Which silver pattern are you?

[AGDAlum]

For those of us who don't have the book at hand -- what silver patterns are included?

I inherited my grandmother's private-label sterling; closest commercial equivalent is Fairfax by Gorham.

[Taualumna]

I bought "The Southern Belle Primer" not too long ago, and out of the silver patterns listed in the book, my favourite ones are:

#3 (Burgundy), #6 (Chantilly), #7 (Strasbourg) and #9 (Old Master). Grand Baroque isn't all that bad either, but I think it's a tad bit too frilly for my tastes.

[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.

[James]

OH wow. .. its just so much harder to be a girl than boy! Look at all the stuff y'all have to think about!~

[mu_agd]

Originally posted by DeltaBetaAGD
Will you still love me if I tell you I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT??? Sorry...just a West Coast city girl.

i have no idea either... but that could be b/c i'm an East Coast city girl...

[AGDee]

I'm a decidedly Mid West girl. My "silver" is just a fancy Stainless pattern by Oneida:
Heirloom
Golden Juilliard (Pattern# 2231)

This is a traditional pattern with modern appeal, beautifully accented by a fleur-de-lis crafted in 18/10 Stainless Steel w/24K Gold Electroplate. Oneida's Golden Accents Stainless Steel Collection, Full Lifetime Warranty, Dishwasher Safe

It matches perfectly with my china: Lenox Hayworth

Which matches with my crystal, but I only got 3 crystal water goblets between TWO weddings because it was so expensive and I can't remember what it is called now!

Dee

[agd4rie]

My china is Moonspun by Lenox. My crystal is King Edward by Gorham. The china is ivory with gray embossing and a silver edge. I was smart to go very neutral as I have moved 7x ,and I can use it with any decor. My sister got Charleston by Lenox.It was new and I was very jealous at first but now her pastel blue and pink are so out. She doesn't use hers. I use mine often. I got service for 12 in these as well and they have served me well for 20+ Years.

m

[chicagoagd]

I have to ask everyone when they began choosing/collecting their china/silver/crystal... My grandmother made me choose them after I graduated from college, but all of my friends then (and some now) think it's strange because I'm not married. All of my girl cousins did this too. Is this just my family or did others start before they were married?

[GtownGirl98]

You, my dear, must have southern roots because only the true southern belles pick their patterns out early. (according to the book)...

As to my silver pattern... I don't know if I will choose my own or will inhereit it. But I know this much I want the Waterfore before my mother gives it all away to various family as wedding presents... when I found out that she was doing this I got soooooooooooooooooooooooo mad. SHE isn't in touch with her roots... though I guess though she was born southern and has never lived above the Mason Dixon Line her german roots are showing.

[AOIIBrandi]

I inherited Gorham Strausborg from my Mother... Well I will someday,hopefully not anytime soon though. I have the book, but it's at Mom's at the moment. What does it say about that pattern again??

[AGDAlum]

http://www.westernsilver.com/sterlingflatware.html

This website has pictures of most of them.

[aurora_borealis]

I think I lucked out as I inherited silver and crystal from my grandmother, and I'd rather have the inherited stuff as my style is very similar to my grandmother's. Now I can concentrate on china since my sister got the Spode and the Fiestaware.

When I was home over winter break I came across the silver from my parents' wedding. My mother was complaining about it being too loud, and ugly and that my father picked it out. *my parents divorced years before my father died and I swear if we had this to read about the silver in the 60's so much could have been avoided * I think it is great silver, though slightly ostenatious for everyday use. It is Grand Baroque, and I bet my grandmother had a huge hand in that. I think I'll let my sister have it if she'll trade me for some furniture

[honeychile]

Originally posted by AGDAlum
For those of us who don't have the book at hand -- what silver patterns are included?

I inherited my grandmother's private-label sterling; closest commercial equivalent is Fairfax by Gorham.

Oh, my goodness - private label is la creme de la creme! You are soooo lucky!!

We always refer to Repousse as "repossessed" - I don't know why, but it just stuck. While I have Old Master (but not as much as I'd like!), I've just discovered that I will inherit a lot of Eloquence - which I also like. I've also inherited some Dirlyte - it's not gold plated, it's a special alloy which also gets the nice patina.

There are definitely some plusses for being the baby girl of the family!

[AGDAlum]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by honeychile
[B]Oh, my goodness - private label is la creme de la creme! You are soooo lucky!!


Except that the knife blades are silver (plate, I suppose?). My paternal grandparents got married in 1909, before stainless steel. I was glad I had the silver, since I got married in 1980 when silver and gold prices were sky-high. My sister got our mother's flatware, Prelude, which I've never much liked.

She also got our paternal grandmother's Noritake (circa 1920), service for 12, which Mother never, ever took out of the boxes they'd been sent in--M didn't like Japanese china. (My sister and I didn't even know it existed until we read the list of who got what.)

....As for me, I have my own collection of Fiestaware (vintage--not that heavy new stuff).

[tatianamik]

I guess my blue collar roots are showing. Right now I only have Correll ware. The Callaway pattern (Ivy). Even have the flatware and cookware to match. But I haven't married yet.