New York architect Tom Peabody is pursued by widow Portia Winthrop, much to the amusement of his co-worker, interior decorator Edo Ives. Later, widower Tom tells Edo that his mother is sending his two teenage daughters, Victoria and Constance, to live with him. The two young ladies, who have been reared in the strict social graces by their grandmother, disapprove of their father's friendship with Edo, as they have been taught that women of quality "do not enter trade." Portia soon ingratiates herself with Victoria and Constance, and Edo tries to do the same by dangling her seventeen-year-old nephew Ricky before Victoria. At his mother's urging, Portia's son Carlton holds a party for Victoria and Constance, and Edo bribes Ricky so that he will attend as well. Seeing Victoria being treated like a wallflower at her own party, Ricky steps forward and turns her classical song rendition into a swing festival. Later, Edo forces Ricky to ask Victoria to the Crane Club, and to their surprise, she accepts. At the nightclub, Ricky teaches Victoria some new dance steps, and the older Peabody daughter soon finds herself singing for the crowd. The next day, Victoria becomes a front-page tabloid story, much to the delight of her father and the chagrin of Portia. After Portia convinces Tom that Ricky is a bad influence on his daughter, Victoria secretly meets with Ricky to tell him that they are no longer allowed to see each other. Edo, upset with Tom over his decision, supports the ban and refuses to let Victoria even speak to Ricky. Later, Portia tricks Tom into an engagement, and Victoria and Edo commiserate together over their broken hearts. Edo then does a complete makeover of Victoria, and to arouse her nephew's jealousy, she invites him to join them at the Crane Club with Carlton. Later, in order to break her father's engagement, Constance tells Tom and Portia that Victoria and Ricky have decided to elope. As hoped, Tom uses the elopement as an excuse to get away from Portia, and he and Edo then decide to elope themselves to Greenwich.