Twentieth Century Culture and Deportment / Or the Lady and Gentleman at Home and Abroad; Containing Rules of Etiquette for All Occasions, Including Calls; Invitations; Parties; Weddings; Receptions; Dinners and Teas; Etiquette of the Street; Public Places, Etc., Etc. Forming a Complete Guide to Self-Culture; the Art of Dressing Well; Conversation; Courtship; Etiquette for Children; Letter-Writing; Artistic Home and Interior Decorations, Etc.

by Maud C. Cooke

When to Wear Low-cut Gowns.

This question has but one answer, “Never by daylight.” In this respect the rule that governs the wearing of a man’s dress suit—“from dusk to dawn,” is applicable. Even on those occasions when the jealous daylight is shut out and candlelight reigns, dress suits and full décolleté gowns are not permissible. A concession can be made by cutting the corsage a little low in the throat, and by elbow sleeves or almost no sleeves.

For every social function held from midday to a late dinner hour, young girls, especially, should wear their gowns cut high with long sleeves, except on some gala occasion, when the rule may be somewhat relaxed as above.

Even at balls, evening parties, late dinners, the young girl’s evening dress, if décolleté, should be very modest in cut. Where a dinner and dance follow a large afternoon reception and the men who are invited are apt to arrive at dinner in full evening dress, a girl’s dress may be somewhat elaborated, but not to the extreme of ball costume.