Hello lovelies!
It's Emma here, your trusty Tutu Tuesday guide, popping in from the future (oh, yes, that's right!) with a special peek into the enchanting world of the ballet tutu.
What's Today's Date?
It's December 30th, 2025, and the air is buzzing with the magic of the holidays. Everyone's exhausted but full of sparkle! Today's special is that New Year's Eve is just around the corner! It’s the perfect time to get our twirls on, glitter up, and welcome the New Year in style.
A Twirl Through Time, 2025 Style
As I stepped out of my time machine – yes, you heard me right, I do own one - and landed in the centre of the dance world, Paris, it was obvious this year is full of exciting new trends for tutus! We’re talking about all kinds of colours and fabrics - silk, tulle, velvet and even the boldest, brightest satin! They’re being worn not just at the ballet, but at everything! I saw a whole gang of chic dancers sporting the cutest, poufy, bright pink tutu dresses to a glitzy rooftop New Year's party – talk about fashion goals!
A History of Twirling
You guys already know my passion: tutus! I’ve always said there’s nothing like a swishy, sparkly, tutu to brighten up a day, but these magical garments have a story too, a fascinating history of fashion, dance and elegance that we need to appreciate.
So, put your teacup down (or, if you're lucky enough, your glass of champagne) and get ready to explore a delightful little history lesson on the Tutu:
From Simplicity to Spectacularity: The Birth of the Ballet Tutu
Picture this: We’re back in the 1800s! Romantic ballet was all the rage, and ballerinas wanted to show off their lovely limbs with graceful moves. Gone were the days of big, cumbersome skirts! What they wore instead? A simple, loose, ankle-length white linen garment - a real revolution! They call this early form of ballet skirt the ‘tutu’ – a French word meaning 'dress' - it’s the same origin of the word 'tulle', the lovely fine netting fabric it was often made from. This is the earliest version of what we call a tutu today.
But the ‘tutu’ changed a LOT throughout the 19th century! There was this little thing called ‘progress’. With each generation of dance and fashion, there was a constant evolution – and in this evolution, we get the classic tutu.
The Romantic tutu (1830-1840) became longer and lighter. They’re known for those layers of soft white tulle and graceful movements, capturing the ethereal beauty of the time.
Then came the tutu-de-basque (1860-1890) – a beautiful and innovative new style. The bodice of this ‘tutu’ was shaped to mimic a natural, delicate ‘hourglass’ figure. They were made of velvet or silk, with flowing layered tutus that became increasingly tighter and shorter - think of our graceful ballerinas, floating with amazing, beautiful and powerful extensions and poses - breathtaking!
Then, to keep our history in chronological order – remember La Sylphide (1832) and Giselle (1841)? Well, these iconic ballets really kicked things off for the tutu's popularity, as dancers like Marie Taglioni, Fanny Cerrito and Carlotta Grisi, all wore various beautiful interpretations of these revolutionary, new style ‘tutut’. This became known as ‘La Sylphide tutu', inspired by Marie Taglioni, the dancer who started this romantic revolution. It had layers and layers of soft tulle, very soft, which made it a must for elegant jumps and breathtaking pirouettes – this is one of the ‘tutut’ which gave ballet such a new and elegant energy.
Now, it gets really exciting! * As ballet itself evolved, so did the tutu. *The tutu we know today - the famous ‘Romantic tutu’ and the **‘Classical tutu'. The shorter, lighter ‘Romantic tutu’, with all its elegant flowing layers. Then the Classical tutu, – a creation that took centre stage in 1900 – featuring an elaborate, full-skirted tutu with many, many layers. These elegant tutus are designed to offer both freedom of movement, but emphasise every graceful movement that is essential to ballet! A total dream.
Tutus, a Global Fashion Icon
The tutu’s evolution wasn't just confined to the ballet stage – it’s influence on fashion is a truly special, global one.
We've seen the tutu grace every runway from Milan and New York to Tokyo – it’s been in the pages of Vogue for years! From designers like Christian Dior to Karl Lagerfeld, everyone’s played with tutu inspirations and the fabulousness of this elegant style in couture fashion.
Tutus Today - Bringing a Touch of Sparkle to Everything!
From shimmering sequins to whimsical colour combinations, designers have been reinterpreting the iconic ballet tutu and adapting its essence to clothing and even street-wear - we are so lucky to live in a world that celebrates this elegant and beautiful silhouette, giving a touch of ballet-magic to everyday life. I've spotted tutus in bridal wear, evening gowns, and even some funky denim designs – they’re all a testament to this piece of garment's eternal fashion power. The tutu has a way of bringing out the inner child in everyone - who doesn’t love a bit of fun and magic?!
The Magic of Tutuing Up!
We know tutus hold a special place in our hearts. And, whether it’s a classic fluffy ballet version or a trendy mini skirt – wearing a tutu is all about letting your inner diva shine! It’s all about being happy and feeling confident.
Now, don’t get me wrong, – the world needs more tutu magic! I've got a mission to convince the entire world to wear a tutu (preferably pink). We're all ballerinas at heart.
And, since this is Tutu Tuesday, we must have a challenge! This week, let’s go beyond the dance stage! Grab your favourite tutu and post your Tutu-style fashion inspiration with the hashtag #TutuTuesday, and, for a bit of extra fun, use #pinktutu if you’re rocking pink, of course.
That's all for this week's #TutuTuesday. Happy New Year's Eve to all my wonderful, fabulous readers. Don’t forget to visit my website at www.pink-tutu.com for a fantastic mix of fashion tips and ballet inspiration, and remember – everyone deserves to twirl in a fabulous tutu!
See you next week with more tutu-tastic magic!
Lots of love and twirls!
Emma
