Personally I love all white plates. For me it's all about showing off the food. You could add color and interest to the table with napkins and accessories. But there is nothing better than a white plate for presentation of food.

Have you shopped Penney's online? I bought some there a few years ago. They work great for everyday dishes. I think mine were advertised as $99 (for 10 place settings), but when I looked at them online, they were $79. I see that right now, there is free shipping on anything over $75.

Not sure if this link will work. If it does, I ordered some in a goldish color---but with the pattern that is green in this link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Penneys dishes

Actually, I got a service for 12. I forgot to count the two plates that are in the dishwasher. :-)

I think I'm leaning toward white or at the very least a solid because my old set had flowers all over the plates. And wildchild's right about the napkins and accessories - we always have candlesticks on the kitchen table, and placemats and often flowers in a pretty vase.

I do have a set of Lenox Autumn fine china that we use on 'finer' occasions, especially since it has to be hand washed. And I have another set of china that I got from the bank when I was in college - one place setting for every $50.00 deposit. That set is white with a silver band - but I'm missing all the serving bowls and some of the cups because when we moved a box was mislaid somewhere.

Rita - thanks for the link. Those dishes are very similiar to the Mikasa design that I liked. I do know that I want mugs - not teacups and saucers. I think I'll stop at Penny's on my way home later this morning and take a look at them. Free Shipping is always nice.

I have Italian Countryside. Have had it for ten years and love it. The nice thing about white plates is that you can use pretty flowered napkins or any place mats or table clothes and I can use the white to intersperse with my good china if need be. I think you would be very happy with it.

It's so much a matter of taste. I have Pfaltzgraff's ironstone with the 12-sided plates, and have always loved it. When I got my new kitchen, I went looking for dishes with a colorful pattern. But that didn't happen, because I bought the Interiors' Prairie design in Adobe Red. With variations in the hand glazing, and its rich brown (not red) color, it goes with the rustic look of this house.

But it might not go with yours, so I'm no help. :-)

I think solid casual dinnerware is the right idea, but since you have Lenox Autumn as your formal china, I would look for a bone/ivory color of white instead of an "iceberg" white. That way if you ever needed to, you could mix the casual and formal ware on the same table and it would match fairly well.

I would love to have new everyday dinnerware.
DH refuses to toss his old Corielle stuff.....ignores the little rust deposits in the scratches(common with Corielle)...I have to hand scrub them with Bartender's friend to keep them clean.

I refuse to eat from them.

I have a nice, plain white porcelain set from Macy's cellar collection...not expensive, nice big plates, and love them.

When my boys moved out for college, I donated my old dishes to their new living space. I was so tired of the blue and mauve pattern. My everyday dishes are Pfaltzgraff Filigree. All white with just a little swirl on the edge. They fit nicely in the dishwasher too. My SIL bought some Chris Madden dishes that she now hates as the plates are too tall to sit right in the dishwasher.

I love my white dishes. Here's my pattern:

Here is a link that might be useful: Pfaltzgraff Filigree

all white is great! I've always had all white.
If you like to decorate... you can use all kinds of linens and things!
all white... I also think food looks more appetizing on white.

I have all white Corelle. Wildchild is right on about using different napkins, etc. And Kat is right that food looks more appetizing on a white plate. Probably why restaurants use them.

Another vote for Pfaltzgraff. I have a set of "Village" dishware I got as a wedding gift. Over the years, I've replaced anything that broke and got a lot of serving pieces. They are both my everday and my "good" dishes. They have a website and catalog and also brick-and mortar stores.

My favorite is corelle. I love light weight plates. They aren't as fancy as others but nice for everyday.

Corelle can become dangerous after wear and tear. Minute scratches(from knives/forks/rubbing against pots and pans in dishwasher) build up and attract metals into the scratches and pits, which will rust in time.

I switched to all white dishes a few years ago. They work in every type of table setting, dressed up or dressed down.

I agree with white. Chargers are cheap enough to dress the plate up also. Red for Christmas, Valentine and July 4th.

My real dishes are on the top ahelf I mostly use paper plates and fosm cups now. You might like to visit our forum over at the Holiday Forum - GardenWeb they talk about table settings and are forever changing tablescapes for the season and occasions. lots of good stuff there

Here is a link that might be useful: Holiday Forum - GardenWeb

I buy "new" dishes all the time...but mine are always old...or vintage. I love old restaurant dishes. I refuse to buy any dishes made in China, and most new ones are.

I have had Mikasa French Countryside since 1983! I love it and it has held up incredibly well.

I love the white dishes for every day...you can run wild with placemats and napkins, seasonal things, flowers, whatever. Have fun shopping.

If you love your old pattern and would rather not change, you might try Replacements Ltd. Both my sterling and my "good" china patterns have been discontinued. I have obtained several pieces from them.

Let us know what you select...and let us know when to show up for dinner!

The only tableware I own is white Corelle. I bought two 4-place sets 25 years ago and am still using them. There is no need for fancy dishes in our life. We're kind of "y'all come and sit and eat" folks, and we're most likely all wearing jeans. And maybe even muddy boots. I like the fact that the Corelle is so light (arthritic hands) and stacks so tight. And it never seems to chip or scratch. Unless, of course, DH decides to saw through a steak that could REALLY be cut with a fork!

I love my Fiesta!!!!!
So many bright colors. I find them at Younkers, Bealls, Macy's, Dillards.
They have round (4 piece and 5 piece) place settings.
Square, 3 piece place settings.
I'm going with the 4 piece place setting, round and buying the square luncheon plates!
Here is a website that sells them too.
Kathy G in MI

Here is a link that might be useful: Fiesta ware

My "good" and my "every day" dishes are one and the same. They are Portmeirion "The Botanic Garden". I have service for 10 and some serving dishes. I started collecting them piece by piece, they aren't sold in place settings. In 1993, when I had a second job at an exclusive gift shop, I bought two dinner plates with my employee discount. From then until 1999 when I retired from a university, I bought piece by piece as I saw them at Marshall's or Ross. For my retirement, coworkers bought me serving dishes, etc. In all that time, only one cereal dish got broken when DS dropped it. Nothing has chipped. They can go in the freezer, dishwasher, microwave and oven. They are made in Britain. They are pricey but will last me a lifetime.

I recently purchased new everyday dishes and I just love them! I was so sick of my cheepo dishes with chips and cracks.....I wanted STONEWARE! I found these on-line and on sale and I bought two sets. I had never used this company Oneida but they were wonderful! Everything was packed super well and survived the shipping. I called the company and gave them kudos (especially the packer whos little piece of paper with their ID number, I found in the boxes. As for fitting in a dishwasher...well I can't help you there. I am the dishwasher :-)
Good luck on your search.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oneida dishes

My everyday dishes are paper! LOL
I have wanted a new set of everyday dishes for a long time but just never got them.If I were at home,which I'm not and probably won't be for a long time,I would like to have the Pfaltzgraff "Pistoulet" pattern.They are so colorful and kind of happy looking to me.The kids have a cheap set from Wal-Mart but they eat out of paper plates all the time.I don't use the "real" dishes much because I'm the dishwasher and do as little as I can get by with! LOL

There are too many choices out there! I stopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond and Target which were in the same shopping center. Then I hit the Mall and looked in Macy's, JC Penney and Sears. Honestly I could pick a new car quicker. Then I looked at the Corell, Onieda and Fiesta web site. I think I've ruled out the heavier stoneware like Fiesta and Pfaltsgraff because I think my husband might chip them since he's used to my indestructible Corning ware.

My problem is that since I've had the same set for over 30 years I keep thinking that I'll use my next set for another 30 years so I'm being too careful. The dishes just aren't that expensive to spend so much time contemplating.

I enjoyed the tablescapes on the Holiday Forum site. I do like to change the look on my table with different accessories but I'm amazed at how inventive those themes were.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Now all I have to do is make a decision.

Kathy! I love my Fiesta too!!!

It is so much fun to get the new color when it comes out. I get the 4 place setting also. I do not have any of the square plates .... but it is tempting :)

Love the serving pieces you can get to go with it.

I got my Corelle at a Corningware outlet store. It's my second set, we LOVE it!

Walmart is caring dishes with the Better Homes and Gardens brand--pretty flowers etc, did not really look at them so not sure.

Interesting page I found when trying to figure out where the gray and brown spots on Corelle dinnerwear came from.

Here is a link that might be useful: Corelle Corner

For every day? I have to have clear glass. It goes with everything AND if you need to grab a few pieces to extend your good set, it always coordinats well. There are a number of nice glass dishes out there. Personally, I like ArcoRoc (available at my local bar supply store) they're extremely durable, and are microwave safe. I got a small set of AR as a wedding gift 37 years ago--I've added considerably to the set over the years. One of the interesting things we like from the set is the large, shallow bowls--they're about as large as a dinner plate, but maybe 1.5" deep. We like them for soup, salad, and 'saucy' things like pasta and gooey casseroles

My everyday dishes are "Country China".paper plates,LOL.Seriously my everyday dishes are plain white,pfazalgraff(sp) and those are what i always lean towards,because as op's have said you can color up the table with placemats,napkins etc.I have in the past had white with just a narrow colored border on them.I always steer clear of all over print dishes,they just never appealed to me.

My china is Noritake,white with a simple silver starburst,and a silver rim.so of course can't go in the micowave.

I also never buy dishes,cups and that type of stuff that's made in China,so these days we really have to shop for stuff that's not made there.
Kathi