Shore Longboat Key hosts Sarasota Debutantes

The Sarasota Debutantes grabbed their pearls and channeled their inner Holly Golightly on Longboat Key this past weekend. 

High school seniors Camiryn Opstal, Rylie Jackson and Maggie Mays hosted their debutante event as a formal brunch at Shore Longboat Key on Nov. 16. 

Inspired by the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's," all guests wore black, white and blue attire to stay on theme while the hosts dressed in all white to stand out. 

The Sarasota Debutantes are chosen in February from a variety of high school seniors from across the area. While being etiquette trained, each of the girls hosts an event with a theme of their choosing to show what they have learned. This leads to the grand debutante ball on Dec. 21.

As a Sarasota native, Maggie Mays's mother, Dawn, was selected to be a debutante when she was a senior in 1992 but wasn't able to participate because of the financial burden. 

When Maggie was nominated to be a debutante this year, Dawn pushed her shy daughter to try it out after wanting to do it when she was in high school.

"It has really brought her out of her shell," said Dawn. "I love that she can make new friends from different schools and now she feels confident to talk to new people. After seeing her blossom, I always encourage every woman I know with a little girl to do this if they have the opportunity to."