THE DEBUTANTE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 141, 11 December 1935, Page 17

THE DEBUTANTE

COST OF A LONDON SEASON

AN ECONOMICAL TROUSSEAU !

Those gentlemen in Throgmorton Street cannot be nearly as clever as they think they are; otherwise they would have long ago formed a pool and launched a public issue of London Season Shares. They would be more than gilt-edged; they would be practically encrusted, with gold. .The richest mine yields a poor result compared to the London Season, which every year during May, June, and July nets millions: of pounds for London. The attractions offered affect the pockets of all kinds and condition's of men, writes Jane Gordon in the "News-Chronicle,"' London. Consider first of air the well-to-do man with a daughter whose mother decides that she must be a debutante at all costs; and the costs are: roughly these. Starting with the presentation at Court, her dress and train and feathers, gloves and fan or flowers can hardly come to less than £30. The most inexpensive' train costs three to five guineas, gloves from 25s to 355; fan or flowers a pound; feathers, 355; and dress about ten guineas. If her mother presents her, you can double the cost. After this she must have at least five dance dresses (inclding her Court dress), and these _ will cost anything from' three to thirty guineas apiece. She must'also have at least two afters noon dresses for cocktail parties. Her Ascot clothes are another expense. She will go in the Royal Enclosure, of course. This will cost four guineas for her voucher-and her mother's voucher; six guineas for her father's voucher; anything from five to twenty guineas a. day for her frock; one to three guineas for her hat; 25s for her shoes; every time she lunches the club tent voucher.will.be 10s to 255; and every time she sips a cup of tea, half a crown to ss. If she goes by train with her mother, that will cost them another 15s a day apiece; so that those four days' racing alone economically done will put father's bank account back at least £60. There must have been nearer five thousand than three thousand people on Gold Cup day alone at Ascot, quite apart from the other three days. You can add all this up for yourself to discover how much money floated over the lawns apart from the tote earnings during that week. If the girl is given a dance, it will cost her parents roughly eighty guineas for the band, and one guinea a head for guests, which includes slightly inferior champagne. If the parents canhot afford to give their girl a dance they will then take parties .to a selected number of charity dances, the tickets ranging from two to three guineas a head. A cocktail party on a small scale will cost anything from £25 to £35. Dinners at the best" hotels cost 15s bd a head, excluding wine. EXPENSE OF WEDDING. The debutante may even do right by her parents and announce her engagement at the.end of one season, in which case there will be a grand finale at St. Margaret's, Westminster. This will cost, at its cheapest: Organist alone, 6gns, add choir boys but deduct organist, £13; take full choir plus organist, £23; peal the church bells, £5; provide an awning for your guests, £4; allow, them to walk on a blue carpet instead of a red one, and it will cost £l.mbre; policemen to control the onlookers, nine bob a nob. An economical trousseau will cost two or three hundred pounds, and the wedding reception half a guinea a head; and the debutante's father can comfort himself with the thought that he will probably be treated with the greatest sympathy by the kind gentlemen at Carey Street. . . .. r. . You must remember that the debutante is only part of the London Season. There is Wimbledon, which will cost you anything for centre court seats; polo at Ranelagh and Hurlingham, for which you must get a member's voucher, and you pay 5s on each one of these. If you are a polo playing chap yourself your ponies may cost you 150 or 500 guineas apiece, arid you can hardly do with less than three. The best racing -in the world is to be found.during the London Season. A member's annual badge at Sandown, Kempton, Hurst, Gatwick, and Lingfield costs twelve to fifteen guineas for each man, and this includes two women's badges. A day's racing at Kempton will cost a man £2 8s to get into the members' enclosure, and 5s for his female companion. PAYING FOR "PARTY LOOKS." Remember that every single function during the crowded season calls for the woman's. party looks. Her hair must be shampooed, set, and waved at least every ten days at a cost of 15s to a guinea; her face must be massaged at 10s 6d or a guinea; her nails must be manicured at half a crown or 3s 6d;.her cosmetics alone will cost her about £4 or £5 during the season. Henley, the Aldershot Tattoo, the International Horse Show, the Chelsea Flower Show, the Theatrical Garden Party, are all comparatively inexpenI am not much of a mathematician myself,, but if you care to add these various sums together and multiply them all correctly by.a few thousand, you will discover exactly how much the London Season is worth.. The fact that the streets are not actually paved with gold only goes to show that London is holding out on us.