11 hilariously outrageous beauty tips for girls from the 1960s

If you wanted to achieve loveliness, you had to follow these steps.

Secrets of Loveliness (Scholastic), 1964

The book "Secrets of Loveliness," by Kay Thomas, sought to teach girls how to become proper women by emphasizing how to dress, what to eat, how to act around boys and how to groom. 

So much has changed since the 1960s, a lot of these guidelines seem out of place. Do teens still wear rollers in their hair? We scanned the entire book to find some of the most hilariously odd tips. 

Did you want to achieve loveliness as a child? Then here are a few steps you should have followed. Do any of these sound familiar? 

1. On how to act around boys:

Act in ways that will make you feel feminine. This doesn't mean that you have to act helpless... It does mean that you should speak softly, move quietly, and act in a gentle, ladylike way. Let him be the center of attention - not you.

2. On fashion trends:

With the advent of space travel, [maybe] moon folk will soon be wearing earth fashions - or shall we perhaps copy theirs?

Maybe this fashion from Star Trek is what the author meant?

3. On appropriate shoes:

Backless sandals are never appropriate on the street... If you must wear them, do so at home when you sport a housecoat or fireside pants. 

4. On where to take inspiration:

Look at the Woman's Page of your daily newspaper and notice the fashion advertisements.

5. Here's a careful observation:

Girls who really seem to be out of luck are the plump ones, for not many stores cater to them. 

6. On common courtesy at bathtime:

A considerate girl announces in advance when she's planning to monopolize the family bathroom for a while.

Anyone who shared a bathroom with a sister growing up knows it probably looked like the Brady's bathroom:

7. On what it takes to become "lovely":

If your body is plump to the point of shapelessness or skinny to the point of emaciation, you can never achieve complete loveliness. 

8. On good oral hygiene:

No girl can be truly glamorous unless her mouth is attractive.

And what was the best way to be glamorous? Braces.

9. On perfect posture:

Attractive girls never sit slouched in a chair, with their legs dangling over the arm of it or their feet stretched out on a coffee table. If you have never sat this way, good for you!

10. On perfect elocution:

To be truly attractive, a girl should have a pleasant and well-modulated voice and speak distinctly. A good speaking voice can be acquired, as any successful actress will tell you. All it takes is knowledge, care, and work. 

11. On bare feet:

Even in your own living room where other people wear shoes, there is danger of a fungus infection. The safest place to go barefoot is at the beach.

These ladies know they're safe!

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1 Comments

Amalthea 37 months ago
The "announcing before monopolizing the bathroom" rule is firm in my house. There's 4 of us: my husband, myself, and 2 teenage girls...and one bathroom. Believe me...announcing IS a necessity, even for my husband. To make things easier, we each have a set time when we shower, and we try to stick to it. It makes things a LOT better.
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