Debutante
Encyclopedia
A débutante is a young lady from an aristocratic
or upper class
family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation. It should not be confused with a Debs
. Originally, it meant the young woman was eligible to marry, and part of the purpose was to display her to eligible bachelors and their families with a view to marriage within a select upper class
circle. Débutantes may be recommended by a distinguished committee or sponsored by an established member of elite society. In the Southern United States
, débutantes are also referred to as Southern belle
s. The male equivalent of a débutante is a "beau".
Début presentations vary by regional culture and are also frequently referenced as "débutante balls," "cotillion balls" or "coming-out" parties. The male equivalent is often referred to as "beautillion ball". A lone débutante might have her own début, or she might share it with a sister or other close relative. Modern débutante balls are often charity
events: the parents of the débutante donate a certain amount of money to the designated cause, and the invited guests pay for their tickets. These balls may be elaborate formal affairs and involve not only "debs" but junior débutantes, escorts and ushers, flower girls and pages as well.
, débutante balls (or colloquially "deb balls") are held in year 11 or 12 for students of Australian schools or are held outside the school system by organisations such as the local chapter of Lions Club, RSL
sub-branches or a local church parish. Girls do not have to 'make their deb' and today the vast majority of Australian girls elect not to attend débutante balls. The term 'debutante ball' is in fact not known by the majority of Australians, for this reason the very concept of debutante balls is considered a dying, almost obsolete right of passage in Australia. Now, the tradition of the débutante ball is primarily seen as rite of passage, only for girls of the elite upper class in Australia.
Many Australian schools have a "formal", similar to the American prom
. The formal, like a débutante ball, consists of dancing, however not formal ballroom. The formal has taken over much of the need for a "deb ball".
It is customary for the female to ask a male to the débutante ball, with males not being able to "do the deb" unless they are asked. Débutante ball students who are partaking in the official proceedings must learn how to ballroom dance
. Débutante balls are almost always held in a reception centre or ballroom
. Usually they are held late in the year and consist of dinner, dancing and speeches. Schools often restrict invitations to the débutante ball to students within the grade level at one school, but single-sex schools tend to allow a partner with no association to the school to attend. They are often, but not always, similar to American prom
s.
The girl wears a white wedding dress-like ball gown, called a débutante dress
, while the boy wears a tuxedo.
If a girl does not attend a private school, the girl may be invited to take part with her family to pay for the ball.
In the United Kingdom
, the presentation of débutantes to the Sovereign at court
marked the start of the British social season
. Applications for young girls to be presented at court were required to be made by ladies who themselves had been presented to the Sovereign which may have been their mother or someone else known by the family who themselves were eligible to vouch for the lady being presented. A mother-in-law who herself has been presented might, for example, present her new daughter-in-law. The Presentation of debutantes at court was also a way for young girls of marriageable age to be presented to suitable bachelors and their families in the hopes of finding a suitable husband. The bachelor in turn would use the court presentation as a chance to find a suitable wife. Those who wanted to be presented at court were required to apply for permission to do so by which if the application was accepted, they would be sent a royal summons from the Lord Chamberlain
to attend the Presentation on a certain day which stated by Debretts always started at 10pm. As well as débutantes, older women and married women who had not previously been presented could be presented at Court.
On the day of the court presentation, the débutante and her mother or other eligible lady would be announced, the debutante would curtsy to the Sovereign and then leave without turning her back.
The court dress would have traditionally been a white evening dress
, the colour white represented a young girl's virginity and purity but shades of ivory and pink were acceptable. The white dress would have consisted of short sleeves and white gloves and a train which would have been held in the debutantes arm until ready to be presented and a veil attached to the hair with three white ostrich
feathers. Débutantes would also wear pearls but many would also wear jewellery that belonged to the family.
After the débutantes had been presented to the reigning monarch, they would then attend the social season
as a means of being launched into society as a young lady which would have consisted of Royal Ascot
, afternoon tea parties, polo
matches and balls
, all of which the young girls being presented would have been expected to attend and act in a manner befitting of a lady. Many débutantes would also have their own "coming-out party" or, alternatively, a party shared with a sister or other member of family.
The last débutantes were presented at Court in 1958 after Queen Elizabeth II
abolished the ceremony. Attempts were made to keep the tradition going by organising a series of parties for young girls who might otherwise have been presented at Court in their first season (to which suitable young men were also invited). However, the withdrawal of royal patronage made these occasions increasingly insignificant, and scarcely distinguishable from any other part of the social season.
However, the expression "débutante" or "deb" for short continues to be used, especially in the press
, to refer to young girls of marriageable age who participate in a semi-public upper class social scene. The expression "deb's delight" is applied to good looking unmarried young men from similar backgrounds.
is a formal presentation of young ladies, débutantes, to "polite society
". Débutantes are usually recommended by a distinguished committee or sponsored by an established member of élite society. Wearing white gowns and satin or kid gloves, the débutantes stand in a receiving line, and then are introduced individually to the audience. The débutante is announced and then is walked around the stage, guided by her father who then presents her. Her younger male escort then joins her and escorts her away. Each débutante brings at least one escort, sometimes two. Many débutante balls select escorts and then pair them with the debs to promote good social pairings. Cotillions may be elaborate formal affairs and involve not only "debs" but junior débutantes, escorts and ushers, flower girls and pages as well. Every débutante must perform a curtsy
also known as the St. James Bow or a full court bow. This gesture is made as the young woman is formally presented. Débutante balls exist in nearly every major city in the United States but are more common and a larger affair in the South. Many cities such as Dallas and Atlanta have multiple balls in a season. Dallas, for example, is home of the traditional Idlewild organization, as well as more modern organizations such as The Dallas Symphony Orchestra Presentation Ball and La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas, both of which benefit charities. In New Orleans, Louisiana
, a débutante is usually presented during the Carnival season. In New York City there are still several deb balls. One that draws from all over the world is the International Debutante Ball. Also there are other charity and social balls such as the Infirmary (benefits the local hospital), the Mayflower and the Saint Nicholas Ball. As an alternative to a ball, and more commonly in the old North, a young woman might have her own "coming-out party," given by her parents. Unlike a collective ball, which would be only held at a certain time of the year, such a party could be at any time of the year, but might well be scheduled around the débutante's birthday. In theory, the only women who could be invited would be those who had already made their débuts, thus affording a sort of rank-order to the débutante season. These "old-money" families of the South also often send their preteen sons and daughters to dancing classes, called cotillion. When these girls are twenty-one they have a deb ball.
," an episode of The O.C.
(a drama about upper class Californians), featured a representation of an American débutante ball. "Hi, Society
," (season 1 episode 10), and "They Shoot Humphreys, Don't They?
," (season 3 episode 9) of Gossip Girl
, also from The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz
, features a débutante ball in New York City. "Presenting Lorelai Gilmore", an episode of Gilmore Girls
shows Rory Gilmore as a débutante. She makes her debut at a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
débutante ball that her grandmother helped put together. In The Critic
, Jay Sherman's younger sister Margo is persuaded to reluctantly attend her débutante ball.
Crime dramas also have investigated début-related murders. "Zoo York," an episode of CSI: NY
, featured the CSI team investigating the murder of a débutante. Medical examiner Evan Zao comments that he attended a débutante ball. "Debut", an episode of Cold Case, tells the story of a young girl who is murdered the night of her débutante ball. In an episode of Law and Order: SVU, entitled Streetwise, detectives investigated the rape and murder of a débutante.
Films with débutante themes include Metropolitan
, Whit Stillman
's début feature film, a comedy of manners
set during the deb season in Manhattan, and What a Girl Wants
, a 2003 film in which Amanda Bynes
plays an American teen whose estranged father is a British Lord, and who is presented at a coming out party after being reunited with her mother. In another movie featuring Amanda Bynes
, She's The Man
, the main character attends a debutantes preparation program throughout the movie which ends with the Debutante's ball. Something New
, a romantic comedy has a cotillion scene of upper class African Americans on the west coast. The Debut
, a film considered to be an accurate snapshot of contemporary Filipino American life, touches upon a wide variety of cultural themes within the plot of an informal débutante event. The 1992 film The Addams Family
is centered around the reconciliation of Gomez
and Fester Addams, who had had a falling out as teenagers when Gomez had wooed both his date and Fester's (Flora and Fauna Amore, the siamese twins) at the débutante ball. In the 1994 film Little Women
, a 'coming-out' party is thrown, Aunt March is also seen talking to Marmee about when Meg will be introduced into society.
In the premiere of The City
, Whitney Port
's reality show, her co-worker Olivia Palermo
describes her first pair of Manolo Blahnik
shoes that she wore to her "Deb" back when she was 18 years of age.
In the Disney Channel, made-for-TV movie, Cow Belles, starring Aly & AJ, one of their characters gets kicked out of the ball for not having enough money.
s and débutante balls (commonly known as "débuts") are very popular in the Philippines
and in Filipino communities overseas. Eighteen candles are then presented to the débutante by eighteen of her closest girlfriends, and then eighteen roses are presented by eighteen male escorts. Traditionally, the débutante leaves the ball at midnight. The débutante tradition in Philippine culture is portrayed in the film The Debut
.
, Puerto Rico
, Panama
and Paraguay
, the débutantes are those young girls, typically fifteen or sixteen years old and belonging to middle-high and high class, that participate in a Festival de Debutantes or simply Debut, designed to officially present them to social life.
In Brazil and Mexico, such events are called Baile de Debutante (débutante ball) or Festa de Quinze Anos (15 year party).
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
or upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation. It should not be confused with a Debs
Debs and grads
A debs or grad is a formal ball for students in their final year of secondary school in Ireland, analogous to the prom in North American schools or the School formal in Australia. "Debs ", from "débutantes' ", is the usual name for girls' schools, coeducational schools, and some boys' schools;...
. Originally, it meant the young woman was eligible to marry, and part of the purpose was to display her to eligible bachelors and their families with a view to marriage within a select upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
circle. Débutantes may be recommended by a distinguished committee or sponsored by an established member of elite society. In the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, débutantes are also referred to as Southern belle
Southern belle
A southern belle is an archetype for a young woman of the American Old South's upper class....
s. The male equivalent of a débutante is a "beau".
Début presentations vary by regional culture and are also frequently referenced as "débutante balls," "cotillion balls" or "coming-out" parties. The male equivalent is often referred to as "beautillion ball". A lone débutante might have her own début, or she might share it with a sister or other close relative. Modern débutante balls are often charity
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
events: the parents of the débutante donate a certain amount of money to the designated cause, and the invited guests pay for their tickets. These balls may be elaborate formal affairs and involve not only "debs" but junior débutantes, escorts and ushers, flower girls and pages as well.
Australia
In AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, débutante balls (or colloquially "deb balls") are held in year 11 or 12 for students of Australian schools or are held outside the school system by organisations such as the local chapter of Lions Club, RSL
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
sub-branches or a local church parish. Girls do not have to 'make their deb' and today the vast majority of Australian girls elect not to attend débutante balls. The term 'debutante ball' is in fact not known by the majority of Australians, for this reason the very concept of debutante balls is considered a dying, almost obsolete right of passage in Australia. Now, the tradition of the débutante ball is primarily seen as rite of passage, only for girls of the elite upper class in Australia.
Many Australian schools have a "formal", similar to the American prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
. The formal, like a débutante ball, consists of dancing, however not formal ballroom. The formal has taken over much of the need for a "deb ball".
It is customary for the female to ask a male to the débutante ball, with males not being able to "do the deb" unless they are asked. Débutante ball students who are partaking in the official proceedings must learn how to ballroom dance
Ballroom dance
Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television....
. Débutante balls are almost always held in a reception centre or ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
. Usually they are held late in the year and consist of dinner, dancing and speeches. Schools often restrict invitations to the débutante ball to students within the grade level at one school, but single-sex schools tend to allow a partner with no association to the school to attend. They are often, but not always, similar to American prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
s.
The girl wears a white wedding dress-like ball gown, called a débutante dress
Debutante Dress
For more information see DébutanteA debutante dress is a white evening gown, accompanied by white gloves and pearls worn by young women at their debutante ball...
, while the boy wears a tuxedo.
If a girl does not attend a private school, the girl may be invited to take part with her family to pay for the ball.
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the presentation of débutantes to the Sovereign at court
Court of St. James's
The Court of St James's is the royal court of the United Kingdom. It previously had the same function in the Kingdom of England and in the Kingdom of Great Britain .-Overview:...
marked the start of the British social season
Season (society)
The social season or Season has historically referred to the annual period when it is customary for members of the a social elite of society to hold debutante balls, dinner parties and large charity events...
. Applications for young girls to be presented at court were required to be made by ladies who themselves had been presented to the Sovereign which may have been their mother or someone else known by the family who themselves were eligible to vouch for the lady being presented. A mother-in-law who herself has been presented might, for example, present her new daughter-in-law. The Presentation of debutantes at court was also a way for young girls of marriageable age to be presented to suitable bachelors and their families in the hopes of finding a suitable husband. The bachelor in turn would use the court presentation as a chance to find a suitable wife. Those who wanted to be presented at court were required to apply for permission to do so by which if the application was accepted, they would be sent a royal summons from the Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
to attend the Presentation on a certain day which stated by Debretts always started at 10pm. As well as débutantes, older women and married women who had not previously been presented could be presented at Court.
On the day of the court presentation, the débutante and her mother or other eligible lady would be announced, the debutante would curtsy to the Sovereign and then leave without turning her back.
The court dress would have traditionally been a white evening dress
Evening gown
An evening gown is a long flowing women's dress usually worn to a formal affair. It ranges from tea and ballerina to full-length. Evening gowns are often made of a luxury fabric such as chiffon, velvet, satin, or silk...
, the colour white represented a young girl's virginity and purity but shades of ivory and pink were acceptable. The white dress would have consisted of short sleeves and white gloves and a train which would have been held in the debutantes arm until ready to be presented and a veil attached to the hair with three white ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
feathers. Débutantes would also wear pearls but many would also wear jewellery that belonged to the family.
Season (society)
The social season or Season has historically referred to the annual period when it is customary for members of the a social elite of society to hold debutante balls, dinner parties and large charity events...
as a means of being launched into society as a young lady which would have consisted of Royal Ascot
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
, afternoon tea parties, polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
matches and balls
Ball (dance)
A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event.Attendees wear evening attire, which is...
, all of which the young girls being presented would have been expected to attend and act in a manner befitting of a lady. Many débutantes would also have their own "coming-out party" or, alternatively, a party shared with a sister or other member of family.
The last débutantes were presented at Court in 1958 after Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
abolished the ceremony. Attempts were made to keep the tradition going by organising a series of parties for young girls who might otherwise have been presented at Court in their first season (to which suitable young men were also invited). However, the withdrawal of royal patronage made these occasions increasingly insignificant, and scarcely distinguishable from any other part of the social season.
However, the expression "débutante" or "deb" for short continues to be used, especially in the press
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, to refer to young girls of marriageable age who participate in a semi-public upper class social scene. The expression "deb's delight" is applied to good looking unmarried young men from similar backgrounds.
American débutante balls
A cotillion or débutante ball in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is a formal presentation of young ladies, débutantes, to "polite society
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
". Débutantes are usually recommended by a distinguished committee or sponsored by an established member of élite society. Wearing white gowns and satin or kid gloves, the débutantes stand in a receiving line, and then are introduced individually to the audience. The débutante is announced and then is walked around the stage, guided by her father who then presents her. Her younger male escort then joins her and escorts her away. Each débutante brings at least one escort, sometimes two. Many débutante balls select escorts and then pair them with the debs to promote good social pairings. Cotillions may be elaborate formal affairs and involve not only "debs" but junior débutantes, escorts and ushers, flower girls and pages as well. Every débutante must perform a curtsy
Curtsey
A curtsey is a traditional gesture of greeting, in which a girl or woman bends her knees while bowing her head. It is the female equivalent of male bowing in Western cultures...
also known as the St. James Bow or a full court bow. This gesture is made as the young woman is formally presented. Débutante balls exist in nearly every major city in the United States but are more common and a larger affair in the South. Many cities such as Dallas and Atlanta have multiple balls in a season. Dallas, for example, is home of the traditional Idlewild organization, as well as more modern organizations such as The Dallas Symphony Orchestra Presentation Ball and La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas, both of which benefit charities. In New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, a débutante is usually presented during the Carnival season. In New York City there are still several deb balls. One that draws from all over the world is the International Debutante Ball. Also there are other charity and social balls such as the Infirmary (benefits the local hospital), the Mayflower and the Saint Nicholas Ball. As an alternative to a ball, and more commonly in the old North, a young woman might have her own "coming-out party," given by her parents. Unlike a collective ball, which would be only held at a certain time of the year, such a party could be at any time of the year, but might well be scheduled around the débutante's birthday. In theory, the only women who could be invited would be those who had already made their débuts, thus affording a sort of rank-order to the débutante season. These "old-money" families of the South also often send their preteen sons and daughters to dancing classes, called cotillion. When these girls are twenty-one they have a deb ball.
Débutante balls in U.S. television and films
Several television series focused on young people from wealthy families include episodes with débutante events. "The DebutThe Debut (The O.C. episode)
"The Debut" is the 4th episode of the FOX television series, The O.C.. The episode was written by Josh Schwartz and Allan Heinberg and was directed by Daniel Attias...
," an episode of The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
(a drama about upper class Californians), featured a representation of an American débutante ball. "Hi, Society
Hi, Society
"Hi, Society" is the tenth episode of the first season of the CW television series, Gossip Girl. The episode was written by Joshua Safran and directed by Patrick Norris. It originally aired on Tuesday, December 5, 2007 on the CW. The episode received positive reviews from reviewers and critics...
," (season 1 episode 10), and "They Shoot Humphreys, Don't They?
They Shoot Humphreys, Don't They?
"They Shoot Humphreys, Don't They?" is the 52nd episode of the CW television series, Gossip Girl. It was also the ninth episode of the show’s third season. The episode was written by Amanda Lasher and directed by Alison MacLean. The episode was considered very polemic according to the Parents...
," (season 3 episode 9) of Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl (TV series)
Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...
, also from The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
, features a débutante ball in New York City. "Presenting Lorelai Gilmore", an episode of Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
shows Rory Gilmore as a débutante. She makes her debut at a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
débutante ball that her grandmother helped put together. In The Critic
The Critic
The Critic is an American prime time animated series revolving around the life of film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by actor Jon Lovitz. It was created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, both of whom had worked as writers on The Simpsons. The Critic had 23 episodes produced, first broadcast on ABC in 1994,...
, Jay Sherman's younger sister Margo is persuaded to reluctantly attend her débutante ball.
Crime dramas also have investigated début-related murders. "Zoo York," an episode of CSI: NY
CSI: NY
CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...
, featured the CSI team investigating the murder of a débutante. Medical examiner Evan Zao comments that he attended a débutante ball. "Debut", an episode of Cold Case, tells the story of a young girl who is murdered the night of her débutante ball. In an episode of Law and Order: SVU, entitled Streetwise, detectives investigated the rape and murder of a débutante.
Films with débutante themes include Metropolitan
Metropolitan (film)
Metropolitan is the first film by director and screenwriter Whit Stillman. It received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.-Synopsis:...
, Whit Stillman
Whit Stillman
Whit Stillman is an American writer-director known for his sly depictions of the "urban haute bourgeoisie" Whit Stillman (born John Whitney Stillman on January 25, 1952) is an American writer-director known for his sly depictions of the "urban haute bourgeoisie" Whit Stillman (born John Whitney...
's début feature film, a comedy of manners
Comedy of manners
The comedy of manners is a genre of play/television/film which satirizes the manners and affectations of a social class, often represented by stock characters, such as the miles gloriosus in ancient times, the fop and the rake during the Restoration, or an old person pretending to be young...
set during the deb season in Manhattan, and What a Girl Wants
What a Girl Wants (film)
What a Girl Wants is a 2003 film starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston and Oliver James. Directed by Dennie Gordon, the film is a remake of the 1958 film, The Reluctant Debutante which had a screenplay by William Douglas-Home, based on his play of the same name.The title, "What a Girl...
, a 2003 film in which Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
plays an American teen whose estranged father is a British Lord, and who is presented at a coming out party after being reunited with her mother. In another movie featuring Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
, She's The Man
She's the Man
She's the Man is a 2006 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Fickman, based on Twelfth Night, a play by William Shakespeare. The film stars Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey and Vinnie Jones....
, the main character attends a debutantes preparation program throughout the movie which ends with the Debutante's ball. Something New
Something New (film)
Something New is a 2006 American romantic drama film directed by Sanaa Hamri. The screenplay by Kriss Turner focuses on interracial relationships and traditional African American family values and social customs.-Plot:...
, a romantic comedy has a cotillion scene of upper class African Americans on the west coast. The Debut
The Debut
The Debut is an independent feature-length film directed and co-written by first-time Filipino American filmmaker Gene Cajayon. It is the first Filipino American film to be released theatrically nationwide, although regionally and every few months starting in March 2001 in the San Francisco Bay...
, a film considered to be an accurate snapshot of contemporary Filipino American life, touches upon a wide variety of cultural themes within the plot of an informal débutante event. The 1992 film The Addams Family
The Addams Family (film)
The Addams Family is a 1991 American black comedy film based on the characters from the cartoon of the same name created by cartoonist Charles Addams....
is centered around the reconciliation of Gomez
Gomez Addams
Gomez Addams is the fictional patriarch of The Addams Family, created by cartoonist Charles Addams for The New Yorker magazine in the 1930s....
and Fester Addams, who had had a falling out as teenagers when Gomez had wooed both his date and Fester's (Flora and Fauna Amore, the siamese twins) at the débutante ball. In the 1994 film Little Women
Little Women (1994 film)
Little Women is a 1994 American drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong. The screenplay by Robin Swicord is based on the Louisa May Alcott novel of the same name. It is the fifth feature film adaptation of the Alcott classic, following silent versions released in 1917 and 1918, a 1933 George...
, a 'coming-out' party is thrown, Aunt March is also seen talking to Marmee about when Meg will be introduced into society.
In the premiere of The City
The City (MTV series)
The City is an MTV reality television series. The first spin-off of MTV's, The Hills, it follows one of the show's former cast members, Whitney Port, as she moves to New York City to work for fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg. The program premiered on December 29, 2008 and concluded its first...
, Whitney Port
Whitney Port
Whitney Eve Port is an American television personality, clothing designer, and author. She is known for being one of the main cast members on the former MTV reality series The Hills...
's reality show, her co-worker Olivia Palermo
Olivia Palermo
Olivia Palermo is an American socialite, model and actress. She was a cast member of the reality television show The City.-Career:...
describes her first pair of Manolo Blahnik
Manolo Blahnik
Manuel "Manolo" Blahnik Rodríguez CBE, , is a Spanish fashion designer and founder of the self-named, high-end shoe brand.-Biography:Born to a Czech father and a Spanish mother and born and raised in the Canary Islands , Blahnik graduated from the University of Geneva in 1965 and studied art in Paris...
shoes that she wore to her "Deb" back when she was 18 years of age.
In the Disney Channel, made-for-TV movie, Cow Belles, starring Aly & AJ, one of their characters gets kicked out of the ball for not having enough money.
Philippines
CotillionCotillion
In American usage, a cotillion is a formal ball and social gathering, often the venue for presenting débutantes during the débutante season – usually May through December. Cotillions are also used as classes to teach social etiquette, respect and common morals for the younger ages with the...
s and débutante balls (commonly known as "débuts") are very popular in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and in Filipino communities overseas. Eighteen candles are then presented to the débutante by eighteen of her closest girlfriends, and then eighteen roses are presented by eighteen male escorts. Traditionally, the débutante leaves the ball at midnight. The débutante tradition in Philippine culture is portrayed in the film The Debut
The Debut
The Debut is an independent feature-length film directed and co-written by first-time Filipino American filmmaker Gene Cajayon. It is the first Filipino American film to be released theatrically nationwide, although regionally and every few months starting in March 2001 in the San Francisco Bay...
.
Latin America
In MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, the débutantes are those young girls, typically fifteen or sixteen years old and belonging to middle-high and high class, that participate in a Festival de Debutantes or simply Debut, designed to officially present them to social life.
In Brazil and Mexico, such events are called Baile de Debutante (débutante ball) or Festa de Quinze Anos (15 year party).
External links
- The Débutante, Chapter XVIII of Emily Post's Etiquette (1922), at Bartleby.com
- http://www.kalin.lm.com/carr.htmlThe Debutante, a short story by Leonora CarringtonLeonora CarringtonLeonora Carrington OBE was a British-born Mexican artist, a surrealist painter and a novelist. She lived most of her life in Mexico City.-Early life:...
] - The British Court Presentation
- The Economist - Débutante scene in Houston
- Debretts Social Season and Debutantes