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International Debutante Ball

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Waldorf Astoria Hotel where the International Debutante Ball is held every two years

The International Debutante Ball is an invitation-only formal debutante ball to officially present well-connected young ladies from upper-class families to high society. Founded in 1954, it occurs every two years at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Young women from around the globe and all over the United States are brought together at the ball and the surrounding parties, including daughters of Presidents of the United States, diplomats, nobility, senators, ambassadors and governors. Over the years the ball has benefited numerous charities from the International Debutante Ball Foundation including the Soldiers', Sailors', Marines', Coast Guard and Airmen's Club of New York, a social club for members of the United States Armed Services.[8]

The International Debutante Ball is considered the most prestigious and the most exclusive debutante ball in the world.[9][10][11]

Format

58th International Debutante Ball, 2012, at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

The International Debutante Ball is held biennially, with the most recent ball having occurred in December 2012.[12] Each ball is preceded by a number of events, dinners and parties for the debutantes, including the Bachelor's Brunch, in private Manhattan members-only clubs such as the Colony Club, 21 Club or the University Club of New York.[13][14]

At the ball, each debutante is escorted by two men: one United States Military Academy cadet and one American civilian. According to New York Magazine, the current organizer of the International Debutante Ball stated that "Every young lady should have two men."[15]

Each debutante represents her state or country at the International Debutante Ball and a song, e.g., a national anthem or a song associated with the country where the debutante is from, is played by the orchestra for the debutante when she is presented on stage. The military escort of the debutante also carries the flag of the country or US state where the debutante comes from. Each debutante must also greet a thousand or more guests individually in the receiving line. Due to the fact that there are debutantes representing their own US state or country, the International Debutante Ball has been dubbed by publications as 'The United Nations of Debutante Balls and the private world of polite society'.[16]

Gold and pink are the main traditional colors of the ball. The Grand Ballroom is thus decorated with gold and pink decorations, which Countess Bobrinskoy oversees at each ball biennially, and guests dine on edible gold leaves.[17] The debutantes also receive flower bouquets containing pink roses and golden leaves.[18]

The International Debutante Ball introduces young women of the world's top one percent as "members of high society".[10][11]

The ball is considered the "ultimate networking event" where "members of the world's elite meet up and mingle" and "where their daughters are prepared to enter the world of high society and foster lifelong international friendship with each other".[19] The pink invitation that the chosen debutantes receive is written with gold ink and is therefore sometimes jokingly called the "Golden Ticket".[20][21]

The International Debutante Ball has been described as a ball which "most young women nowadays will never attend" and which has largely become a "who’s who of the upper class", with daughters of US Presidents, European royalty, US Governors, and Diplomats receiving invitations.[22]

The scene at the International Debutante Ball has been described as a "Gatsby-style splendour in Manhattan's Waldorf-Astoria" (referring to F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby).[23]

Qualifications and selection

In order to be presented as a debutante at the International Debutante Ball, debutantes must be recommended by a previous debutante of the International Debutante Ball.[24] Debutantes must also be accepted by the Chairmen of the Debutante Committee of the International Debutante Ball and be able to afford the debutante presentation fee.[24]

Debutantes who are usually accepted are highly accomplished young ladies in athletics, community service, academics, philanthropy and charity and are from well-connected families.[25] The debutantes are young women who maintain the standards of civility, chastity, manners, etiquette and gentility.[24] Chosen debutantes are usually between the ages of 17 and 21 years old.

According to the current organizer of the ball, the debutantes must be well-known with connections in the New York debutante and high society and as long as 'the debutante has the right connections, she has a chance of being invited'.[26][27][28]

According to the New York Times, the organiser of the ball stated that the ball does not want any "Tootsie" to participate or join "the club".[29]

Debutantes of the International Debutante Ball have been referred to as "members of a special and very select, elite, social group and of a carefully guarded social circle".[30] They have also been dubbed as "high profile" and "preppy".[31]

Once chosen, each debutante is required to pay at least $16,000.[26] Additionally, many debutantes spend thousands more for their required white haute couture gowns, celebrity hairdressers and other related expenses.[32]

It has been reported that some guests have paid at least $20,000 for a table at the ball.[26]

The chosen debutantes are known as "women of distinction".[33]

The debutantes include royalty, heiresses, aristocrats and daughters of many political figures including several Presidents of the United States. Debutantes of the International Debutante Ball also include daughters of billionaire businessmen from the Forbes 400 and many Wall Street financiers.[34] The International Debutante Ball has therefore been referred to as 'the debutante ball that presents the daughters of the world's top one percent'.[5][35]

History

The International Debutante Ball was founded in 1954 by socialite, philanthropist and humanitarian Beatrice Dinsmore Joyce,[36] who was dubbed as the 'Duchess of Debs' and the 'Grand dame of debutante balls'.[37] Joyce was inspired to create an American debutante ball after hearing Consuelo Vanderbilt make an observation about debutante balls and how lucky girls are who travel to debutante balls in different countries.[38]

The band leader Lester Lanin played the music from the start in 1954 until his last ball in the 1990s. Every guest was given a special "lanin hat". The first balls were held at the Plaza Hotel, with 35 girls from different countries and different states. As it grew with more girls participating, it moved to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Debutante Committee of the International Debutante Ball include or have included:[39]

Notable past debutantes

Over the years, the International Debutante Ball has had the honor of presenting many notable young women to society, including:

Other debutantes of the International Debutante Ball have included members of prominent American and international families including:[51]

Impact

Debutantes of the International Debutante Ball have been dubbed as 'Blue Blooded Socialites', 'the crème de la crème of young women' and 'the next it girls' by the media and 'The luckiest girls in the world' by the New York Observer.[53] The International Debutante Ball has also been dubbed as 'the ultimate debutante ball for young society ladies of distinction' presenting the next generation of eligible accomplished socialites.[36][54][55]

The debutantes have also been referred to as the "Real Gossip Girls" referring to the TV series Gossip Girl about rich upper-class young women from the Upper East Side.[56]

According to Gotham Magazine, the International Debutante Ball is the "Ball of the Deb Season" where the "well-heeled of the world" head to.[57]

The International Debutante Ball serves as a charity benefit, with money collected benefiting a variety of charities over the years. Chief among the beneficiaries is the The Soldiers', Sailors', Coast Guards', Marines' and Airmen's Club of Manhattan,[13] which provides a home away from home for men and women of the United States Armed Services.

The ball has also been called "the prettiest sight in this fine pretty world where the privileged class enjoys its privileges", referring to a quote from The Philadelphia Story.[58]

When a young woman has been presented as a debutante at the International Debutante Ball, she is considered to have become part of an "exclusive organization and club" of "post-debutantes of the International Debutante Ball ranging from royalty to billionaire heiresses from all over the world who all have this debutante ball in common".[59]

The Ball has been called a "female version of the elitist and exclusive Bullingdon Club, but with good manners and without the vandalising rituals".[This quote needs a citation]

The International Debutante Ball is considered a "right of passage" into high society for the "crème de la crème of young womanhood".[60]

The International Debutante Ball has been described as a ball which "most young women nowadays will never attend" and which has largely become a "who’s who of the upper class", with daughters of US Presidents, European royalty, US Governors, and Diplomats receiving invitations.[61]

The debutantes of the International Debutante Ball form lifelong lasting friendships and connections with each other.[62]

Cultural references

The International Debutante Ball has been the topic of several media, both fiction and non-fiction.

Books

  • Cornelia Guest, The Debutante’s Guide to Life (1986)
  • Ward Morehouse, Inside the Plaza: an intimate portrait of the ultimate hotel (2001)[63]
  • Kimberly Schlegel, The Pleasure of your company: Entertaining in High Style (2004)[38]
  • Lucy Kavaler, The Private World Of High Society: Its Rule And Rituals (2011)[64]
  • Diana Oswald, Oscar de la Renta and David P. Columbia, Debutantes: When glamour was born (2013)[65]

Movies

References

  1. ^ Edge, Simon. "Who'll Marry Prince Harry?". The Daily Express (UK). Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  2. ^ Pearlman, Natasha. "Who will hook Prince Harry next? The eligible beauties who could help the Prince mend his broken heart". Daily Mail UK. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  3. ^ Rice, Francesca. "The Über Glamorous Debutante Balls We Wish We'd Been Invited To". Marie Claire UK. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  4. ^ a b Kelley, Kitty. "Why aren't the Bush daughters in Iraq?". LA Times. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  5. ^ a b Weiss, Piper. "Outrageous Facts About Debutante Balls (fact 1: They Still Exist)". Yahoo. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  6. ^ Newman, Andy (30 November 1997). "Women Draft Dates For Debutante Ball". New York Times. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  7. ^ Krohn, Katherine E. Vera Wang Debutante. USA Today. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  8. ^ Bobley, Georgia. "The top debutante ball in the world". Guest of a Guest. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  9. ^ The Rockmart, Journal. "Brandon named to Bachelor's Committee for Ball in NY". The Rockmart Journal. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  10. ^ a b Williams, Rose Betty. "International Debut". The Society Diaries. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  11. ^ a b Rome News, Tribune. "Debutante Ball in New York City". Rome News Tribune. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  12. ^ B., Chris. "The 58th International Debutante Ball". Black Tie Magazine. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  13. ^ a b Duffy, Jamie (December 2, 2008). "N.J. debutantes prepare for International Debutante Ball". New Jersey On-Line. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
  14. ^ Foderaro, L. W. "Glamour Still Rules, but With Fewer Debutantes". New York Times. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  15. ^ Schappell, Elissa. "Better Off Deb Scenes from the biggest coming-out party of the year". New York Magazine. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  16. ^ TV, AFP. "Glitz and glamour at New York's Debutante Ball". AFP. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  17. ^ Duffy, Jamie. "N.J. debutantes prepare for International Debutante Ball". NJ. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  18. ^ Konigsberg, Eric. "Gowns, Hair Spray and the Texas Dip: Debutante Season". New York Times. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  19. ^ Richardson, Kristen. "The Last Debutantes All conflict and resolution, in one elegant package". Rookie. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  20. ^ Duffy, Jamie. "N.J. debutantes prepare for International Debutante Ball". NJ. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  21. ^ Konigsberg, Eric. "Gowns, Hair Spray and the Texas Dip: Debutante Season". New York Times. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  22. ^ Hoge, Savanna. "What Is a Debutante Ball?". My Southern Blg. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  23. ^ Guide, World. "International Debutante Ball". World Guide. For the Beautiful Things in Life. World Guide. For the Beautiful Things in Life. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  24. ^ a b c Holt, Katy. "A Tradition to Remember". The Bellaire Buzz. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  25. ^ Magher, Maria. "How to Get Your Daughter Invited to a Debutante Ball". eHow. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  26. ^ a b c Jones, Finn-Olaf. "The New Guard of New York Debutantes". Gotham Magazine. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  27. ^ Uhovski, Valentine. "At Waldorf, a Ball With Belles and Whistles". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  28. ^ Cohen, Stefanie. "Glove affair At the biannual debutante ball, these glamour girls will be introduced to society". New York Post. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  29. ^ Konigsberg, Eric (28 December 2006). "Gowns, Hair Spray and the Texas Dip: Debutante Season". New York Times. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  30. ^ Unknown, Unknown. "The debutante debut". Blog.Spot. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  31. ^ Richardson, Kristen. "The Last Debutantes". Rookie Magazine. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  32. ^ Telegraph, The (30 December 2008). "The International Debutante Ball at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York". London: The Telegraph UK. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  33. ^ Columbia, D.P. "Women of distinction". New York Social Diary. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  34. ^ Green, Stephanie. "Cowboys Catch Debs Ball: N.Y. Scene". Bloomberg. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  35. ^ "The International Debutante Ball at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York". The Daily Telegraph. London. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  36. ^ a b c Foderaro, Lisa W. (December 30, 2008). "Glamour Still Rules, but With Fewer Debutantes". The New York Times. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
  37. ^ Says, Suzy. "Debutantes from 19 nations take a bow at the Waldorf". Palm Beach Daily News. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  38. ^ a b Schlegel, Kimberly (2004). The Pleasure Of Your Company: Entertaining in High Style. Gibbs Smith. p. 192.
  39. ^ Muneer, Abbey H. "The 56th Annual International Debutante Ball: Thirty Women Bow". Liberty News Online. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  40. ^ Time, Magazine (4 January 1963). "People: Jan. 4, 1963". Time Magazine. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  41. ^ Ambrose, Stephen E. Nixon, Vol. 2: The Triumph of a Politician, 1962-1972. Premier Digital Publishing. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  42. ^ Konigsberg, Eric (28 December 2006). "Gowns, Hair Spray and the Texas Dip: Debutante Season". New York Times. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  43. ^ Krohn, Katherine E. Vera Wang: Enduring Style. USA Today. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  44. ^ Wang, Vera. "International Debutante Ball Dec. 31, 1968". New York Times. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  45. ^ Diliberto, Gioia. "For Debutante Cornelia Guest, Living Well Is the Best RevengeBy". People. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  46. ^ Daily News, Bangor. "Debutantes look for perfect escort at warmup before debutante ball". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  47. ^ a b Dunne, Diane. "Debutantes Ball Lasting Tradition". The New York Sun. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  48. ^ a b c Columbia, David Patrick; Hirsch, Jeffrey (2006). "The 52nd International Debutante Ball and dinner dance". New York Social Diary. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
  49. ^ "Sisis Ururenkelin präsentiert Milchzahn der Kaiserin". Die Presse. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  50. ^ SouthDevon, This is. "Royal ancestor to stage at haunted castle". Torquay Herald Express. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  51. ^ Columbia, David Patrick. "The Ball". New York Social Diary. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  52. ^ Magazine, Time (4 January 1963). "People: Jan. 4, 1963". Time Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  53. ^ Freeman, Nate. "The Luckiest Girls in the World: White Tie Endures at the International Debutante Ball". New York Observer. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  54. ^ Flint, Jessica. "International Debutantes Run Amok at the Waldorf-Astoria". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  55. ^ Guide, World. "International Debutante Ball". World Guide. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  56. ^ Daily Mail, Reporter. "Meet the real Gossip Girls: The highly accomplished débutantes making their entry into American society". Daily Mail UK. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  57. ^ Jones, Finn-Olaf. "The New Generation of New York Debutantes". http://gotham-magazine.com/personalities/articles/the-new-debutante. Gotham Magazine. Retrieved 15 June 2014. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  58. ^ Guide, G. "The 54th Annual International Debutante Ball". The Glam Guide. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  59. ^ Jones, F. "Glamour Still Rules, but With Fewer Debutantes". Gotham. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  60. ^ Guide, World. "International Debutante Ball". WorldGuide. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  61. ^ Hoge, Savanna. "What Is a Debutante Ball?". My Southern Blg. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  62. ^ Debutante Ball, International. "History of the debutante ball". International Debutante Ball. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  63. ^ Morehouse, Ward (2001). Inside The Plaza: An Intimate Portrait of the Ultimate Hotel. Applause Theatre Books Publishers. p. 142. ISBN 1557834687.
  64. ^ Kavaler, Lucy. "The Private World Of High Society: Its Rules And Rituals [Paperback]". Literary Licensing, LLC. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  65. ^ Oswald, Diana. "Debutantes When glamour was born". Rizzoli. Retrieved 4 January 2014.