It used to be so easy. Dating in the 1930s had a set of rules that every lady stuck to. But, times have changed and in the era of the mobile phone, gender equality and online dating -Anna Musson, etiquette expert joins today to give us a modern take on dating.
Dating has really changed since the 1930's. In this era, there were a number of unspoken rules which women were encouraged to abide by, because if they didn’t they were not regarded as socially acceptable.
Outlined below are the socially acceptable do’s and don’ts of the 1930s dating scene and whether or not they are still relevant in today’s society:
Make-up
Women were not allowed to put on makeup in the presence of her date and not to freshen up in front on him. That ethical move is still prevalent today and most of the time women would excuse themselves to freshen up. Back in the 1930's, however, it was improper even to reapply lipstick while the man or the date was present. It was thought as being very rude an inconsiderate on the part of the female dating partner. It was also socially faupax for a woman to borrow a mans handkerchief and smudge them with lipstick.
Anna's response: I love this. First of all, if you know a man who carries an unused handkerchief, he is a very rare find. The etiquette is to take it home and wash it, iron it and return it by the way, but the principle of doing your make-up in the privacy of your home, not your car or the train, remains.
Flirting
Flirting with the waiter was not allowed back then and for the most part is still not appropriate today. Although out of maybe getting back at a date for glancing at another woman, the date may decide to flirt with the waiter. Back in the 1930's the gesture of flirting with the help was not ethically acceptable regardless of what was going on with your boyfriend's attention.
Anna's response: This applies to both sexes, remember the waiter is there to do a job, a little friendly chat is acceptable but exclusive conversations are still not appropriate.
Drinking
It was not proper for the woman to drink more than her date. She had to be cautious that she did not over drink at a date or she may become silly and that was not an appropriate state to be in while trying to impress your date to get a second one. The woman had to be cautious and to never ever drink as much as the man although there were no stipulations on how much the man on the date could drink.
Anna's response: No one likes a drunk woman, it creates a bad first impression and chances are, you will regret something you have said or done. This definitely still applies.
Posture
Whilst on a date, and in all social situations, women were expected to sit with perfect posture, looking at those whom are speaking to them with interest (even if they were not enthralled with the conversation taking place).
Anna's response: This is just good manners, it is not good form to look bored for anyone and feigning interest can be a real art. A lady should always sit with her knees or her legs together. This is timeless.
