I generally prefer all-white for a couple reasons: 1.) I like the clean palette which I feel really shows off the colors of even drab-colored foods. 2.) basic white from say, Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn, or Target can be easily mix-matched with other white patterns purchased elsewhere...

Also- I have a collection of mix-matched chargers I bought in the used-china section from a huge restaurant supply warehouse. I've got a couple-a-dozen different ones... 1 from a 75 yr. old now-defunct hotel, "The Petroleum Club" from Anchorage, AK.,etc. Very quirky, eclectic & fun!

That raises in interesting question, Chubby.

For those who set a formal table: Do you use chargers?

I rarely use them as such, because they're just one more thing to wash. But sometimes the color contrast contributes to the experience.

For small gatherings I like to use them as the main plate. It's kind of fun to set an oversized plate in front of guests, and watch their reaction.

What about everyone else?

Years ago when I bought/collected the chargers, I entertained more formally and that's when I used the chargers as chargers. These days I prefer things much more casual and if I even reach them offa the top shelf of the pantry at all, I tend to use them as platters when serving tapas-style finger-foods. I use them sometimes for cakes too because several of my favorite large-volume commercial-kitchen cake batter recipes could only be successfully divided so small for household use and for most I have to bake 3 if not 4 10" layers to get every drop of batter used up, so the large chargers make nice cake-plates for that big of a layer-cake.

Well if I sit a charger down in front of my fiance he would be delighted!!!

We do not have a formal china as I gave mine to my daughter. But when we combined households we now use a combo of his Solid White Dinner plates and my Classic Wedgewood Blue (design is a rose pattern) dinnerware; any of the blue & white Willow type patterns are MY Favorite dinnerware in the whole world!!! And have you all seen the blue toile table cloths and kitchen towels, oven mitts etc. at Williams & Sonoma? They are simply beautiful.

I've never owned any, but I too LOVE the look of the classic French blue china patterns. SO lovely! And the linens sound fantastic, Cathy!