldn’t look anywhere on the internet without seeing them in some shape or form - Pinterest boards overflowing with DIY tutus, Instagram feeds filled with dancers wearing their finest tulle creations, and, of course, countless ballet productions captivating audiences around the globe.
But before all of this, there were just skirts, just dresses. Ballet dancers were free flowing, yet restrictive in layers and layers of silks. Can you imagine?! It wasn’t until the Romantic era of ballet, somewhere around 1830, that Marie Taglioni, the iconic dancer and trailblazer, decided to shed those layers!
Now, the stories go that it was because Marie felt hampered by the restrictive skirts and decided to dance in a short, light, romantic-style skirt which almost reached her knees. Well, that was a game changer! Marie became known as the ‘Spirit of the Dance’, a symbol of romanticism in dance!
And the rest, as they say, is history! This shift towards lighter, airier clothing allowed dancers greater freedom of movement. The iconic ‘tutu’ was born! It was in the 1840s that the word "tutu" was first used, supposedly a slang term coined by Charles-Louis-Étienne de Montjoye. Now, I'm sure you're thinking, just like "barbie"! And you'd be right - a lovely short tutu skirt with a skirt attached on the front. And, you guessed it, made of layers of tulle! (It even makes you say it like that, doesn’t it?! It’s tulle! Even in my time travelling trips back, they still make the best tulle over here!). Now, let’s face it, nobody wants to wear a restricting dress that weighs more than they do! (Unless you're a ballgown queen! I do love a good ballgown, especially in pink, obvs! But we'll talk about those later.)
Now, in 2016, that Romantic Era ballerina look - a little frilly and fluttery - was still quite prevalent. Many tutus still featured delicate layers of tulle in pale shades like blush, white, and soft pink. Of course! They were beautifully delicate and looked stunning under stage lights!
And those aren't the only types! There's also the Classical Tutu! (We’re a bit more ‘classical’ with those. Slightly more layers, more form-fitting, more sophisticated. But still beautiful. This tutu is what everyone pictures in their head when they think ballet! Perfect for Swan Lake or Giselle, it's a staple of ballet history.
Now we also have the Pagan Tutu, and these, darling, can be fun. (Although, a little less pink, of course). The tutu's design is often influenced by exotic dance styles. think feathers, frills, and lots of movement! A dramatic flair! (Not the kind you can do in the stalls, unfortunately). There’s the Demi-Tutu, shorter than a Classical tutu and typically for classical variations in ballet like the iconic “Arabesque" (another favourite of mine! It's the perfect shape and sooo glamorous).
But you can’t talk tutus without the Modern Tutu! Now this one was all about expression and artistry in 2016. It's designed to be free-flowing and dramatic. They've used fabric, shape and structure differently in ballet to allow greater fluidity and modernism! I even saw one once made from strips of silk! That’s quite a different twirl!
But you know what? You don’t need to be a dancer to enjoy a tutu! I see it every time I take a train trip! They’re a *perfect example of how the world embraces tutu design. Think the tutu-inspired "balletcore" trend that flooded the fashion world. Everyone embraced the love for this ballet piece and brought the fairytale feeling back! Who says you need a stage?
Personally, my ultimate tutu love lies with the classic Romantic one! The floatiness of it. Always the colour pink, of course, and with some glitter, obvs. It reminds me of being a young girl in my local ballet class, filled with hope and joy! Honestly, there's nothing better than the sheer thrill of putting on your favourite tulle creation and twirling to your heart's content! You don't even need a stage, just an empty space, your trusty tutu, and maybe some music!
So, my darling tutus-loving friends, let's keep the history of the tutu alive! It's a reminder that creativity and fashion have no limits!
And while we're talking about history, let's celebrate some things that happened in 2016, too, shall we?
Beyoncé's Lemonade, a masterpiece of a music visual album with powerful lyrics about love, loss, and female empowerment! (It made me want to put on a red tutu and strut my stuff around the streets!)
The opening of The National Museum of Scotland was a historical triumph, showing off an array of incredible artifacts from Scottish history! Even the tutu designs of the last century had to be involved in that show. You can bet your bottom dollar they were in pink!
The world lost one of the true icons, the music legend David Bowie, an inspiration to generations with his unparalleled talent, eccentricity, and unwavering belief in self-expression. (We're always expressing ourselves with a pink tutu here, darling!)
And a quick shout-out to the amazing ballerina Misty Copeland for making history that year and becoming the first African-American woman to be named Principal Dancer for the American Ballet Theatre, a trailblazing achievement. And it's all because she had a dream! (And a pretty magnificent tutu, I’m sure!.)
So, this #TutuTuesday was full of history, romance, glitter, and dreams. Keep twirling, lovelies, and keep dreaming! See you all next week, when we take on another history time travelling tour! (And don’t forget to check out that fabulous new collection of pink ballet shoes on the Pink Tutu website !) Don't forget, life’s too short to not wear a tutu!
