Ton (society)

(Redirected from Ton (le bon ton)) Historical term for English high society

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Originally used in the context of upper class English society, ton meant the state of being fashionable, a fashionable manner or style, or something for the moment in vogue. It could also (generally with the definite article: the ton) mean people of fashion, or fashionable society generally. A variant of the French bon-ton, a now-archaic expression designating good style or breeding, polite, fashionable or high society, or the fashionable world, ton's first recorded use in English was according to the Oxford English Dictionary in 1769. In British English, the word is pronounced as in French /tɒ̃/, with American English favouring the Anglicised pronunciation /tɔn/ or /tɑn/.

Social ladder

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Ton society was intensely class-conscious and the social hierarchy was rigid.

Members of the ton came from the aristocracy (nobility) and royalty. Though some wealthier members of the middle classes could marry into the lower ranks of the gentry, such unions were not completely accepted by the elite ton. Social positions could be altered or determined by income, houses, speech, manner of dress, or even etiquette. Climbing the social ladder could take generations, particularly into the aristocracy, which did not readily accept those perceived to be of inferior birth. Marriages with untitled bourgeois of the same social class were less criticized and much more common, since they had almost the same social position as the nobility.

Circles considered "best"

Fashion, etiquette, manners, social customs, and many other aspects of social life were all dictated by the ton. The ton's generally acknowledged leaders were the Lady Patronesses of Almack's. As London's most exclusive mixed-sex social club, Almack's represented the best and wealthiest among the ton. The conventions of ton life were highly structured and complex. Social acceptance was crucial and mostly based on birth and family. Acceptable social behaviours differed for men and women; they were based on a system validated primarily by the patronesses of Almack's, who determined who could be admitted to its functions. Some of these behaviours were flexible – they adapted slightly with the fashions of each season – but they always reflected the current modes of manners, fashion, and propriety.

The privileged members of the ton could pursue an extravagant life of indulgence, but there were often double standards for its members. The flexibility of social rules was unofficially determined by an individual's status, wealth, or family connections. Royalty were forgiven almost any transgression. Scandalous activity such as having illegitimate children or conducting extramarital affairs might incite gossip, but were often overlooked for members of the aristocracy, while such conduct among the gentry could destroy an entire family's social aspirations.

The season

The Season was the name given to the months between late January and early July. It officially began when Parliament reopened in London and was the season for social entertainments – balls, theatre parties, dances, masquerades, military reviews, and other social pleasures enjoyed by the ton. Families with marriageable children used the Season to present their children to the ton in hopes of arranging profitable marriages. For this reason, the Season has also been called the "Marriage Mart" by notables such as Lord Byron. For marriageable girls, the Season was an intense period of social networking in which a faux pas could affect their marriage and social prospects within the ton.

Depictions

The ton in Regency England is depicted in many of the Regency romances of Georgette Heyer, and in Julia Quinn's 2000–2006 Bridgerton novel series. The latter has been adapted as a streaming television series Bridgerton, the first season of which aired on Netflix in 2020.

References

"ton", Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1990, Miriam-Webster, p. 1241.
"bon ton", Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1990, Merriam-Webster Incorporated, p. 167.
"ton". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 11 June 2023. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
"bon-ton". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 11 June 2023. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)

External links

Almack's Assembly Rooms

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