The sun., 1909-02-07
RAVORS COSTING THOUSANDS
COTILLON GIFTS NOW MORE
LAVISH THAN EVER.

Men and Women Aike the Recipients Of
Gold and Jewelled Ornaments-sofs
Cushions That Cost clio Each-One
Dance Where the Favors Cost - 900.
The up to date cotillon is at its prettiest
and it's most extravagant stage In New
York Givers OF large ootillons are
classed with owners OF private yachts
and railroad cars.
The increasing cost and beauty OF the
cotillons given here in the last dozen
years or 80 are due not to the many but to
few men and women OF large means
and larger liberality and originality who
set pace for others to to!lcE.
The late William c. Whitney is cited az
among those who helped give the ootillon
place in the social Programme which
made visiting foreigners wonder.
In the last few weeks hosteeses with
debutante daughters or debutante rela.
tives have We'd with one another in setting
the standard Of cotillon giving higher thar
ever. az the makers Of the once popular
style Of favor figures find to their per-
plexity sometimes. lin one or two figures
fayors made OF inexpensive materials are
used this does not mean necessa rily that
the favors shall be trashy and more ornate
than artistic.
The effect OF field Of waving poppies
produced in one ballroom was not done
without the services OF an expert who
could turn out large artificial poppies.
Provide $50 or 200 women each with a
cluster Of poppies costing only one dollar.
say, and Offset these with as many bou-
tonnieres Of the same flower at half the
cost, and IL is easily seen that the price
in the aggregate Of an apparently mex
pensive set Of favors mounts up.
A woman who has trained eye where
favor figures are concerned said the other
day that she was certain the favors at
particular very fashionable dance given
a few nights previous cost not cent less
than $1,000 and that several OF the ootil-
Ions she had attended Of late represented
anywhere from 81, 200 to 81, 900 In the cost
Of the favors alone.
Another frequenter OF cotillons when
this remark was repeated to her said that
to double the highest sum named would
come nearer the amountTecently spent
in favors by at least three ootillon givers
Of her acquaintance in introducing novel;
ties into the dance. TO give poetic sur
prises.' she said. like butterflies on the
wing or enough five dollar canaries in
five dollar cages to 60 around among
three or four hundred guests means dip
ping deep into ones pocket
II would seem, though. as II utilitarian
gifts rather than poetic effects are the
order at some Of the most remarkable
Of the recent New York cotillons. For
example, two of the favor figures at
the coming out ball Of a socially promi-
nent debutante which took place a few
days ago were valued at about $40 each.
the hostess Is not responsible
for this appra isement. her guests-par-
the young women guests-in their
surprise at getting such beautiful things.
spreading the news right and left among
the unfortunates not at the ball which
the guests to something like
five hundred.
The sofa cushions, they said, used In
one figure cost at least $40 each. the coat
of the gold bangle bracelets distributed
during another figure being put at the
ame figure by some calculators, at half
that price by others.
At still more recent cotillon a man
on the jewelled stickpins
handed out TO the men at the end OF one
figure thought they represented at least
81 900 as more than 100 men took part
in the dance. The jewelled corsage orna-