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Page 25
DRESS AT TEA TIME
Tea time is always the fashionable time of the day and there is
sufficient variety in appropriate materials and style for a woman to find
a gown that is more than ordinarily individual and becoming. For an
informal tea the hostess may wear a clinging gown of silk but she should
not dress very sumptuously for her guests will come simply attired and it
is hardly hospitable to be a great deal more elaborately dressed than
they. Afternoon frocks of silk, velvet, cloth, etc., or of summer
materials are suitable for the guest. When the weather demands it she
wears an attractive wrap.
In selecting dresses for teas, and, indeed for all occasions, it is well
to remember that the more ornamentation there is the less elegance there
will be. The materials should be rich but not showy--the best-dressed
person is the one who calls least attention to his or her clothes.
One may wear jewels but not heavy necklaces or glittering brooches or
other flashing stones. If the affair is a formal one the hair may be as
elaborately marcelled as for the evening. In this case the gown should
be a rich creation of the kind suitable only for such events.
If the tea is given for a debutante it may be a very festive occasion and
/decollete/ gowns may be worn. Dark colors are rarely worn and the
debutante herself should be a fairy dream in a lovely creation of silk,
georgette, crepe-de-thane, or something else equally girlish and
appropriate.
Elderly women wear black lace or satin though certain shades of brown and
blue and nearly all shades of gray are irreproachably good taste if--and
this "if" is an important one--they are becoming.
THE GARDEN PARTY
Charming indeed is the simple entertainment of the garden party. It is an
undebatable fact that informal entertainments are always more enjoyable
than those that are strictly formal, and the easy harmony of the garden
party is certainly informal to an acceptable degree.
Someone once said of the lawn fete (which is merely another name for a
garden party) that "a green lawn, a few trees, a fine day and something
to eat" constitute a perfect garden party. To this we add, that the
guests must be carefully selected and the grounds must be attractive.
The garden party must be held in the open air; refreshments are served
outside and the guests remain outside until they are ready to depart. At
Newport, where garden parties are quite the vogue, the invitations are
sent weeks in advance, and, if the weather is bad, the party is held
indoors. But ordinarily it must be held entirely on the grounds. A
large porch is a great advantage, for if there is a sudden downpour of
rain, the guests may repair to its shelter.
There are many opportunities for the hostess to show consideration and
hospitality at the garden party. Easy chairs arranged in groups or
couples under spreading trees always make for comfort. Some hostesses
have a tent provided on the lawn for the purpose of serving the
refreshments--a custom which earns the approbation of fastidious guests
who search the food for imaginary specks of dust when it is served in the
open.
RECEIVING THE GUESTS
Invitations to garden parties may be sent ten days to two weeks in
advance, and a prompt reply of acceptance or regret is expected. The
hostess receives on the lawn--never in the house. The guests, however,
drive up to the door of the house, are directed upstairs to deposit their
wraps (if they wish they may keep them with them), and then are shown to
the part of the grounds where the hostess is receiving. A servant should
be in attendance to see that each guest is properly directed, unless the
grounds where the hostess is receiving are visible from the house.
After being greeted by the hostess, guests may wander about the grounds,
stopping to chat with different groups, and seeking the refreshment table
when they are weary. The hostess must be sure that her lawns are
faultlessly mowed, and that the tennis courts are in order. Lawn tennis
has had a large share in the making of the garden party's popularity, and
the wise hostess will always be sure that her courts are in readiness for
those who enjoy the game.
Cold refreshments are usually served at the garden party. Salads, ham and
tongue sandwiches, fruits, jellies, ices, cakes, candies and punch are in
order. Particular care must be taken in serving the refreshments to
avoid any accidents or mussiness. There is nothing more disturbing to
both hostess and guest than to have a glass of punch or a dish of
strawberries overturned on a lawn, and pains should be taken to avoid
accidents of this kind.
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