Colleen Said:

Im going to a Old Fashion English Tea Party?

We Answered:

aww lucky! i love tea parties!
that's a tough budget though.

dress:
http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog_name=FOREVER21&category_name=dress_casual&product_id=2055985460&Page=all&pgcount=25

flats:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/No-Boundaries-Women-s-Pointy-Toe-Python-Flats/12544250

necklace+earrings:
1) http://www.599fashion.com/Ladies-fashion-19quot-HP-ceramic-cry-pu-cl-chain-necklace-set-id16312_p_3611.html#
OR
2)
http://www.599fashion.com/Ladies-fashion-36quot-muranowoodcry-blbr-necklace-set-id16507_p_4091.html

and you really do need a nice big cocktail ring of sorts:
pink for set one and black for two: http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog_name=FOREVER21&category_name=acc_rings_pins&product_id=1060643168&Page=all&pgcount=25&sort=lp


and some thigh highs:
http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/Accessories/Hosiery/ThighHighsTights/Black-OverTheKnee-Thigh-Highs-With-Bow-174501.jsp
these can look kind of trashy but if worn correctly, can be super cute, and will add a bit of oomph to your outfit.

and you absolutely need some hair accessory

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog_name=FOREVER21&category_name=acc_hat_hairgoods&product_id=1068781391&Page=all&pgcount=25
the gray and pink will go with the first necklace/earring set and the aqua obviously goes with the second necklace/earring set. however, i'd say go with the first set, as it's more appropriate for a tea party...the second set is a little more casual.


or http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog_name=FOREVER21&category_name=acc_hat_hairgoods&product_id=1072156805&Page=all&pgcount=25
--it's more traditional/race-day-ish/twenties.

so at this point, you're just about to reach your $50 limit.

however, i'd strongly suggest you get a hat...tea parties and hats just go together.
this hat is pretty well priced:
http://www.papayaclothing.com/shop/goods_detail_v1.php?goodsIdx=7405
again, the taupe goes better with set two and the dark gray goes well with the first set. the black would be a bit weird.
get some flowers (real ones, so you don't seem tacky) and tuck them into the band, or better yet, get a nice length of ribbon to match the necklace set you choose and tie it around the brim to tuck your flowers in. carnations are especially hardy in these situations.make sure you secure the flowers!
something like this: mygrannysatticantiques.com/assets/images…


if you do happen to get a hat, you'd have to go with a different headband, a flat one:
http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog_name=FOREVER21&category_name=acc_hat_hairgoods&product_id=1077029522&Page=all&pgcount=25

have fun!

oh, and bring a cute clutch, not a big tote or shoulder bag or anything like that.

Lorraine Said:

What birthday gift should I bring for host of English Tea Party?

We Answered:

Some more details would be helpful...:

If it's a female and you don't know her very well, consider flowers, or scented candles from a brand like Penhaligons or l'Occitane.

If it's a male, find out a bit more about his habits and hobbies from his wife or relatives, or give a bottle of wine.

Jerome Said:

what was an 18th century english tea party like?

We Answered:

The whole idea of a "tea party" as we know it didn't develop until about 1840, when Anna, the 7th Duchess of Beford, became hungry at about 4.00 pm and asked for a tray of tea, bread and butter and cake to be brough to her room. The habit spread among her friends and became fashionable, culminating in the Victorian and Edwardian eras of Afternoon and High Tea with all their muffins, crumpets, sandwiches and other delicacies.

Before that, tea had become fashionable when Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II in the17th century, brought it along with her as her dowry. Anybody who was anybody would pay dearly for tea and all its paraphernalia. People bought delicate tea services, and the valuable tea leaves would be in a beautiful caddy with a lock. Tea was blended at a litle table by the mistress of the house in a pleasingly graceful ritual. Liqueurs like orange-brandy, ratafia and "Barbadoes-waters" frequently accompanied or followed the tea.

In the 18th century, tea was a national passion and even though it was so expensive, was brewed throughout the land. Tea was taken at breakfast and after dinner, always green and milkless, whether Bohea, Twankey or Hyson. You could drink tea fashionably at the pleasure gardens of Vauxhall and Ranelagh, taking a dish of Bohea, and have supper. Josiah Wedgwood popularised the habit by making his prices low enough to make it possible for all but the poorest to won an elegant tea service.

So, tea-drinking was an elegant ritual in itself, and all the lovely food we associate with it didn't come into fashion until the next century.