Truman Capote's Black and White Ball (Dressed Classic)

Summary

Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Dressed: The History of Fashion
Episode: Truman Capote's Black and White Ball (Dressed Classic)
Release Date: June 26, 2026
Hosts: Cassidy Zachary and April Callahan

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Overview

This episode of Dressed: The History of Fashion dives deep into the story and cultural significance of Truman Capote’s legendary 1966 Black and White Ball. Often hailed as “the party of the century,” Capote’s soiree symbolized a crossroads between old money, new celebrity, and America’s evolving social elite. The hosts unpack the origins of the event, its guest list, dazzling costumes, and enduring impact on society and fashion.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Was Truman Capote?

• Literary Icon & Socialite: Capote was a prolific writer, best known for Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood (01:45).
• Openly Gay Figure: He was openly gay—remarkable for his era—and became a beloved personality in elite circles (02:19).
• At the Party’s Peak: After the success of In Cold Blood, Capote was both wealthy and at the pinnacle of New York’s intellectual and social scenes.

2. Concept & Inspiration for the Ball

• Historical Parallels: The “new 400” phrase referenced Ward McAllister, who defined Gilded Age New York’s elite by capping society at 400 “fashionable people” (04:14).
• Capote’s Twist: Unlike the insular Gilded Age, Capote aimed to “blast society wide open” by including artists, celebrities, politicians, and intellectuals—“the global artistic and intellectual elite” (05:50).
• Guest List: Over several months, Capote handwrote 658 names into a notebook—ranging from diplomats to “ravishing little things,” his phrase for beautiful people who caught his eye (07:18).

3. Invite Drama & Media Frenzy

• Elaborate Anticipation: The ball was the focus of enormous press coverage, with fashion media tracking everyone’s dress plans in advance—including the Paris Bureau of Women’s Wear Daily (10:23).
• Rejected Aspirants: Those not invited pestered Capote relentlessly, forcing him to retreat to the countryside (09:02).

4. Fashion & Dress Code

• Strict Instructions: The dress code was “black and white”—with masks required to ensure both mystery and mingling (08:09).
• Elaborate Looks: Guests wore designer gowns, headpieces, and jewelry. Candice Bergen wore Halston; Moreira de Sales donned Marc Bohan for Dior with a rhinestone mobile mask (11:30).
• Notable Quote:
  “The more fabulous, the better. The masks were not just meant to solely impart an air of mystery, but...to expand rather than to restrict their social connections.” — Cassidy (08:09)

5. Security and Logistics

• Heightened Security: NYPD and Secret Service guarded the event; President Lyndon Johnson’s daughter, Linda Bird Johnson, attended (15:37).
• Elaborate Jewels: Capote hired a private detective—guests wore millions in jewels, with Princess Luciana Pinglatelli’s 60-carat diamond headdress as a highlight (11:56).

6. The Night Itself

• Cost & Guest List:
  • Alice Roosevelt (Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter) and Capote had a humorous contest for cheapest costume, with Alice’s costing only 35 cents (16:13).
  • The guest list spanned society’s spectrum: Mia Farrow & Frank Sinatra, Gordon Parks, Claudette Colbert, Billy Baldwin, major publishing and royal families, and more (17:25, 18:05).
• Diversity of Guests: Only about 2% of guests would have made the old “400,” emphasizing Capote’s new era of inclusivity.
  • “Although Mr. Capote invited Herrimans, Phippses and Rockefellers, they would not have been on Mr. McAllister's list because their money was then too new.” — New York Times, cited by Cassidy (18:37)
• Dining & Dancing: The menu included chicken hash, spaghetti bolognese, pastries, and 400 bottles of vintage Taittinger champagne (18:15).
• Memorable Quote:
  “So much beauty, power, talent and celebrity hadn't been collected in one room since an inaugural ball.” — Vogue, quoted by April (18:37)

7. Pre- and Post-Party Social Intrigue

• Pre-Ball Dinners: Capote strategically paired dinner hosts from different spheres to maximize networking and surprise (19:35).
• Press Coverage: Reporters tailed guests before and after the party—in hotel lobbies, social haunts, and at Babe Paley’s pre-party dinner for 36 (20:24).
• Museum Acquisitions: The Museum of the City of New York immediately preserved masks and headpieces from notable guests to document the event (22:14).

8. Cultural Impact & Legacy

• Groundbreaking Interactions: Capote’s party united high society with creatives, politicians, and even Kansas detectives—demonstrating a new egalitarianism in elite gatherings (22:50).
• Launch of Penelope Tree: The party famously launched 16-year-old Penelope Tree’s modeling career after photographer Richard Avedon spotted her (23:05).
• Memorable Capote Reflection:
  “I just stood there thinking how marvelous it was that these people had made such an extraordinary effort... there was a country doctor who was mingling with a maharajah. There were composers...with businessmen. The detectives from Kansas...chatting with Hollywood stars.” — Capote (22:50)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Guest List Openness (07:18):
  “Diplomats, politicians, scientists, painters, writers, composers, actors, producers, dress designers, social figures, tycoons...lots of beautiful women and ravishing little things.” — Capote (via Cassidy)
• On Security & Opulence (15:37):
  “No recent party has been so secured.” — NYT, as quoted by April
• On Party’s Place in Fashion History (18:37):
  “So much beauty, power, talent and celebrity hadn't been collected in one room since an inaugural ball.” — Vogue, quoted by April
• On Social Change (18:05):
  “Roughly 2% of Mr. Capote's guests could have made the original 400.” — New York Times, cited by Cassidy

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Important Timestamps

• [01:45] — Who was Truman Capote? Why was he so central to 1960s society?
• [04:14] — Explanation of the “New 400” concept
• [05:50] — Capote’s guest list and his goal to revolutionize high society gatherings
• [08:09] — Ball’s dress code and rationale for elaborate masks
• [11:30] — Specific designer looks and luxury details
• [15:37] — Security details, celebrity/royalty guests, press excitement
• [16:13] — Alice Roosevelt’s and Capote’s humorous “cheapest costume” contest
• [17:25, 18:05] — A rundown of famous guests from various walks of life
• [19:35] — Capote orchestrates dinner parties prior to the ball
• [22:14] — Museum preserves pieces of the ball for posterity
• [22:50] — Capote’s own words reflect on the mixing of worlds at the ball
• [23:05] — Penelope Tree's fashion breakthrough

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Tone and Takeaways

• Enthusiastic & Knowledgeable: The hosts combine fashion history expertise with energetic storytelling, mixing anecdotes, primary sources, and modern references.
• Appreciative of Social Change: They position Capote’s ball as not just an extravagant party, but a pivotal moment that challenged rigid social boundaries and symbolized the mingling of old money, new celebrity, and creative talent.
• Immersive Details: From the intricacies of the guest list to detailed costume descriptions and gossipy media hysteria, the episode brings 1960s New York social life vividly to life.

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This episode reveals how a single party became a defining moment in fashion and social history—a dazzling microcosm of American society on the brink of change.

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For images from the ball and more resources, the hosts recommend checking their Instagram/Facebook or the Museum of the City of New York’s costume collection.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Dress the History of Fashion is a production of dress media. With over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common. Every day, we all get dressed.

[A]

Welcome to Dress the History of Fashion, a podcast that explores the who, what, when of why we wear. We are fashion historians and your hosts,

[B]

Cassidy Zachary and April Callahan, dress listeners. Nearly 500 episodes and seven years into the podcast, I cannot believe that we have yet to cover one of the most fashionable and glamorous parties that New York City has ever seen. So earlier this week, we chatted with the model, author and philanthropist Penelope Tree and her recollections of attending this event, as well as this event's recent depiction in Ryan Murphy's hit television series, Capote vs. The Swans. Well, it's time now. We're going to take you back in time today to Truman Capote's legendary Black and White Ball.

[A]

And for all of our listeners who might not be familiar with Truman Capote, he was a literary polymath of sorts. So a child prodigy who started writing seriously at age 11. He would rise through American literary society with ease and accolades, writing essays for the like of the Atlantic and the New Yorker. And as a novelist, Capote may be best known for penning Breakfast at Tiffany's, which is of course one of the most iconic movies of all time, and stars Audrey Hepburn. But lesser known are the many, many Hollywood screenplays that Capote wrote or adapted.

[B]

Widely known, however, was the fact that Capote was gay. He was very much open about his sexuality in an era when same sex relations could actually destroy one's professional career and or their personal relationships. So Capote's distinctive voice and his mannerisms were actually considered to be part of his charm within these elite social circles in which he held this captivating sway as a personage or personality. And this was especially so in 1966 when his novel In Cold Blood, which actually documented this mystery surrounding the murder of the Cutter family in rural Kansas, well, his novel rocked the literary world. Now, looking back on it, it could be cast said that it was one of the first true crime hits, but In Cold Blood earned something like a staggering $57 million in today's money. And this really cemented Capote and not only his relevance in intellectual circles, but but now also a man of substantial means.

[A]

So let's just say when Capote announced that he had plans to host a ball, it was the talk of not only New York, but also the international jet set. So those in the orbit of Capote, who was at this time society's favorite party guest, had been whispering about it since early June, when the writer bon Vivant began planning a quote, nice dance for friends, just a party for people I like. And this party was held on a stormy Monday evening on November 28, 1966. And let's just say it was far from just a party.

[B]

April. Not at all. He was downplaying that.

[A]

Yes. Because Capote's event has now become legendary. And as it was called in the press, it was the ball of the century and a, quote, new 400 of the world.

[B]

And on that last bit that Cass just said, a new 400 of the world, this definitely requires a little bit of historical context, because this phrase, a new 400, is actually like a historical reference to Ward McAllister, who was the 19th century gatekeeper of the New York social set. And this phrase came about because he once told a reporter from the New York Tribune that, quote, There are only 400 fashionable people in New York society. If you go outside that number, you strike people who are either not at ease in a ballroom or else make other people not at ease. End quote.

[A]

Yes. And if you've been watching the Gilded Age, then you have met this character who really was a character. I mean, he's played so well by Nathan Lane. Absolutely love it. So he was elitist, snobbish, and insular. And of course, I'm talking about the real Ward McAllister. And of course, this is certainly portrayed in the Gilded Age, where we see how 19th century New York society was largely based around this ongoing game of old money families attempting and ultimately failing to keep new money families out of their social circles. An invitation to one of the many lavish balls of this period, like the 1892 Astor ball, could actually make or break your social reputation. And the stakes were high to stay relevant within or move up the ranks of the New York elite. McAllister's list of 400 were the old moneyed movers and shakers of New York who courted, married, and really socialized within their own ranks.

[B]

Yeah, and we've actually done a couple of past episodes on how New York society operated in the 19th century, including one on a different ball that we did in 2019, which was the Vanderbilt ball. And also we've done a couple of episodes now on etiquette codes at the Gilded Age. So you can return to those if you want to learn more about this time period that we're talking about. But let's just say that Truman Capote's 1966 black and white ball was very much based on a historical precedent of New York's elite balls of the past. But actually, what he set out to do would have been unthinkable to these hostesses of yore. He actually set out to blast society wide open, to invite the global artistic and intellectual elite for the most elaborate ball that the 20th century had ever seen.

[A]

So for months, Truman carried around a cheap notebook, handwriting in its lined pages, his guest list for this party of the century. And you know, we, as we mentioned, he's one of the most famous and beloved authors and personalities of his day. He was a member of this global glitterati, let's just say. And this counted among its elite people like heiresses, Oscar winners, political figures. All of these people were his friends. He moved around the world. He encountered people who interested them, and then he added their name to his potential guest list.

[B]

So fabulous.

[A]

And reportedly, Capote handed his notebook over to his secretary to begin issuing invitations in October of 1966. So a month before the party. And when he did this, there were 658 names of, quote, diplomats, politicians, scientists, painters, writers, composers, actors, producers, dress designers, social figures, tycoons. And Truman said himself, international types, lots of beautiful women and ravishing little things.

[B]

I'm gonna guess that the ravishing little things were cute boys. Just saying. Happy pride, everyone. So, yeah, Capote's invitees were entreated to attend an evening of revelry in the form of a formal costume, AKA for in the uk fancy dress ball, which was to be held at New York City's Plaza Hotel. And it's very beautiful and decadent ballroom. And the dress code was to be strictly black and white, and masks were required. The more fabulous, the better. And as Capote would explain in the press, the masks were not just meant to solely impart an air of mystery, but they were actually to encourage the guests to mingle amongst themselves and to expand rather than to restrict their social connections. So this is the exact opposite of what Ward McAllister was saying with his 400. He said, quote, the whole point is to ask anyone you want to dance and to sit wherever you want. And when the masks come off at midnight, you can find your own chums or stay with your new ones.

[A]

And while today the intermingling of creatives, politicians, members of the social set, you know, that seems relatively routine to us today.

[B]

Very much so, yeah.

[A]

At this time in the 1960s, Capote's idea of bringing together interesting individuals from all different professions, from all different parts of the world was pretty novel. And word spread like wildfire of Capote's soiree, which quickly became the most coveted social invitation in years. For Capote, however, this turned into a bit of a cluster. Those who felt snubbed because they were not invited began harassing and even threatening him. So much so that he was forced to disconnect his phone line and retreat to the country to escape the mounting pressure of his impending party.

[B]

I mean, this is some serious business, right?

[A]

He was probably getting a total kick out of it too.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. He was not a bit above a little bit of egotism, it must be said. But it wasn't only the people, also the publications that were stoking this sort of anticipation of the party. And there is so much press coverage of this event, not only after the event, but leading up to it, that I did not look at any sources outside of the contemporary primary source press sources in writing this episode. And I didn't even touch all of it. So, um, it could be, I guess, maybe one day a much longer episode, or maybe we should do a class on it that would be really cool, like a visual history class. So, so much of this press was actually leading up to it, right? There was an active mechanism feeding all this information to the New York fashion press and just the press in general. For instance, the New York Daily Record began publishing illustrations of the masks that some of the noted prominent gentlemen would be wearing to the party. And the coverage of the party in Women's Wear Daily is literally daily for weeks and weeks and weeks leading up to the party. Even Paris's Bureau of Women's Wear Daily reported on what French socialites were going to be wearing. For instance, the Comtesse Brandolini's ensemble was going to be a matching black velvet cap mask and a full skirted gown by Madame Gray, while Moreira de Sales was going to be attending wearing head to toe Marc Bohan for Dior. And her resplendent rhinestone mask actually had this crazy towering rhinestone mobile on it. You know, mobiles with the moving parts. And it was like all rhinestones from her headpiece.

[A]

Yes. There's so many cool images to see and to kind of revel in from this evening. That includes looking at actor Candice Bergen, who donned a black velvet and white mink gown by Halston while the balls. Honored guest K. Graham, who was the president of the Washington Post and Newsweek, wore a white wool crepe gown and matching mask sprinkled with jewels created custom for her by the House of Belmont.

[B]

Yeah, Jules. At this event. Holy moly. Anticipating that many of the women, especially the socialites, would arrive dripping in them, Capote had the prescience of thought to hire a detective whose sole function at the event was to guard the safety of the women's jewels at the party. And this included the Italian fashion designer Princess Luciana Pinglatelli, who wore a 60 carat diamond dangling from the front of her headdress and it rested in the center of her forehead. Well, Mrs. Lowell Guinness complained to Capote that her two necklaces that she was wearing, one was rubies, the other one was diamonds, were so heavy that she feared that she was going to have to stay in bed the rest of the day.

[A]

Oh, life is so hard. I want to know more about this Italian fashion designer princess that you mentioned as a side note.

[B]

Yeah, I kind of delved into her just a tiny little bit, but I was like, I have to finish doing this episode.

[A]

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[A]

So the day following the party, the New York Times noted, quote, no recent party has been so secured. And that was probably because the NYPD were the ones securing the entrances to the Plaza Hotel because one of the attendees had her own Secret Service Detail, 22 year old Linda Bird Johnson, who was of course daughter of the sitting President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson, was in attendance. As Gloria Steinem wrote in her coverage of the event for Vogue, Linda, quote, arrived with her Secret Servicemen who in black tie and black masks looked more like Secret Service men than ever.

[B]

And Linda Byrd was not the only first daughter or daughter of a U.S. president in attendance. President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, Ellis Roosevelt was actually there, which is incredible. Like just thinking about this entire time period because at this time she was 82 and her and Capote actually had this ongoing joke and competition about who could wear the least expensive costume to the ball. And Alice adapted a 35 cent mask, which would be about $3 today, and fastened it to her head with adhesive tape. Whereas Capote, who is the host of this completely insane party, wore a 39 cent domino from FAO Schwartz. And if you guys don't know what a domino is. It's basically a cloak that has a hood on it. So I guess it seems like the expense invested in costumes kind of ran the gamut. But as the New York Times reported, it was, quote, the most exquisite of spectator sports. Lots of other masks were far more elaborate and some, those involving feathers, flowers and rhinestones, were reputed to have cost as much as $600. So that would cast be the equivalent of about $6,000 today just for your mask or your, your headpiece.

[A]

And then guests removed these masks at midnight and could now recognize their fellow attendees, who among so many others, we don't have time to mention them all. But the guests included people like Mia Farrow, who was there with her boyfriend, Frank Sinatra, Gordon Parks, Claudette Colbert, Douglas Fairbanks, Billy Baldwin, Henry Fonda, American fashion designer Donald Brooks, Joan Fontaine, while artist Renee Boucher's widow, who had one half hair white, one half of her hair black, as well as those that the New York Daily Record noted as Fords, Shrivers, Gimbals, Hearsts, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Rothschilds and even Windsors.

[B]

And while some of Capote's invitees came from these very established New York families, the New York Times went out of their way actually to point out that the Black and White Ball was in many ways the exact opposite of Ward McAllister's insular ideology. Of this 400 elite, the New York Times said, quote, roughly 2% of Mr. Capote's guests could have made the original 400. Although Mr. Capote invited the Herrimans, Phippses and Rockefellers, they would not have been on Mr. McAllister's list because their money was then too new.

[A]

Vogue remarked on the Evening in a nine page editorial in January of 1967, quote, so much beauty, power, talent and celebrity hadn't been collected in one room since an inaugural ball, end quote. Capote's guests danced and dined on a menu planned by his close friend Babe Paley, of chicken hash and spaghetti Bolognese, pastries and coffee, which they washed down with 400 bottles of vintage Tattinger champagne. One press source cited the food and beverage bill alone for the party as $13,000, which would be a whopping $125,000 today.

[B]

We have to remember he was multi millionaire at this point and was celebrating. So there's that. And of course, if any of you did watch Capote versus the Swans, you will know. Closet Truman and Babe Paley were like, this is kind of like the centerpiece of that entire television series. And this Brings up another very interesting aspect to the ball. Truman came up with an idea to tap certain people within New York society to entertain guests prior to the ball at intimate dinner parties in their own homes. So you're gonna have dinner with these people and then you're gonna come to the party, which started at 10pm along with Babe Paley, socialites like Mrs. George Backer, Marian Javits, the actor Margaret Sullivan, and also very creative intellectuals including Cecil Beaton, Jason Epstein, who was the editor of the Random House publishing house at the time, and publishers Gardner and Flor Cowles were amongst a few of these dinner party hosts that, that he asked to do this. And Capote remarked, quote, I put the dinners together myself. That was the real game. I'd call up and take a person from one dinner and put him at another. I did my best. End quote.

[A]

We know from the fashion press that Babe Paley hosted a pre party dinner for 36 people as a reporter from Women's Wear Daily seemingly stalked her lobby that evening, reporting on the comings and goings of Bates of Babe's additional staff, including caterers, florists, her hairdresser, who exited to tell the reporter that Babe was doing her own makeup.

[B]

Hot gossip.

[A]

The reporter also hounded the doorman to inquire about the contents of the grocery bags delivered earlier in the day to try to ascertain what was to be served. I mean, this is a lot and,

[B]

and I mean, this was literally published in Women's Wear Daily. She was like giving like updates of what was happening every 15 minutes that she's hanging out in this lobby. I don't know, it was very stockarazi, to be honest. And, and just as a side note, the coverage of the Black and White Ball in terms of paparazzi didn't end once. The last person was exiting in the plaza and personally thanked by Capote, which he did for each individual guest the following day. Womenswear Daily reporters staked out all of these favorite high society haunts like the restaurants Lafayette and La Cote Basque, which is if you know Capote's work, it's a very specific reference. I'm going to move on. But basically they were stocking out these restaurants to report on who from the party was having breakfast or lunch with whom, what they were wearing. And the next day, the entire page of Women's Wear Daily is like taken up by these illustrations of Kenneth Paul Block, who's a fashion illustrator of the time, illustrating Truman and Babe lunching with their friends. And you know, we have to remember that in many ways these socialites were living in a fishbowl of and also courting the press because Babe Paley had her own press secretary. So, I don't know, has this game changed much today?

[A]

And it was not only the fashion press that realized the significance of what Capote had accomplished by bringing so many notable personalities together. So too did the Museum of the City of New York, which in early 1967 acquired at least four masks that were worn to the Black and White ball, as well as a swan headdress worn by Mrs. Frederick Eberstadt for their costume collection. And Ms. Stearns, who was the curator for decorative arts and costumes for the Museum of the City of New York, told reporters at the time that, quote, we wanted to document the Capote ball because we have clothing worn at all of the historic balls in New York City. And that is very true.

[B]

For Truman, the ball was a smashing success. Beyond his wildest dreams, perhaps, or maybe not. But it was remarked upon that he only danced with three of his female guests that night. And in his words, quote, I just stood there thinking how marvelous it was that these people had made such an extraordinary effort. And really, truly extraordinary it was. You know, there was a country doctor who was mingling with a maharajah. There were composers who were chatting with businessmen. And the detectives from Kansas who solved the Cutter family's mystery, which is at the center of Truman's book, In Cold Blood, were photographed chatting with very major Hollywood stars. So this was a very cool event and people were fascinated by it. And I just also want to point out that in the middle of all of this, we have the party's youngest guest, 16 year old Penelope Tree, for whom this party would actually launch her modeling career the next morning at 9am because fashion photographer Richard Avedon had noticed her in this amazing black slit up to their custom crown by Betsy Johnson. And it was made specifically for the party for Penelope during Betsey Johnson's early years at paraphernalia. So if you want to hear more about this, you can hear Penelope tell that story for herself. You can tune in to our episode from earlier this week.

[A]

Well, I think that does it for us today dress listeners. We hope that you have enjoyed this brief peek into the story behind one of 20th century New York's most fashionable parties and ponder what you would have worn next time you get dressed.

[B]

Please head to Essed podcast on Instagram or Rest podcast without the underscore on Facebook to check out the visual content associated with each week's episodes.

[A]

And remember, we always love hearing from you. So if you'd like to write to us, you can do [e-mail] DressedHistory.com is also our website where you can sign up for our monthly newsletter, our inbox person tours and online fashion history courses. And you can check out whatever else we have up our finely tailored sleeves.

[B]

We get so many questions from you all about our recommendations for fashion history books, so if you are interested you can always find a link in our show Notes to our Bookshop Bookshelf. So that address is bookshop.org shop dress and there you can find over 150 of our favorite things, fashion history titles

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Thank you as always for tuning in and more dressed coming your way very soon. The History of Fashion is a production of Dressed Media.