Hello lovely people! Emma here, back from another incredible journey through time! This month I’ve been whisked back to 1860, a year bursting with exciting fashion and a glimpse of the evolution of the leotard itself. Buckle up because, as always, there’s a lot to talk about!
Let's talk pink tutus! I've always said pink tutus are timeless, and this journey proved it. Despite not having a full-on pink tutu moment (though imagine a Victorian lady wearing one! swoon ) there was a clear fashion statement for dance and movement!
I’m talking about gymnastics, my darlings. This month I saw gymnastics bloom in a beautiful way in Berlin. The German Turnverein, founded in the 18th century, was really gaining traction. And guess what? While they had athletic wear for the men, I saw women in wonderfully colourful, tight-fitting garments perfect for their new and exciting movement-driven classes! Talk about the leotard's evolution, right?! The fabrics were practical but oh, so beautiful in reds, blues and yellows. You can imagine them fluttering as they perfected their cartwheels and jumps. Imagine those amazing vibrant colours on a silk, figure-hugging leotard, pure bliss, isn't it?
This journey brought the magic of the stage back into my world too. I even found a fantastic ballet show to see in Vienna! While still developing as a modern performance art, ballet was certainly taking center stage! I have to admit, I'm starting to understand why people are obsessed with this classical, elegant art. I have a few little shows lined up this summer back in the 21st century and you just wait - I'll be wowing them in Derbyshire. There is such an exquisite and timeless grace to classical ballet, and seeing it emerge in 1860 made me realise it’s truly an eternal art form. Just as tutus never die, so the elegance and passion of a perfect plie will never go out of style, will it?
But before I delve into that, a bit about my journey: I went time-travelling in my favourite sparkly pink leotard and landed with a bounce right outside Vienna's Burgtheater. My oh my, the theatre's architecture was breathtaking! This grand palace, like something out of a storybook, housed ballets that were incredibly exciting and different to those performed now! It’s so interesting to witness the history and evolution of stagecraft, how dances changed, and how the costumes evolved.
Now, back to that exciting leotard evolution – my absolute passion! The women in Vienna performing the ballet (oh so different from the graceful ballets of our time! imagine men wearing tutus, a sight I didn’t catch, perhaps another month…) were wearing these delightful tutus. But guess what? They were not in full length and didn't cover their lovely arms and legs like our modern dancers do. They had fitted, almost leotard-like tops made from colourful silks, that flowed gracefully in the waltz sequences. It was just beautiful. Can you picture this on the stage? With delicate white slippers and some strategically placed sparkle? Heaven! A little more than a century on, those elegant short tutus have blossomed into what we love and adore! They were a symbol of that period's elegance, a delicate evolution of dance and fashion - what could be more lovely than that?
So, my loves, remember that a journey into the past is like looking into the wardrobe of fashion history! Every era has its leotard-shaped surprise and fashion is constantly evolving and re-interpreting the trends of the past, even for your favourite garment – the tutu!
You know what? It makes me realize I have to spend a bit more time this month in 1860 and travel to France too. Why? Because of Charles Worth! This remarkable designer brought Parisian elegance and the art of couture to the fore and revolutionized what it meant to wear fashion, and he had his hand in designing theatre costumes for a lot of big Parisian productions, and I think you can imagine the beautiful outfits they must have worn - swoon! This man's impact on dancewear is huge! Just imagine the grace, the silk, the panache – oh la la!
To top it off, it seems women were wearing crinolines as underskirts in 1860, a big, fluffy petticoat which gave skirts their billowing shape. Now, imagine that with a tight, beautiful pink leotard or bodice over it! A fabulous combination of the structured and the soft - that would be a stunning look for any occasion. Don't you agree? I've already got a new vision in my head and will be experimenting with this one on stage this month in my little show - do you want to see what I come up with? Let me know on Instagram! I just know the contrast of structure and softness is going to be a tour de force!
I'm just off to gather inspiration for my performance – can't you picture me dancing under a glittering sky in Derbyshire, performing my own pink tutu twist on history, on my pink sparkling leotard - pure PINKitude! If anyone ever tells you the past was less fun, show them this blog post - my adventures with leotards and fashion across time, a beautiful reminder that pink tutus and their ancestors are timeless!
To pink-tutu-ly amazing outfits! Catch you in a few weeks for another exciting historical jaunt.
Lots of love, Emma www.pink-tutu.com
