Forty-seven young women donned white gowns and greeted guests at the International Debutante Ball, a holdover from an era when the daughters of the upper crust were presented to society as a preface to meeting suitable mates
The debutantes at The Waldorf-Astoria hotel included European aristocrats and scions of American families from the Social Register. It is unlikely any of them perceived the affair as a stepping stone to marriage
Maria Irini Rizos, of Corfu, Greece, said she participated in the ball because "I want to meet international friends and have contacts with people from different countries"
Suzanne Tufts, a New York consultant to nonprofit organisations, whose daughter Abigail was making her debut, called the event "a beautiful and meaningful coming-of-age ceremony in an increasingly global world"
A debutante's family pays $14,000 (nearly £10,000) for a table as well as thousands of dollars for couture gowns, hairdressers and related expenses
成年舞会:周二在纽约华尔道夫酒店(Waldorf-Astoria)举行的第54届国际成年舞会上,一名初入社会的女子缓缓步入舞台。
Elizabeth McKnight of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, touches up her make-up as Louise Boesel of Houston, Texas, speaks to her escort George Giannakis backstage before being presented