£l000 TO LAUNCH DEBUTANTE

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28266, 2 May 1957, Page 2

£l000 TO LAUNCH DEBUTANTE

Estimate Made In London

(N.Z. Press Association_~Cvpyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, May 1. It costs an average of £lOOO to launch a debutante in London society, according to an investigation carried out by the “Evening Standard.” As much as £15.000 has been spent in the past in giving one daughter a season but it can also be managed on a relatively small sum of £5OO. So much depends, says the “Evening Standard,” on how clever your daughter is at dressmaking, hat trimming and hair-dos. whether you can entertain 200 or so guests in your own home and presen. your daughter at Buckingham Palace without the expensive assistance of a sponsor. The “Standard” estimates that a debutante’s outfit for the season costs £264 12s, made up of four cocktail frocks, two silk and two cotton, £52 10s; a ball dress, £3l 10s; a presentation dress for Buckingham Palace, £2l; four dance dresses from 12 to 15 guineas each, £52 10s; two Ascot dresses at 15 guineas each, £3l 10s; four hats, one to five guineas. £l2 12s; six pairs of shoes, £26 ss; four handbags. £9 9s; 26 pairs of nylon r £l3 13s; and five pairs of gloves, £3 3s. The cost of launching a daughter it estimates at £1313 12s made up as follows: two lunches given by the mother in a Kensington flat, 15 guests each time, £l5; daughter’s cocktail party, 150 guests, £150; daughter’s tea parties and luncheons in flat, £6; daughter’s coming-out ball West End hotel, 300 guests, £750; band for ball, £52 10s; tickets for party of 12 for Easter bonnet ball, £2 10s each including dinner; £3O; ticket for Ascot, £10; taxis and car hire for daughter for three months, £l2; hairdressing for daughter, one visit a week for three months, £7 10s; clothes. £264 12s; pocket money for tips, betting, etc., £ 15.