The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-05
UP.TO-DATE FORMAL DINNERS.
THEY ARE MARKED BY NAG
NIFICENCE THIS SEASON.
More Gold Services Used-DoUnd Tables
Decorated with ~Lace-Great Quanti'
ties OF Flowers Fewer Courses Than
Formerly some Very Zine China.

Il Is one Of the Ct stliest ways OF entertain :
ing. one-hundrcd -dollar-a-plate dinners
given In the private dicit & rooms OF we'll
known restaurants are of not infrequent
occurrence ar soecty In its home il equally
extravagaLt.
An invitation 10 4 foI NAL dinner means
more also than che TO an cr tertainmert
at which. more guests are rrcseft. The
entire visiting lit of a hostess may be
considered when sending out invitations
for n reception, musicale or dance, but
= her dinner guests are carefully chosen.
Like many another social custom the
formal dinner IL subject TO the whims OF
fashion. Decorations, the number OF
courses. the shape Of the table, the man
ner Of ~serviag, sometimes change with
the scssoE. Nowadays quantity has given
place to quality, ard tho common place
process Of feeding and being fed Is more
or lcss idealized by means Of n magnih-
cent display of gold or silver plate. china,
glass, liLeL, embroideries and laces shown
to the beet advantage against a back
ground Of exquisite flowers, orchestral
music. handsome Individual souvenirs and
frequently an after-diErer programme
Of music or vaudeville or both by high
priced professionals.
Fashion prefers that the formal dinner
OF from twelve TO twen;y-four guests shall
be cooked and served by the erva of
the hostess at her own house, a feat no
Longer 80 difi AIT to accomplish as for
merly owing TO the improved equipment
OF the New York fashionable household.
When a hostess is particular to have one
waiter for every two or three guests, ad-
M - - -. -. I..-l g.. 40 An,natAn
but they are under the immediate super
vision Of tho family butler.
Informal dinners and dinners to a large
company of young people which are to
preccde a dance frequently a place at a
r, s,aurant but the distinctly formai dinner
is served in the home
The round table is now preferred to all
Others. and as many as twenty-four guests
may be seated at one table. Circular table
cloths Of all sizes up to five yards in dame
ter. of the most renown cd woavee and new-
est designs, are . imported TO meet the
requirements Of the fashion.
Fancy lace table cloi hs, by tho way. are
no longer in vogue. Linen damask has
tie lead and the only approach to orna-
nnntation is a one-inch border of open
work on the very edge Of some Of the cloths
Of Austrian weave. The newest designs
In those Of Scotch and Irish manufacture
are wide stripes and very large floral pat
terms. The stripe perhaps would better
be described as bands on account of their
width. and they are arranged sometimes
In equidistant lines around a perfectly
plain centre. or in narrower bars TOWARD
the middle with a wider band for a border,
Chrysanthemums quite seven inches in
6iameter-of a prize winning variety ev-
dehtly-scattered over the cloth form one
OF the most favored Of the floral patterns.
A single lace centre piece from twenty
seven inches to one yard in diameter Ia
laid over the cloth and the handsomer
the lace the better. Crepon lace, for the
uomout. is in high favor for the purpose.
No bit II color except that furnished
by thu china and flowers appears on the
fashionable dinner table Of this winter,
for the reason doubtless TINT never before
have flowers played such an important
part IN dinner giving. Not indeed on the
table itself. where little but a low centre
mound Of blossoms is permitted. but In
every other part Of the dining room. trans
forming il sometimes into a miniature
garden.
lHNlp| VI lblllkN hiAo ~ w ~ uDf
ebove tine table. gorgeous blooms are
crowded into toll vases which fill every
available niche, palms and Towering plant
an hanKtd In the corners. Some hosts
have gone ~ far as 20 carpet the room with
and moss. but they are exceptions.
In addition to a low centre piece Of flow
err. a few blossoms are sprinkled over the
tal.e cloth instead Of being placed In the
end vase. once popular. which hRve now
yielded their plaoe 10 ~candelabra frois
f,Ir to eight ~ the-e according to tie siD,
q che table. zach with from four 10 Elk
hrGnchs-. gIaoe the board. topped with
shaurs matching the particular color scheme
OF th' occasion.
4 gold service II a comparatively recent
attribute u tho formal ulnler. Inul
Nltliu a few voars so costly "A luxury was
o fanty IN THE country To-day 10" gold
d.uIrT rcDio" D. not IA New
York, aud a pr~uIsund'fIucr - gold OF II
n gold rn''t l. "a uuuorabl' feature ~ tho
a. mai dinner
and drcaHtrrs thirkly applique
800 gold oandl" shades = Fuld leai nhos
TEND - fashion ilfatt. uu Toe dlnhrf
"a" Nilt" n."'al DO discounted hy
the yelios
Ni.sn FURNISHING h.f china closest 40,
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