Preparation:

"would endure fittings for gowns, gathering of the necessary accessories such as her slippers, her fan, feathers, jewelry, and more....but, equally as important, was her deportment training. This included learning to walk gracefully with seemliness in the presence of the Queen. She may spend hours practicing to glide across the room, using a tablecloth as a simulated train in order to get the feel for sweeping her dress appropriately as she walked, without getting tangled in yards of fabric. The young debutante would also practice kissing the Queen's hand, but the curtsy was all-important!"

Dress Rules:

"For presentations, one was required to wear a gown with a train, and a tulle headdress with a veil that was long enough to float over the train."

"during the reign of King George III and Queen Charlotte, the court dress style was hoop-skirted and elaborate, even though fashion styles at that time called for simple dresses with high waists. During the reign of King George IV, hoop skirts were expelled and court-dress style became a variation of whatever was popular for formal evening wear during the period. "

Married and Un-Married Women:

"For a young unmarried woman, white was the prefer-red color for her dress, though other soft colors were acceptable, over a white background. Married women to be presented were allowed more color, however, most chose soft shades and white. It was not un-common for women to have their wedding dress modified into a court dress."

Headdress:

"The headdress, while always including a veil, also required feathers as part of it, although, the number and size of the feathers varied with the Monarchy. At the time of Queen Charlotte, young ladies wore one single towering ostrich feather, but through the years, the number of feathers required increased."

"Queen Victoria hated small feathers, so orders were issued that Her Majesty wanted to see the feathers as the young lady approached. Later in Queen Victoria's reign, as well as in the court of Edward VII, the mandated headdress was three feathers arranged in a Prince of Wales plume--that is, the center feather was higher than the two on each side of it--and it was worn slightly on the left side of the head. Tiaras were worn by married women, and it was extremely difficult to keep the feathers in place, especially during the curtsy."

Ladies in Mourning:

"For young ladies and women to be presented who were in mourning, it was acceptable for their dresses and veils to be black. No matter how cold the weather was on this special day, absolutely no cloaks, shawls, capes, or wraps of any kind were permitted to be worn. Those items remained in the lady's carriage. "

Definition:
"the debutante tradition has its roots in England. The idea that a girl should be presented to society stems from the time when a daughter of marriageable age neded to find a husband of suitable and similar social standing."

"The word, "debutane" cmes from the French word, "debuter," which means "to lead off" or... A debutante, (from the French language --"female beginner") is a young lady from an arisocratic family."

Aristocracy:

"The court of the kings and queens of England is known as the court of St. James. It was the center of all power. Because of the weather and requirements of the hunt, the court was in London from April until the end of July. During this time, the aristocracy came in from their country home sand opened their city houses and the social season commenced. Aristocracy is a form of goverment, in which a few of the most prominent citizens rule. This my be hereditary elite, or it may be by a system of co-option where a council of prominent citizens add leading soldiers, merchants. land owners, preists, and lawyers to their number... "

Upper Class Reasoning:

"The Upper Class is a concept in sociology that refers to the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class often have great power over the allocation of resources and govermental policy in their area...fmaily who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal presentation known as her "debut".

"Originally, it meant the young woman was eligaible for marriage, 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."

"

The “coming out” of a young woman represented a change in her status from child to adult and her “introduction” to society. This became formalized in English aristocratic society in the first half of the nineteenth century through the Victorian period. Up to the point of their coming of age of seventeen or eighteen, girls did not have much of a role, other than to attend to their schooling, as social functions and contacts were fairly limited. A young lady’s introduction to society not only marked her transition to adulthood, but also her availability for marriage. Marriages were no longer being arranged by this time, so the formalization of the event helped insure that she would meet young men who were deemed suitable by her parents."

Aiello, Dawn. "Presentation At Court." Web. 26 Apr. 2010. <http:www.thehistorybox.com>.