Penny Smith and Amber Atherton (R) both showed off their legs in shorter print dresses

Showing off the baby bump: Mary Portas arrived hand-in-hand with her pregnant partner Melanie Rickey at Tatler's 'lesbian ball'

The guests who converged on a fashionable London address for a society ball were as impeccably attired as you might expect.
But there was something slightly unusual about the turnout – there wasn't a man in sight.
The women were being escorted by women, and many of them were holding hands, or arm-in-arm with one another.
They were on their way to Tatler magazine's All Girl party at Portland Place in Marylebone, central London.
Or, as it has become known in the run-up to the much anticipated event, the Tatler Lesbian Ball – surely the first of its type in the high-society publication's 300-year history.
Stating the sexual orientation of guests at a party might be to invite accusations of gratuitousness, but in this instance it was quite appropriate.
For the entire point of the Tatler party was to celebrate lesbianism and lesbians, to – in the words of the magazine's editor – 'normalise' lesbians in society.
High-profile lesbian guests included the TV presenters Mary Portas and Clare Balding and the actress Sophie Ward, all with their female other halves.
But you didn't have to be a lesbian to gain admittance.
Among the heterosexual guests were actress Gillian Anderson, television presenter Anneka Rice and Net-a-Porter fashion website founder Natalie Massenet.
The guests mingled in the two ballrooms of the grand terrace mansion designed by Robert Adam.
They drank Moet & Chandon champagne and nibbled on sushi, mini fish and chips, chicken goujons and mini ice cream cones.
Miss Ward, 47, looked stunning  in a full-length black sleeveless frock and posed for photographers arm-in-arm with her partner, Rena Brannan.
But it was Miss Portas and her partner, Melanie Rickey, who provided the most arresting sight of the evening.
It has been rumoured for a couple of months that the couple are expecting their first child together and Miss Rickey's large bump, beneath a striking midnight blue dress, confirmed it.
Miss Portas – in leather trousers, high-heeled sandals and a chic cream blazer – and Miss Rickey posed hand-in-hand outside the entrance.

 

It has been reported that Miss Rickey conceived after having IVF, but it is not clear whether they used an anonymous sperm donor or whether the donor is known to the couple.
Yesterday, neither Miss Portas, 51, or Miss Rickey, 38, a fashion journalist, were available for comment. Miss Portas was previously married to chemical engineer Graham Portas, with whom she has two children, Mylo, 18, and 16-year-old Verity.

'Superb night': TV presenter Clare Balding (left) with her partner, Alice Arnold

And even the doormen were women at the annual Tatler society ball

Ball gown glamour: Actresses Gillian Anderson and Sophie Ward (R) both made an effort for the London event

They divorced in 2003 and the following year she met Miss Rickey at a dinner held at the Royal College of Art. They have been together ever since, and in 2010 publicly affirmed their commitment in a civil partnership ceremony.
After the party Miss Rickey wrote on her Twitter page: 'Well the Tatler Lesbian Ball is brilliant, wall to wall lesbian fabulosity.'
Like Miss Portas, Sophie Ward – the daughter of actor Simon Ward – was also married before she met her female partner.

Supporting them: The X Files star clearly agrees with Tatler's views when it comes to lesbians in today's society

Not so girly: Nicola Formby and Anneka Rice (R) decided against wearing dresses

Ready for summer: Penny Smith and Amber Atherton (R) both showed off their legs in shorter print dresses

Her marriage to Paul Hobson, a vet and father of her two children, broke down in 1996 after she fell in love with American writer Miss Brannan. In 2000, she and Miss Brannan had an unofficial 'marriage' ceremony.
Miss Balding, the 41-year-old BBC sports presenter, and her partner Alice Arnold, 48, the Radio 4 newsreader, went public with their relationship in 2003 after attending the London premiere of horse-racing film Seabiscuit. They had a civil partnership ceremony in 2006.
After Thursday's party, Miss Balding tweeted: 'Utterly superb night at the Tatler Ball. Very glam, very class and apart from my feet hurting like hell from high heels, thoroughly enjoyable.
'My only regret – why did I shake Fiona Shaw's hand when she said goodbye? Why didn't I give her a hug? Am I a politician? NO.'
Miss Shaw, the acclaimed Irish actress, has been reported to have been in a relationship with the actress Saffron Burrows.
The party was hosted by Tatler editor Kate Reardon to coincide with the August issue of the magazine, which profiles a number of lesbians, including comedian and broadcaster Sue Perkins, environmental campaigner Tamsin Omond, actor and writer Emma Kennedy and model Eden Clark.
Miss Reardon said: 'What I hoped we achieved with this party was to begin to normalise lesbianism in “high society”. Last night was us saying, “This is it – we are crossing the Rubicon”.'