Invitations to evening parties and private balls are less elaborate than formerly; the word “party” or “ball” is never used unless on the occasion of some public affair, such as a charity ball, but any especial feature of the evening may be mentioned in the invitation.
To an evening party where dancing may, or may not, be a feature of the entertainment, the following, either engraved or written on a small sheet of note paper, is a very good form:
All invitations are to be considered as “formal” unless the word “informal” appears on the card. If the card states that the entertainment is to be “informal,” the invited guest is fully justified in considering it so, and dressing accordingly. Neither host, hostess, nor other guests can take any exception if the invitation is treated just as it reads.
If dancing is the feature of the evening, the same form may be used with the word “Dancing” added in the lower left hand corner. Or:
If the ball is at a public place, as at Delmonico’s, in New York, the following form is appropriate, always making use, in case of so public an entertainment, of the host’s name in connection with that of the hostess:
Another form that would be equally appropriate is as follows:
