Show 5 S 5 5 S 4 4 c I I 1 I I e ft 1 I IS It S 4 t i k S PAULA ULA S S SI I GOOD TASTE IN ENTERTAINING I 1 GIVING THE COSTUME BALL Written by Julia Hoyt Mrs Lydig Hoyt Copyright 1923 in the United States and Canada by North America Americal i Newspaper Alliance All AH rights reserved I iancy ancy dress or costume parties are not only amusing but hut they are very adaptable things They may be truly magnificent and at least at the beginning beginning begin begin- i ning have hae an air of formality or they may be very simple and informal from the tha moment th the orchestra be be- be gins j be-j The sensation of stepping out of ones one's own character for a few hours seems to endow everyone with a sense I of freedom and to banish self con Immediately and conse conse- this form of entertaining is la always a safe one with which to liven I up a week end or indeed a dull seaSon seaSon sea sea- son anywhere i Personally I always adore a cos cos- cosI I i tume turns party pot not only for Its gaiety I but because r F always wear something I with trousers and am consequently I blissfully fg IY comfortable There h is no of quicker w way of insuring 1 g a spout spoilt eve eve- i ining I ning fling for yourself than to wear a con cos tume which is 19 uncomfortable too bulky or with trains and sweeping draperies Whether the hostess attempts the small Informal ball or the more sumptuous sumptuous sump- sump affair it seems Imperative that It be be understood by all the guests be beforehand be- be forehand that they wear fancy dress One modern ball baU gown or a dress suit can spoil the flavor of or a costume rr party I Iy remember e attending a ball a y In New w York last year It was s no not a private ball bali but one for the public at which not one civilian dress appeared ap ap- ap- ap not even an ordinary costume was admitted By ordinary I mean any anyone one of the makeshifts to which men so often have recourse recourse recourse-an an evening eve eve- ning suit for instance and an oriental orien orlen- tal tat turban I remember too that one of the group with whom I r had gone when wore g a te ted he d. d domino was turned Fancy Fanoy e from his ls thC the chagrin charin door and told to hunt a real costume be before before be- be fore he could be admitted I feel that the hostess who wishes her party to be a particularly picturesque pic plc- one will wilt stipulate late in her In invitations In- In I that the pageant is to represent rep rep- resent S a certain period This will eliminate excuses for costumes Then too it often otten proves that prizes let us say three prizes for the best costume are an Incentive to achieve something beautiful and out of the ordinary On the other hand there must always be i taken into consideration the economic sta status of ones one's guests guests If Insistence upon a certain ertain period would necessitate i I ta tate tale te on the part of the g the exI expenditure ex- ex I of more mo money than was comfortable the plan should be abandoned aban- aban I Thus with the expenditure I of ot very verv little mont money and with the aid j of imagination and originality even the simplest costume may prove the hit of the evening and carry off the coveted first prize One amusing way of establishing a a- certain style of garb Is to ask the guests s to come coma representing well known modern novels or well web known characters from books hooks of all ages Then too they might represent characters characters char char- from current or bygone plays I recall an amusing party I attended at which all all- the guests were asked to represent current monthly and weekly j magazines or dally daily newspapers The bal hal masque Is not very generally i given nowadays and yet It may be i amazing i fun if it everyone enters Into the spirit not not- only remaining masked until but the hour for r removing eov r the mask s playing I the game and trying I to conceal his identity One of or the most amusing hours I ever spent was In tn a I Pierrot costume well weIl masked by the nuge ruff about my neck and the I domino I cultivated a a. French accent for the night and It proved most BUCI suc suc- I I engaged in a long and quite 1 flirtatious com conversation with a man manI who had I practically watched me I grow grow- ft up in fact tt ho sh h had ht held heid ld me on his l knee when 1 L was s a child He s spent n a I most Intriguing hour horn thinking he had discovered an unknown at least to him continental In New York Almost Almost Al Al- most choking with mirth I took good care to be In a position from which I could see his face when the hour for unmasking arrived and truly his ex- ex pres Ion when he realized the identity of the tho French lady was well worth the effort It had cost me to keep from making myself known In concluding I would suggest that the decor decorations for any sort of fancy dress party either simple or sumptUOus sump sump- should be so designed that they will bear out the spirit of abandon and mirth which the occasion de de- de mands Good Jazz good food and of course a large room for the dancers coupled with the hospitality of the I good hostess all go to make the tha costume costume cos cos- tume ball a a. huge success I S To be continued 1 |