#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 2025-09-09

Hello darlings! It's Emma here, your Tutu Tuesday blogger extraordinaire, back from another whirl-wind trip through time. This week I've found myself in…wait for it…Paris! Ooh la la! How utterly fabulous, right?

Let me tell you, Paris is just as enchanting as you’d imagine it to be, particularly when you arrive on the most Parisian of modes of transport - a shiny red train. I arrived on a glorious Tuesday morning, with the sunshine peeping through the leaves of the Tuileries Garden. What better way to start a day than with a Parisian breakfast of croissants and coffee? (My own special touch, of course, was a pink iced cupcake with delicate sprinkles – I do love to inject a bit of colour wherever I go!)

But let's be honest, I wasn’t just in Paris to enjoy the city's charm. It’s September 9th, 2025, which is quite a special date in the history of ballet. This was the day, my lovelies, that the very first ballet to feature the infamous ‘Pink Tutu’ made its debut at the Opéra Garnier!

The ballet, called “La Fée Rose,” is a wonderfully whimsical fairy tale of love, magic, and of course… tutus. The heroine, who, surprise surprise, wears a pink tutu the colour of … wait for it... strawberry and cream ice cream!

So how did we arrive at this most stunning fashion moment, this iconic symbol of ballet, the Pink Tutu ?

Let's rewind a bit and explore how the ballet tutu came about. It’s quite the fascinating tale of creativity and transformation, really. The tutu has its roots in the romantic ballet era of the 19th century, which, let’s be honest, was just bursting with dreamy romantic ideas, right? Back then, dancers were sporting what they called a “tutu à la jambe,” a slightly shortened dress that only barely grazed their ankles, allowing them to show off some leg action – a scandal in those times, oh my!

But the most notable evolution came in the early 1840s, during a production of “Giselle,” a story about a betrayed and heartbroken girl who then becomes a forest nymph. To give the dancers the ethereal appearance they needed, the tutu was given a makeover, shortened significantly to form what we now call a “tutu-tutu!”

You can almost picture it, ballerinas swirling in the air, in all their billowing skirt glory. How much did that image get the heart racing? You'll excuse me for going into a little bit of a daydream...

Over the years, the tutu continued to evolve and be adapted, from the billowing Romantic style to the tighter, more fitted Classical style. But one thing has always remained the same: it remains one of the most recognizable and admired items of clothing in the entire world of dance, wouldn’t you say? It’s even found its way off the stage and into popular culture, being featured in fashion designs, as a symbol of femininity and grace.

Speaking of which… my trip to Paris has been simply amazing, I found a delightful little shop selling tutus, oh how they filled the place with fluffy, delightful clouds of femininity! Imagine rows and rows of pink and white tulle… and this one… is a masterpiece! It has just a sprinkle of glitter – just the slightest touch, so utterly subtle yet so utterly stunning… I snapped it up before you could say “Tutu-Tuesday!” I think I shall pair it with my new cream lace shoes, so absolutely divine!

But alas, even my most Parisian daydream comes to an end… and so does this week’s #TutuTuesday. Thank you for joining me on my little journey into ballet history, I can’t wait to take you all with me next week, when we'll be looking at another fascinating chapter in the tutu's story. And if you want to get in touch, you know where to find me at www.pink-tutu.com. Until next week, keep twirling and stay fabulous!

Yours truly, Emma xx