[aopirose]

“The Twelve Patterns of the Southern Silver Zodiac”

1. Francis I – Reed & Barton – The belle who chooses Francis I is a girl who wants it all. There are twenty-eight pieces of fruit just on the knife handle. It’s showy and opulent and so is she. A Francis I girl is likely to have a husband, children, a place on the board of Junior League, and a full-time career. There is no end to what she can achieve, just as there is no end to what she can buy in the Francis I pattern. It comes with pickle forks, tomato forks, shrimp forks, lobster forks, grapefruit spoons, dessert spoons, even half olive spoons. Francis I girls are always compatible with mothers-in-law who have Grand Baroque or Burgundy. Their styles are similar.

2. Grand Baroque – Wallace International – This is Francis I with roses instead of fruit. Grand Baroque girls also have a sense of the dramatic. But they often also have a literary bent. That’s why you can buy a sterling silver bookmark in the Grand Baroque pattern. Grand Baroque girls often date whose families have the Acorn pattern. But they don’t marry them. It’s just a youthful rebellion.

3. Burgundy – Reed & Barton – This is Francis I without the fruit. Burgundy girls tend to be somewhat shy. They have dreams of being splashy, but they just can’t let go. Louisiana girls love Burgundy. It shows up on a lot of tables during Mardi Gras. They do well with friends who have Buttercup. They are not made to feel too competitive.

4. Rose Point – Wallace International – Old-fashioned girls pick this pattern. It’s very popular with girls named Rose. Sentimental mothers who have chosen patterns like Old Master and Eloquence sometimes name their daughters Rose just so they have a legacy all their own.

5. Buttercup – Gorham – Belles who choose Buttercup are always cheerful. They even choose the pattern because it is so uplifting. Buttercup girls have friends with every kind of pattern. They are usually followers rather then leaders, but they are just so upbeat it really doesn’t matter.

6. Chantilly – Gorham - Belles with Chantilly tend to be a bit prissy. They do best with men whose mothers also have Chantilly. Never put a Chantilly girl with a man whose mother has Francis I or Grand baroque. They will always be upstaged. Don’t let all that sweetness fool you. Chantilly girls were often fast in high school.

7. Strasbourg – Gorham – Strasbourg girls are traditionalists and just a bit formal. As good Soutehrn girls, they are entranced with anything that’s festive and use their good silver almost all the time. Soutehrn men love girls who pick Strasbourg because when Strasbourg girls bring out the good silver, they also bring out the good food. They don’t mix well with boys whose mothers have Buttercup. They will both always fight for control.

8. Acorns – Georg Jensen – Beware of the Acron girl. The pattern is lovely but foreign (it comes from Denmark). Girls who pick Acorn are rebellious. They march in parades and sometimes have been known to go to college in the East and drink beer straight from the can.

9. Old Master – Towle – Old Master girls have spirit but don’t drift too far from tradition. Because of this, they are fiercely attached to their family heirlooms. One Texas belle got thirty place settings from her grooms grandmother’s Old Master as a wedding gift. When she got a divorce, she took her husband to court over the Old Master and let him keep the Cadillac without a whimper.

10. Eloquence – Lunt - Eloquence girls like nice things. They expect their husbands to provide. They are extremely loyal whether it’s a boyfriend, best friend, or a pet. Because of this they get along very well with more flighty girls who have Francis I or Grand Baroque.

11. Chrysanthemum – Tiffany – The Chrysanthemum girls have been known to turn their noses up at Francis I girls. The Chrysanthemums are just as flamboyant and just as demanding. They also usually have a lot more money to spend. Their husbands have to be good providers because they also insist on Tiffany crystal and Tiffany china. This is a relatively new pattern compared to some of the others. Girls with Chrysanthemum sometimes go really wild and live in avant-garde homes. But don’t worry, they still cut the crusts off their tea sandwiches and their daughters, always get good recommendations to Kappa, Theta, and Pi Phi.

12. Repoussé – Kirk - Repoussé is one of the oldest silver patterns. Repoussé girls often have mothers and grandmothers who also have Repoussé. One Charleston woman explains every woman in her family for three generations chose Repoussé. Then her son married a girl who didn’t have a silver pattern. The mother-in-law insisted she pick something out and ad relatives fill in the place settings. When the new bride completely bypassed Repoussé by calling it “too fussy,” the mother-in-law knew the marriage wouldn’t last. And it didn’t.