Inside Le Bal des Débutantes, the world's most luxe debutante ball

The belles of the ball.

While most people were indulging in Thanksgiving leftovers or scoring online sales this past Saturday, 19 It-girls from around the world decked out in couture gowns and diamonds more expensive than most people’s annual salaries were attending the prestigious Le Bal des Débutantes, also known as Le Bal, at the Shangri-La Paris hotel in Paris, France.

Every year, approximately 20 daughters, usually aged 16 to 22, of diverse backgrounds and highfalutin families, are hand-picked to attend the invite-only event, which has been organized by French public relations executive Ophélie Renouard since 1994, to make their debut into high society.

Although their aristocratic families could certainly afford to, there’s no way for a young woman to buy her way into Le Bal, as at