Happy Halloween!

A very appropriate photo found at http://www.icanhascheezburger.com/.

Papillon

Hats Off!

Okay, I'm still a bit fixated with 1950's etiquette (per Amy Vanderbilt).

Today, it's hats, especially for women.  I'm not sure exactly when women stopped routinely wearing hats in public.  It may be about the time that the Kennedy family left the White House.  I remember women trying to emulate Jackie and her pillbox hats.  Men stopped wearing hats because John Kennedy went bareheaded so often.  And I don't remember Lady Bird Johnson wearing a lot of hats.

However, in the 1950's, women had all sorts of rules about when and where to wear hats (and gloves for that matter).

Sample question from M.M. in Oakland, CA:  "Do you feel that a woman public speaker must always wear a hat?"  Amy Vanderbilt:  "Not necessarily.  She doesn't wear one if she is in evening clothes.  In many urban communities, where hatlessness is a matter of choice, I've seen many distinguished women speakers without hats.  In very small communities, which tend to be conservative in this matter, it is probably well for the speaker to wear a hat in order to avoid criticism..."

Another woman (Mrs. J.A.F, Monroe City, MO) wrote in to say "I am confused as to when to wear a hat and gloves..."
Vanderbilt replies, "When in doubt, wear a hat -- and gloves..."  She goes on to make a list of hat rules, such as:
"1. Wear a hat and gloves to church and to any religious ceremony...
2.  Wear a hat to any formal reception...
3.  Wear a hat when making a formal call on an important person, such as a governor or a bishop.
4.  Wear a hat - or be prepared to do so - if you are a professional speaker before any group..."

There is an ongoing nostalgia for all things 1950-ish.  The thought being that it was a lovely time of peace and quiet following World War II.  While reading Vanderbilt's etiquette book, it looks to be just one more era of fairly rigid rules on what to where and how to act - lest one receive criticism for the simple act of not wearing a hat while giving a public speech.

Papillon

More 1950's etiquette

Today - we look at 1950's restaurant etiquette.

A woman from Texas wrote to Amy Vanderbilt asking how to order dinner when at a restaurant with her boyfriend.

Amy's reply:
"You do not pick up the menu yourself, but you wait until it is presented to you by your escort or by the waiter.  You give your order to the escort rather than to the waiter.....you give your order to your escort, for it is his masculine duty to scan the (menu) card and suggest things that might appeal to your palate.  It is also he who suggests the wine, if any.  A girl may know all about food herself, but, as a guest of a man in a restaurant, she defers politely to his suggestions, although, of course, she's not required to eat anything that she doesn't like."

I do so love the fact of how women's liberation has changed things.  Now we don't have to play this silly game of women deferring to men simply because they're men.  I love the proviso at the end about how a girl doesn't have to eat anything she doesn't like.  Wow, that's nice.

So ladies, give a big shout-out of thanks to all the women who firmly set themselves forward and said - we are self-sufficient adults and should be able to do those adult things like voting and not being considered chattel and - on a lesser note - being competent to order our own food when dining out with a man.  Because, after all, we are, in fact, adults.

Let the games cease!

Hip, hip, hooray!
Papillon

2010 Balloon Fiesta

Taking a break from etiquette rules from the 1950's - today (10/10/10) is the final day of the annual Balloon Fiesta here in Albuquerque.  This year was no different from other years in that there were a couple events (primarily in the evenings) that had to be cancelled due to unfavorable conditions.  However, most events went off as planned and most folks were thankful for slightly warmer than normal morning temperatures.

For the first time in I can't remember when, I actually didn't have to work this week and so got to do some laid back balloon chasing, hoping to get photos to use for my needlework patterns.

Here are some photos that most likely will not be used for patterns, but are kinda fun nevertheless.

A good takeoff -

The two faces of a jester (special shape) balloon -

Two balloons looking for a good place to land - 

A balloon that's made a safe landing -

And here's a balloon that made a rather 'sloppy' landing.  You'll be happy to know that nobody was hurt, not even the balloon.  OK, the balloon may have had some minimal damage, but looked to have survived enough to fly another day.

Thanks to the efforts of the fine folks at PNM (local utility) and the equally fine folks with the Albuquerque Fire Department, the balloon's envelope was un-draped from the power line.

And that's it for this year.

Papillon

More fleeing from the 1950's

Another amusing bit of etiquette practiced during the 1950's - bows. (No, not something involving a shoe laces or ribbons.)  From what I can gather from the Amy Vanderbilt etiquette book - people (at least in the USA) didn't always shake hands when greeting each other.

One question asks about the differences between a man's bow and a woman's.  According to Ms. Vanderbilt, a man's bow is a modification of the deep bow he learned as a boy in dancing class.  After the bow, the woman might offer to shake hands.  Or not.  A lady's bow is a slight inclination of the head, usually accompanied by a smile.  She might then offer to shake hands. 

Please bear in mind, according to Ms. Vanderbilt - no one properly refuses to return a bow.

In a related question, a woman asked if ladies are already seated at a luncheon table are introduced to each other, do they shake hands?  Ms. Vanderbilt said, "No, they bow.  In this country there is very little shaking hands between women."

Oh, my.

Papillon