Hello darlings! It's Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood pink tutu-clad time traveller, and welcome back to #TutuTuesday on www.pink-tutu.com! Today we're celebrating our 10287th blog post, which feels like a milestone in our pink tutu journey! And to mark this exciting moment, I've decided to take us on a grand adventure exploring how the humble tutu transformed from its delicate ballet origins to conquer the fashion world!
Hold onto your pointe shoes, my lovelies, because we're going to be jetting through time! February 20th, 2029, that's where we are headed! Let's take the train from my quaint little Derbyshire village to… hmm, let’s see. Today I feel a bit London-esque. London! That’s the place for the newest fashion trends, for sure. And, of course, there’s the iconic Royal Ballet – imagine all the beautiful costumes and the stunning ballerinas wearing their magnificent tutus! We have so much to discover!
Before I put on my most fabulous pink tutu (I’ve got a particularly delightful one with sequined butterflies on it – you'll have to wait to see the picture until my Instagram stories tonight!) let's have a look back. It’s a common misconception, darling, that tutus are a modern invention, a sparkly, post-war dream. The truth is, their origins go way, way back, much further than even those fantastic Victorian ball gowns I admire in the museums!
Imagine yourself transported to the Romantic period, my dear. Picture this – light as air, swirling, floating - a ballerina in the 1830s in her simple cotton skirt! Imagine a stage where the focus is on the ballerina's ethereal, otherworldly movements – almost like she's dancing in a beautiful cloud! The French Romantic ballet, like the time period itself, yearned for the soft, delicate, and feminine – the tutu embodies it all!
Now fast forward a few decades. Imagine the 1860s - Marie Taglioni is doing her magical work! This gorgeous ballerina had the best dancing shoes. And guess what? It was Marie Taglioni herself, that most celebrated of ballerinas, who brought the first 'true' tutu to the stage. No more frilly skirts for our delicate dance queens! A shorter, lighter, more fluid skirt helped the ballerina to really show off those beautiful movements - and to do a real grand jeté (how amazing does she look doing those leaps?!)! It wasn’t only beautiful – it was practical too! Now our graceful ballet stars could move without their dresses getting caught!
The tutu started as an idea on the stage, a dance accessory. However, by the 1890s and the birth of the 'classical' tutu as we know it, things began to shift. This incredible, structured, multiple layered piece of dancewear took the world by storm!
In this period, my lovelies, the tutus became bigger, fluffier, more complex, just like my love for them, ha ha! They demanded real skills - just try standing perfectly still with your legs turned out in a very short tulle skirt, with dozens of layers all demanding to be perfectly positioned and perfectly smoothed! And then add a pirouette! Now, I don't know about you, but my head is spinning just thinking about it. I have so much respect for all the ballerinas past and present who can perfect this challenging but exquisite dance piece.
However, my darlings, you might not realise, that ballet is just the tip of the iceberg. You don't need a pointe shoe to enjoy a tutu – this is a garment that can elevate a casual day to a very glamorous occasion. You've got the ballet, but we also have opera! Opera singers looked wonderful in tutus! But just imagine a street fashion model in one? Well, this is where the tutu began its great journey.
Fast-forward to the roaring twenties. Remember, dearie, it’s a time of jazz, rebellion and women’s liberation. The "flappers", oh, what bold, independent fashionistas, and they adopted the tutu for street style - imagine - what a fantastic statement it was! It was all about freedom, self-expression, and taking those dancing steps right onto the dance floor - oh what a party it was! You just know there was some delicious gossip to be found with every dance.
In the 1930s, as you can imagine, tutus started to lose their prominence, but as in fashion everything comes back around again, in the fifties and sixties we get that return to the ballet classic that I think makes them still so popular now - the dance was becoming more widely known and we had these magnificent performers doing the ballet en pointe that had the whole world falling in love with the dance, and tutus became symbols of that glamour and that magic.
And then in the 80s - pop star darling! Well, let’s just say it wasn’t just Michael Jackson wearing that sparkly garment, right?! We had everything from Madonna in her tutu for her video and the wonderful Grace Jones. It wasn’t long before those glamorous, rebellious little numbers had been worn by everyone, on the stage, in music videos and by rockstars. The tutu really had come into its own by then – no longer just the exclusive privilege of ballet dancers - a true testament to the evolution of the tutu - the fashion piece of the moment and a real classic!
The tutu hasn't stayed in one place in 2029 though! Just like all these dance steps it takes on a life of its own - there are short ones, and long ones, and fluffy ones, and sleek ones.
I love seeing this incredible fashion statement taking so many forms and still evolving, my darlings. But one thing is for sure, the tutu has always been a statement, and not just of the ballet - it’s always reflected our desire to dance! I see tutus being worn as casual daywear, for shopping trips to our favourite boutiques. I've even seen tutus at ballet shows themselves as a sort of homage to the classic – it’s like it's come full circle but with its own individual character, don't you think? And the best part? You don’t need to be a dancer to rock one! A beautiful tutu, I have always said, looks great on everyone, and a pink tutu will always, always be the most beautiful!
So there you have it, my lovelies! A quick peek at the tutu's history, and just think, all that from one single piece of fabric that starts as a ballerina's costume and becomes a timeless statement piece for the fashion world! As I take my trip to London, I'll keep my eyes peeled for the latest trends and be back next Tuesday to share more wonderful tales about tutus with all of you - I can’t wait to see what exciting stories we discover! Until then, don’t be shy to reach out. Email me, message me on Instagram, share a tutu story - we're all about tutus on Pink-tutu.com! And of course, wear your pink tutu! Until next week my lovelies!
P.S. Don't forget, if you haven't got your tickets for the ballet in London this week you need to hurry! I'll be there for sure, so we'll be posting all our photos of the fantastic performance next week!
