Coming out
Posted by Amala on October 10, 1997 at 13:17:19:
In response to Coming Out and Physical Maturation , written by Lynne on October 09, 1997 at 22:41:40
] I wonder how much the custom of "coming out" correlated to a young girl's first menstrual period? I think it may have, due to the fact that girls of the Regency Era probably did not begin having their periods until about age 15-16.
I've always thought it was a combination of factors that determined when a girl would come out. Part of it is, certainly, physical maturation, since being out is essentially being on the market. However, I believe the parents had some say in when their daughters were ready to market -- and, as Lady Catherine said, most younger daughters were on hold until their older sisters had been given a fair shot. I believe in later years it became more structured, that young ladies were presented at a certain age during their "season" or "year." Julia Flyte in Brideshead Revisited comes to mind as an example.
BTW, I am also reading The Body Project right now, and find it very interesting.
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