It’s a debutante’s duty to practice being prim and perfect on her big day. Part of that perfection is her tireless search to pick out the perfect princess white gown—elaborate enough to make a bride jealous. Besides the dress, a deb’s hairstyle is a big decision. Historically, debutants were considered to be of a marriageable age. The debutante ball held in cities across this country and Europe were to introduce young women to eligible young men. Denver, Colorado’s premier debutante ball is held the Friday prior to Christmas each year. For more than 50 years, eligible young women across Denver waited anxiously to be named to the deb roles. Not everyone was so lucky. The choice depended on a number of factors that made the family as a whole “socially acceptable.”
The pressure was on the young debs to ready themselves to curtsey in the spotlight under the atrium at the historic Brown Palace in Denver. Each deb then and now in 2008 is expected to display