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Finishing School Advice The Women Of The Past Lived By

For the most part, finishing school is now considered a pretty outdated concept. Of course, there are still finishing schools situated across the UK and the wider world, but only the socially elite attend them. But, if you were to travel back in time 60 years, you’d find that the majority of women go on to attend finishing school after their formal education has been completed, wow!

The concept of finishing school is simple: to teach women how to be polite, well mannered, and socially accepted members of society. Back in the 1940’s and 1950’s, if you didn’t know the importance of picking up a champagne glass from the bottom of the stem and offering desserts from the left, you were considered unforgivably rude and uneducated. Today, luckily, such customs are no longer considered to be important, phew! Just because finishing schools aren’t a popular concept in 2017, that doesn’t mean that we can’t learn some things from them though. You see, the things that they taught, were things that the women of the past lived by – it wasn’t just about being a good wife (that was part of it though if you can believe it!) but also about being the best (and happiest) that you could be, ace! It sounds like we could learn a lot from the tips that the women of the past were taught in finishing school and lived by. So, here are some of the tips of social etiquette that the women from the 40’s and 50’s lived by….

Tip 1: Always look your best

One of the first things that women were taught in finishing school was to always look their best. According to a finishing school handbook this meant ensuring that their hair was neatly styled, their nails were perfectly manicured, their makeup was beautifully applied, and their outfit – day or night – was picture-perfect. Looking their best was to do with social etiquette. Part of the concept of always looking their best was about feeling confident in their appearance, as a confident woman is a happy woman, right? We might have mastered looking our best during the day with pretty hairstyles, gel manicures, and smart, stylish clothing, but what about at night? Far too many of us simple pop on an oversized t-shirt and get into bed – it might be comfy but does it make you feel good? To feel good in what you wear to bed, something pretty, like a neglige from the Vanilla night and day range, could be perfect. It’s not about looking good for anyone else; it’s about being happy in yourself and feeling good about what you’re wearing.

Tip 2: Don’t slump

For the women of the past, good posture was seen as being the key to charm, beauty and social success. Look back at old photos of women from this time period, and you will see that in each and every photo, people stand tall with their head held high. Walking along with a straight spine, squared shoulders, and your head held high gives you confidence. Don’t look down when you walk, keep your head held high – you will look better for it, as well as feeling more confident. Posture isn’t just important when walking; it’s also crucial when standing still. Instead of popping a hand on your hip and bending one knee, stand straight with your shoulders back and head held high, and place one foot slightly in front of the other. Finishing school also taught women that they looked more attractive when sitting gracefully – another thing that we can learn from today. When sat, whether at home, while out for dinner, or at a social event, always sit with a straight back, your shoulders held high and your head up, it’ll male you feel more positive and alert, and it’ll help ease backache too!

Rule 3: The E’s of beauty

The three E’s of beauty are things that women of the past swore by when it came to looking and feeling good throughout life.

Early to bed: By getting a good night’s sleep, your entire body is happier and healthier, including your skin. When you don’t sleep well, it’s visible on your face, so getting a good night’s sleep every night is pretty important.

Eat well: Eating well means eating for beauty. This means avoiding processed sugar as much as possible as processed sugar is bad for the skin and your waistline. It means eating clean, wholesome foods and drinking plenty of water.

Exercise regularly: Exercising regularly is important not only for your waistline but also for your mind – a woman who exercises regularly tends to be happier and less stressed than a woman who doesn’t. I do Yoga every day and it helps me enormously.
So, there you have it, a guide to the advice that the women of the past learned at finishing school and lived by! The overall idea of finishing schools is an old fashioned one but, we can take the best tips into our modern lives to feel better and more like we are being our best selves. How wonderful.

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Tricks For Throwing The Perfect Fifties Cocktail Party

Throwing a Fifties cocktail party can be one of the highlights of your year if you pay attention to a few little extra cute details. The Fifties may have come before the Swinging Sixties but the cocktail parties were somethin’ ELSE! Social events for the upper and middle classes, cocktail parties, featured great food, great music and beautiful, beauuuutiful dresses, gah, the dresses! One of the best theme evenings you could go to is a Fifties night – and not just for the amazing music! With these top tips, you could throw the best cocktail party of the year!

Invites- The Fifties were the decade of formality and etiquette and sending formal invitations out for parties were the norm. Make sure you include the correct details for your RSVP request and ring around the week before the party so you get your party numbers.

Food – To truly impress your guests, make sure you bypass the buffet and go for serving hot and cold finger food passed around by a waitress you can hire. This is exactly what a hostess would have done in the Fifties so emulating that era is a darling thing to do! Fruit kebabs, ham and cheese parcels, and anything in aspic would be a popular option! Offer cloth napkins instead of paper ones for a real Fifties touch of class.Fashion – One of the best bits of a cocktail party was choosing your outfit! As these are formal affairs, strapless dresses with a full skirt and petticoat were all the rage. Throw on some small fancy colour diamonds and you’ll be the belle of the ball for certain. High heels, up-dos such as a chignon and a small handbag would set the entire look off beautifully. Browse online images of 50’s movie stars for inspiration, it’s a super fun way to dress! 

Home –A cocktail party at home would have been the best opportunity a housewife would have to show off the home and all your skills for keeping your home beautiful. Cutting fresh wildflowers from the garden and arranging them around the house would be a classy and gorgeous way of brightening the home without going for standard décor. While you most probably don’t like smoking in the home, dot vintage ashtrays through the room, as smoking was popular in that decade.

Cocktails – If you have a drinks cabinet, it’s time to get those bottles polished! You can put together a drinks trolley and offer martinis, side cars, vodka highballs and whiskey sours for a truly Fifties feel.

Music – You’ll need something to bop to so if you don’t have a retro record player, download some timeless tracks onto an iPod and dock it for the night. Not too loud, mind, as you want to be able to have conversation over the music. Crank it up for dancing later on!Your Fifties cocktail party will go off without a hitch and you’ll be the talk of the town just by following these party tips. Vintage doesn’t get better than the Fifties so it’s time for a shopping trip for a brand new cocktail dress!

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How To Throw A Vintage Garden Party, Darling!

 

When you think of a garden party, usually only two things come to mind. Either a barbecue with water fights, or a posh and elegant affair for the ladies. Garden parties are so underrated, and rightly so given that the weather isn’t always the best and most people don’t have the space in the garden to even throw a garden party – especially those in the city! If you are lucky enough to have a collection of vintage items you can use, then your garden party is already successful so all you have to do next is pick an era! Most people like to go for the twenties and earlier, but you do get those who want to relive the Sixties hipster era!

For a vintage garden party, the best food is usually finger sandwiches and delicate cakes. Think an upmarket picnic without the dodgy sausage rolls. Think twenties elegance while you sit in the garden among the flowers enjoying crustless sandwiches and mini Victoria sponge sandwich cakes. A silver tea service (for the truly vintage) would be perfect for a garden party, even if just as decoration. If you happen to have a collection of cups and saucers, they would be perfect for a dessert service of ice cream or Eton Mess. Bonus points for sending them home as party favours!Given that you’re having a garden party I think it’s safe to assume that it’s sunny outside and the right season for beautiful wildflowers. You don’t have to go as far as hiring out Jason Swanson painters to do the exterior of the house, but getting in some vintage tablecloths for table tops and even to act as fabric for a picnic will do the job! Pastel hanging lanterns for the trees if you have them will also be an excellently economical way to decorate. Bunting is a popular decoration for a garden party so match your pastels and you’ll have an elegant outdoor display.Your party will be a picture of elegance and poise and if you have any shabby chic furnishings you can bring from the inside to the garden, you can save yourself some money on decoration as this would be an exquisite piece for food to be on outside. When it comes to music, you could choose to hire in a vintage band, or pop on some old records. If you don’t have a record player, downloaded music will work but there’s nothing quite so lovely as the scratch of a record on a vintage record player. It gives the party and atmosphere a little authenticity. Your garden party can be a huge success as long as you follow the rules of elegance and beauty for the era which you pick. You can also add in little additions like mini pies and quiches for something different to sandwiches and cake. I doubt anyone is going to complain about the range of cakes and puddings you can offer for your party so go and enjoy yourself, darling!

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Women In The Office; Fashion Tips To Make An Impact

You already know how to get the vintage fashion look. It’s time to bring yourself into this century. We all know how high-pressure office life can be, eeesh, BUSY! Getting the right look for work can make or break your reputation. You want to ensure that you’re wearing an outfit that makes the most impact. Whether you’re aiming for the look of a high flying sassy business woman or shy and prim receptionist, this guide to office fashion is hopefully gonna help you a heap load!

KEEP IT SMART – So, remember you’re at work. The smarter you look, the more seriously people are going to take you. It can be hard to be stylish and smart at the same time, but that’s the look you need to achieve, and you can totally do it. Having some staple blazers to return to is essential, I LOVE blazers. The decision between pencil skirts and trousers is also important. Your choice will show your colleagues a lot about the type of gal you are! 

THE RIGHT SHOES – Equally important are the shoes you wear. It can be difficult to decide between high heels and flats, but it’s a decision you will have to make from the off. If you want people to take you seriously, heels are likely to get you heard. You will tower over your colleagues. Exaggerating your presence can only be a good thing if you’re aiming for the top. If you’re after the retiring receptionist role, flats are the better option, aaand, lets not forget, they’re a lot more comfortable!

THE RIGHT ACCESSORIES – It’s not just the outfit you’re going to need to consider. Accessories are crucial too. Getting the right bag is just a must. You’re going to want bags that can go with most outfits, so brown and colours are always good. It’s also pretty good to own a staple black and a standard white bag. That way, you know you’ll always have something that matches. Think about your jewellery as well. Black Starr Frost watches are sure to get you taken seriously, they shriek of a strong together woman. It might also be worth investing in some staple necklaces. That little bit of glamour will come in handy when you’re feeling uninspired by your office wear. Just because you’re dressing smart, doesn’t mean your outfit has to be boring; heck no!

HAIRSTYLE – Finally, consider your hairstyle. Wearing your hair down is great sometimes, but it’s best to mix things up a little, and it’s more fun for you that way too. A tight donut is often a good choice for the office. It’s a smart, classic, fast style that is sure to stay in without any fuss and leave you looking professional. Off the face, hairstyles are an excellent choice. They reveal your face and help build trust with clients. If your eyes are hiding behind a fringe, they’re going to be a lot less likely to put their money in your hands. Stay conscious that you’re not going to have hours to fix your hair each morning, either. You don’t want to wake up at the crack of dawn every day to try and tackle hair pins. Choose a few staples and practice them before hand. Girl, you gonna look DA BUSINESS! 

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Best Friends Forever? A Pampering Party Forges The Bonds

One of the best, most simple pleasures in life is to have a group of friends that you’re in sync with. You don’t have to be clones of one another. Preferably you won’t be. It may be best if you think of the Spice Girls. I know they mostly ended up hating one another, but you all have your role. Nothing as binary as “I’m the funny one, she’s the sarcastic one, you’re the sweet one”, but they define themselves.

Friendship groups like this work because you can hang out as pairs. Everyone might have their OTP, but you can call any one of them and know you can talk. And you can talk to different friends about different things. Relationship problems? That’s Sandra. Workplace issues? That’s Rita. Forgotten the capital of Finland? Ask Pamela. (Yes, I’ve taken the names of the imaginary group of friends from Mambo No. 5. And it’s Helsinki.)

With friends like this, you can call and hang out pretty much any time. But it’s also vital, for the sake of team spirit, to have a planned meetup every once in a while. You set the world to rights and plan other things – girly holidays, nights out, even weddings. And one of the best ways to spend a day with friends is an at-home pampering stint.

The Venue

Well, it’s at one of your houses, obviously. It’s up to you to decide whose. Maybe one of you has a bigger house. Maybe one of you is located more conveniently for travel purposes. Maybe one of you has family who are in and out all the time. Avoid that one, this is a team event. Maybe you just do it on a rotation basis. There’s not a specific set of rules here, you can’t codify friendship. That much.

The Essentials

You wouldn’t play tennis without racquets, you wouldn’t go skiing without alarming dayglo bodysacks. And you don’t have a pampering day without the essentials. You need food – takeaway and sweet treats are essential here, pampering has no place for cooking. Something to drink is vital – whatever each of you is into, make sure there’s a supply. And pampering isn’t right without big bathrobes – Richard Haworth hotel linens are among the best options.

The Time

Any decent gathering of friends has within it the potential to take on a life of its own. It can go on for some time, including into the early hours. So it’s best to plan it for public holidays or times when you’ve all got freedom from work. But we all have busy lives, so it is important to take time where you can find it. It’s not always easy, but it is so worthwhile.

Whenever you have a friendship group like this, you know there will be trials and tribulations. There may be fallings out, there may be shouting rows. And as you get older, your interests may go in different directions. But as long as there is that thread of friendship, you can be a team for decades. You just have to make sure you nurture the connections. Time with good friends is so very, very precious. 

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