Hello my darlings! It’s Tuesday, and you know what that means…it's time to twirl through time for another delightful #TutuTuesday, straight from your favourite pink-loving, tutu-obsessed blogger, Emma! 💖✨
I'm here to tell you all about the glorious history of the tutu, that magical, frothy confection that brings joy to every ballerina's heart (and I'd say, probably a lot of other people too!).
So today, let's set our time machines for 17th September 2019, and head off to the world's stage for the performing arts, the oh-so-fabulous Paris, of course! The city that breathes glamour and whispers of fashion is truly where my heart belongs.
We are at the Palais Garnier, the stunning opera house, so majestic, so opulent, a veritable ballet-lover's paradise! Right now, I'm at the opéra ballet enjoying a production of "La Bayadère". Can you imagine the excitement? Imagine a ballet by Marius Petipa, known for creating the iconic 'White Act' and his spectacular work! The sets are phenomenal and those dancers are utterly captivating in their stunning tutus. And as always, my gaze is captivated by the graceful flutter of those magnificent tulle clouds. It’s practically a tutu lover's dream come true!
I always make a point of exploring Paris thoroughly whenever I'm here - it's not just the opéra ballet, darling! I've got my eyes set on a delightful little vintage boutique on the Rue de Seine where I can possibly snag some delightful bits and bobs to add to my collection of tutus and gorgeous garments - and yes, perhaps even a pink hat or two for good measure!
This is not my first journey back in time. And if you haven’t read all 9794 other entries before this one, allow me to take you back to the beginning of the tale…
Our time machine takes us back to the 18th century when ballerinas were more focused on the graceful execution of complex steps than the length of their skirts. The ballerinas of the era weren’t in the delicate tutus we are accustomed to seeing today. It was all about heavy skirts, called panniers, and long flowing robes which would make graceful steps extremely difficult! These ballerinas needed their arms free to keep their balance, and any unnecessary fabric could result in them tripping over, or the whole thing just tumbling around on the stage.
The tutu as we know it began to take form as a beautiful evolution from those more complicated, impractical garments. And thank goodness, as I personally believe tutus were a stroke of genius, or maybe more of a leap of genius, or perhaps a plié of genius - you get my drift! 😂
There is much to love about tutus, of course, I’ve made this clear enough. But, as I see it, one of the key components that contributes to their magic is that the tutu makes it possible for a dancer to express their beauty with effortless grace. It just works.
In 1839, a truly magical invention, one could say even revolutionary for ballet and tutu lovers such as myself, hit the scene! I’m speaking about Marie Taglioni’s iconic appearance as La Sylphide! You could call it a ballet awakening, with ballerinas dancing on the tips of their toes! Imagine those nimble feet, with delicate silk tutus floating like heavenly clouds above them, the embodiment of freedom and grace, what a dream come true! This innovation revolutionised ballet, and, of course, made tutus much more popular!
Think of it – ballerinas in short, layered skirts. The first tutu was born. Imagine the sheer delight for those early tutu enthusiasts - we’d all be jealous! And what’s more, the shorter skirts allow ballerinas to use their feet and legs more effectively in their movements, making everything more fluid and elegant. The freedom of movement for the dancers allowed them to execute turns, jumps and other intricate moves more efficiently, which would have been impossible to execute in the long, cumbersome, heavier skirts.
This invention marked a moment in history when fashion became synonymous with function! Fashion for ballerinas, as I’m sure you can agree, can be quite tricky, and having functional costumes as beautiful and airy as tutus is a feat! The sheer perfection of it!
After this wonderful innovation, we saw even shorter, more detailed styles begin to take shape! It became almost a sort of fashion frenzy! There were variations with increasingly delicate layers of fabric, creating different silhouettes - I can’t wait to see which styles appear next as I journey forward in time!
One must never forget that every garment tells a story! With time, these costumes became works of art themselves! From the beautiful tutus in La Sylphide to the shimmering tulle dresses of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, there is something magical about how these delicate and fluid fabrics can tell a story of their own, all the while allowing for the freedom and expressiveness of a ballerina. I am especially enthralled by those ballerina outfits with fluffy tutus. Oh! If only I had been born to twirl in one of those during the peak of those flamboyant outfits - think of all the fantastic pink possibilities!
Of course, we can't speak of the tutu's history without mentioning a classic: the romantic tutus, those soft, fluffy garments with layers of fabric and a lovely delicate and elegant effect. These graceful silhouettes evoke a soft, fairytale essence, a beautiful portrayal of grace, gentleness and dream-like imagery. They always make me want to float on clouds!
Over the years, though, the styles changed and different interpretations and forms of these beauties arose - such as the ‘classical’ tutu, a bit stiffer and fuller to give dancers a nice upright silhouette, and the ‘character’ tutu, which is not a fluffy and short type, but rather more like a short, fitted skirt! Who can choose between those lovely tutus when all of them offer their own delightful features? You’ll understand if I wear every kind - the ones I wear when travelling through time have to suit my needs!
As we continue our journey through the fascinating timeline of ballet history, we get to see other, rather special variations. There’s something wonderfully exciting about how tutus have been used in a number of different productions: tutus with intricate beading or sequins, or with elaborate feather trims. You might see tutus made from more contemporary materials - everything from shimmering metal mesh to dazzling spandex! I would never imagine that these beautiful pieces, which always seem so light and dreamy, would undergo such interesting transformations!
I’ll never forget a lovely time travel jaunt when I stumbled upon the wonderful 'pas de deux' in Giselle. I remember the lovely contrast in tutus between Giselle, dancing in her elegant, almost fairytale white romantic tutu, and Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis, clad in black, who wears a more stiff and formidable classical tutu. Talk about dramatic costumes and an absolutely stunning display of skill and graceful athleticism!
Here's an interesting fact, dear readers: While these ethereal tutus we love have become synonymous with ballerinas, they have, of course, expanded their boundaries! Nowadays you can see fashion tutus all over the place, appearing in many shows, theatrical productions, dance routines and music videos! In recent years, tutus have become synonymous with beauty, confidence and fun.
My heart overflows with such joyous feelings every time I see someone sporting this lovely symbol of artistry and beauty! And as for my own travels, the best part? Wearing pink tutus with every single outfit, and yes, with every time travel trip! What can I say, they just do wonders for my wardrobe - I think a fabulous, fluffy, pink tutu can lift any look to dizzying heights.
As we reach the end of this whirlwind tour through the beautiful history of tutus, it is clear they have come a long way since those early times - those long and heavy garments we would find rather ridiculous in our day, if you catch my drift! The beautiful tutus have transformed to become not just an icon of elegance but also a source of inspiration, captivating audiences and captivating fashion enthusiasts the world over, me, included, of course! I wouldn’t trade my love of the tutu for anything!
There you have it - my darlings! You have seen a snippet of history as I’ve experienced it myself - from the evolution of the humble pannier to the iconic tutus of ballet. They truly hold such beautiful power, don't they? They signify freedom, grace and pure artistry.
Next time you are in a theatre or a museum, try and think about all of the artists and fashion lovers who worked so hard to create what you see - a little something for you to mull over for next time you see one of these gorgeous creations on stage, on a museum mannequin or perhaps on your best friend's dance class outfit - and you never know - perhaps even on you! Remember, life’s a ballet. Go on and let the music play!
Don’t forget to check out my blog on www.pink-tutu.com every Tuesday. We’ve only just started a wonderful journey through time! You never know when our time machine will land next and which captivating tutus we might see then. It’s sure to be a twirling delight for us all.
As always, send me your ballet or tutu-related musings at
See you next week, darling,
Emma x
P.S. Be sure to stay tuned, as we’ll be exploring some exciting trends for tutu fashion over the next few weeks. As a time traveller, I’m able to get a sneak peek into the future. Oh! You can just imagine my delight! What an enchanting and captivating future it is. 😉
**Disclaimer: Emma's opinions are her own, but that's the beauty of a blog post - you can just go along with it if you enjoy reading, but no one should take her thoughts as professional or serious. All tutus she travels in are made specifically for the period she travels to.
And don’t forget *#TutuTuesday!! * Spread the joy and let's inspire everyone to try out tutus!! The more tutus, the more love! 😉
And just to say - we would be absolutely delighted to hear about your experience wearing a tutu and if you post a pic on social media, use the #TutuTuesday hashtag - you just might inspire others!
