25th November 2025
Oh darling, you wouldn't believe where I've been today! It's almost as exciting as seeing a pair of sparkly, candy pink ballet shoes on sale (almost, mind you!) I had the absolute best time exploring the ballet history of London, my favourite city in the world!
Just a little bit of background for those of you just joining the Pink Tutu Posse: I'm Emma, a Derbyshire girl through and through, but when I'm not pirouetting at the barre, I'm hopping in my magical tutu-mobile, travelling through time to discover all the whimsical and wonderful world of the tutu.
Today, it's 25th November 2025, and itās Remembrance Day. A beautiful, poignant, and truly meaningful day. Of course, this always means the most elegant black tie dinners and lavish galas around the country. But that isn't the only reason why I love November! Itās the start of the Christmas season with all those magical pantomimes, spectacular shows, and dazzling Christmas markets! So much colour, so much magic, and all the twinkle toes in perfect sync. Oh my! My heart could just burst!
Now, letās rewind to London back in the 1800sā¦ the beginning of ballet's fashion story. The traditional āRomantic Tutuā, oh so beautiful! You'd see billowing tulle layered, making those delicate leaps look superb ā almost like a beautiful, feathery cloud, a dream! I'd say the French really embraced this look with their amazing dancers in those famous operas like Giselleā¦ can't wait to visit the OpĆ©ra Garnier soon! Imagine those opulent gilded rooms, the rich red velvet seating... and then you hear the thrum of the ballet shoes on the stageā¦ oh, darling! Pure magic!
It wouldnāt be too long until Marie Taglioni ā oh she was just a dream, a wisp of a dancer with such delicate movementsā¦ oh darling, just divine! I'd just love to have seen her perform. She changed things up with her shorter tutus. Imagine, not too many layers, just a delicate swirl of fabric, showing those incredible steps with elegant lines ā an absolute masterpiece! The audience wouldāve been mesmerised, just as much as we still are today!
After that, my dears, tutus went on quite a journey. The āClassical Tutuā, oh those short, frilly tiers... like little delicate puffs! I'd wear that every day if I could! The ballerina became a literal symbol of lightness and freedom, a sort of delicate feather in the wind.
Now, back to the 21st Century and London. I was walking along Oxford Street today, popping into all those wonderful vintage fashion shops (with a very stylish, oh so vintage Pink Tutu backpack - so chic! ) - you simply cannot beat that vintage glamourā¦ It is true that nothing can ever beat a beautiful vintage tutu - there is something so wonderful about finding those unique items of ballet history.
In a wonderful shop called āBallet & Bloomā I discovered a beautiful velvet stage curtain from the 1920s - it was a little rough around the edges, yes, but so amazing - a vibrant Emerald Green, it had a magical sparkle. Oh darling, the woman at the shop couldn't have been lovelier. I could tell she understood the true heart of the vintage tutu!
She told me about a particular production that used this very curtain back in the 20s. Imagine the wonderful lighting effects, creating that dramatic ambience... so elegant! You know darling, tutus are an essential part of theatre design... from the fabric itself, all those colours and shapes, it's an entire magical visual world! Even the smallest details make the biggest difference...
Now, speaking of little details, darling, did you know that some of those sparkly, jeweled embellishments on the 20s tutus would have been real, real jewels! Now wouldnāt that make your pointe shoes shine! It was a period of extravagant and opulent fashions! The glitter and sparkle and embellishments... just a whimsical dream.
Back on Oxford Street, I even found myself strolling down the historic Shaftesbury Avenue, right by that gorgeous theatre The Dominion. It had a great show going on called " Cinderella's Ballā, the biggest fairy tale ever told, with all those classic characters and an enchanted ballgown. Oh darling, just the dream I need today... and I can bet you the costumes are out of this world... especially that tutu on Cinderella!
While I was watching a little ballet street show in Leicester Square (how wonderfully entertaining those are, and so much fun for the whole family!) I felt such an incredible surge of inspiration! So much freedom and happiness flowing through the performers! And, of course, I had to ask about the tutus! It's an unspoken language, darling!
And you know, dear readers, they're changing, evolving, growing just like our own style! You can now find some fantastic tutu designs from different global designers - there's everything for every style - sophisticated, elegant, bold, bright. The options are absolutely endless and that's the best part about the world of tutu fashion, I think...
There is always a tutu waiting out there for you... maybe thatās a slightly darker, dramatic black tutuā¦ or perhaps a more classical tutu with layers and layers of chiffon. Don't be afraid to find something special - maybe *a hand-painted tutu just for you! What do you think, darling? What you think, my dear!
Well, darlings, I must away. This time traveler is going to explore a vintage ballet boutique in Notting Hill. There are whispers of feather boas and headbands and beaded bodices... oh my! Now wouldn't those be perfect for the festive season?
As always, donāt forget to tell me all your tutu tales - tweet them to @PinkTutuPosse with #TutuTuesday.
Oh darling, until next time, happy tutuing! And don't forget to wear a pink tutu, darling. That's the rule!
See you soon, Emma PinkTutu.com
