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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For the most part, finishing school is now considered a pretty outdated concept.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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The Perfect 1930’s Fashion of Woody Allen’s Cafe Society

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If movies were beverages, Woody Allen’s Cafe Society would be a cool glass of smooth Champagne; sparkling and decadent. A beautifully enchanting and bittersweet film, set in 1930’s Hollywood and New York. This latest Allen offering has his usual perfectly paced wit and charm, with Jesse Eisenberg captivating in his lead role, particularly personifying a younger Allen, a modern embodiment of the man himself with his faultless delivery of the dialogue and eager awkwardness. The film has a gorgeous, subtle and easy pace alongside the scintillating quickness of the script. Blake Lively and Kristen Stewart are the fashion in this film, gah, what era is more cinematically superb than the 1930’s? This is a feast of fashion indeed.

Floaty, feminine fabrics, dainty and fragile details, the 30’s clothes in this movie are so expertly selected, with pastels and ditzy florals in abundance for day wear and jaw dropping glamour when it comes to the evening wear. We’re watching the Bette Davis era, the elegance and sophistication is magnified and each outfit creates heart-shaped eyes for the viewer. Frilled cape sleeves, floppy neck ties, slim lines and below the knee hemlines conjure up a time when fashion was neat and beautifully effeminate. On a fashion note alone, this stunning film is worth watching just for the red silk gown worn by Lively, which in my opinion easily rivals that green dress worn by Keira Knightley in the film Atonement. Oh my.

You’ll come away from this movie with the 30’s on your mind, eager to add some of that look to your wardrobe, trust me, you really will. You’ll want sherbet colours, delicate details and prim gloves, you’ll be inspired to add a bias cut to your repertoire – which is flattering for every shape – you’ll want a neat short curled bob in your hair and a beaded bag on your arm. The day wear is cute and accessible and the evening wear is pure luxury on your skin, be it crepe or silk, no gal can feel unnoticed in a 30’s gown. Scour sites like Etsy for originals and replicas, or seek out online vintage fashion stores like mine which have done the hard work for you and have found the best pieces. To wear authentic items can be a pricey affair, but these pieces are a true investment with their value constantly on the rise, they’re an excellent addition to any collection, plus if you take the time to search you can find amazing items at fair prices or you can simply invest in some accessories of the era to add to your modern look, giving a discreet nod to this perfect period.

Cafe Society is available to own on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download from 26th December 2016, courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, and I defy you to watch it and not be inspired to dress and dream as though you are living in the utter delight of the decade. Swoon.

 

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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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How To Organise A Dazzling Dinner Party

I’m at the age where a night out in the clubs is no longer my kinda thing, I like to have friends round for food and drinks, I guess I’m becoming a proper grown up! Having a dinner party can be a brilliant occasion for all involved, apart from the host. The host will be stressed out over the tiny details from the minute they announce it and invite guests, until the moment, the last sip of wine has been drunk. Only then will they allow themselves to think about the lovely evening they created. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. You really can organise an ace dinner party without getting too overwhelmed by it all. Here’s some of my tips to help you….

Know your guest list as soon as possible – The first thing you need to know is who is coming and how many people are there. This will help you plan for every other detail of your dinner party. It’s also essential to know who is coming so you can accommodate for vegetarians, allergies and lifestyle diet choices. Knowing your guest list enables you to plan a menu and the evening’s proceedings beforehand. The more you plan, the better prepared you are, simple. Which means you can enjoy the evening even though you’ll be spending it stressing over tiny details a little bit too.

Menu plan – Now you know who you have to come this is where the fun can begin. Menu planning is great and an essential part of your dinner party preparation. It will allow you to source the best ingredients, making things in advance and even try out the recipes before your guests arrive. Your boyfriend will be sick of eating the same meal by the time you’ve practiced and perfected it. It’ll allow you to work out the timings as well. This means you can relax a little knowing everything is on hand for the big night.

Think of the drinks you serve as well as the food – Of course, it isn’t just about the food you serve but also the drinks you provide. Wine choices and other options are just as important. They need to go with the food you are serving as well as be delightful for your guests. This is where websites like www.wine.net/legend-port-wine/ can come in handy. The drinks you serve can bring out flavours in your meals so don’t make any rushed decisions and do some research. Your guests will notice the difference.

Do you have a theme in mind? – Is your dinner party for a particular occasion? Is there a theme? Make sure whatever you decide the theme stands out. This can be through decoration or the meals you serve. Perhaps it is for a special occasion like a birthday or leaving party.

Decoration is a real nice touch – Decorating the room you are hosting your dinner party in, can be a nice touch for your guest. You should also think about how your table is set and consider getting a floral arrangement from a florist, or, think of cool ways to show off the food, like they did in the 70’s, that’s a good talking point! This is the perfect opportunity to use your best glasses, plates and table decorations, your friends will love it! 

I hope this helps a little in helping you to organise a dreamy dinner party very soon!

 

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