Debutante ball

Formal ball that includes presenting debutantes during the season
Debutantes presentation waltz from the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America formal debutante ball in the Chicago Hilton and Towers Hotel, US (2010).
58th International Debutante Ball, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City (2012)

A debutante ball, sometimes called a coming-out party, is a formal ball that includes presenting debutantes during the social season, usually during the spring or summer. Debutante balls may require prior instruction in social etiquette and appropriate morals. The dress code is white tie and tails for men, and strictly floor-length pure white ball gown for women. Long white gloves[1] are commonly worn by female[2] debutantes and are considered a symbol of upper-class femininity.[3][4][5]

In the United Kingdom, the tradition of debutante balls began under King George III, with Queen Charlotte's Ball in 1780. This ball was discontinued by Queen Elizabeth II in 1976 as part of a modernization of the monarchy. The ball was revived in the 2000s under the patronage of the Duke of Somerset.

In the contemporary United States, the events are sometimes known as debutante cotillion balls and are held for middle schoolers as a chance to teach manners.[6][7][8] In Brazil, this practice has disappeared in almost every city with the exception of Porto Alegre (capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the most southern state of Brazil). In Porto Alegre 40 to 90 girls from the richest families participate in a debutante ball per year, with some girls participating in more than one debutante ball.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Coronet Debutante Ball". coronetdebutanteball.org. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  2. ^ "A guide for purchasing gloves for Carnival balls and presentations". NOLA.com. Retrieved 24 Jan 2014.
  3. ^ "Make Your Debut At The Vienna Opera Ball-Dress code". wiener-staatsoper.at. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Debutante gloves by Florentine Gloves - White kidskin debutante gloves". www.florentinegloves.com.
  5. ^ "Curtseys over cursing: 'Debutante' examines old-fashioned ceremony and its attendant good manners". New York Daily News.
  6. ^ "National League of Junior Cotillions". Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  7. ^ "Gollatz Cotillion & Social Programs". Archived from the original on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  8. ^ "JDW Cotillions & Social Education Programs". Archived from the original on 11 February 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
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