3。2 Marriage customs

3。2。1 “Coming Out”

As Jane Austen said in Pride and Prejudice, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife。 A young lady cannot marry until she has been presented at court。 It is the start of a busy year known as her “Coming out”。 “Coming out” is the most extreme example of these rules and the etiquette。 Women of the upper class have a train over their hair, and the length of the train is accurate to a centimeter。 From shoulder to floor, trains measure no less than three yards。 They just dress up in white with their feathers, and it’s very specific, how many feathers they have in their hair。 White dresses symbolize purity and nobility。 The number of feathers implies one’s identity。 Unmarried young ladies wear two, married chaperones wear three。 A young lady’s presentation to the king and queen is her entry into society。 It signals she gets the monarch’s blessing as a suitable wife (Hitchings)。 Once she has been presented at court, a young woman can attend what is known as “the season”, a round of parties where she will meet eligible men。