According to books from the 1950s, a woman’s deportment and posture are complimentary to a woman’s over-all look. Some ideas are quite questionable in today’s society.
Firstly, you should always stand with feet together and back straight. Breathe in, tuck in your arms and make sure no elbows stick out. This will make you look younger and more attractive. You can practice with books on your head.
Always walk with a bright, springy walk, like a ballerina. Don’t thump your feet.
The way you hold your handbag can put years on your age. Don’t hang it on your arm like a waiters napkin. Always carry it swinging by the handle in your hand.
When sitting, keep legs together with feet placed nicely side by side. Crossed legs are permissible nowadays if your skirt does not ride up. Keep hands restful on your lap, with your tummy in and shoulders straight. Now you look trim, alert and ladylike. Don’t flop into a chair, feel the seat with the back of your legs then slowly sit down and never moan even if your feet hurt. On rising, your hands should remain in front of you and step springily forward. Always smiling.
The tone of your voice and the manner in which you express yourself will be impressionable on those you meet. Mispronunciation of words or ignorance of the more complex rules of grammatical expressions need to be remedied immediately. You should be knowledgeable but never argue your opinions. Examine your voice for defects by taping it and listen to it back, then work on the necessary pitch, tone and improve your speech. Speak slowly and try to remove any slang.
In social situations you must always be interesting but also be a good listener. Never be a bore. It is noted that unless you are a raving beauty, strangers are not at all interested in you, unless you can prove that you are an interesting person (haha wow)!
Some of the above suggestions are quite questionable in today’s society and you certainly wouldn’t want to teach your daughter all these out-of-date guidelines but the 50s society was different than today. What do you think of these guidelines? I would love to hear.
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Ridiculously Retro 