Whether she is a diehard career woman, a stay at home mom or a student, in fact, acting like a lady is one of the best (yet often forgotten) tools any woman can have.
Your grandmother was right when she reminded you to stand up straight, that your elbows don’t belong on the table, and never ever to overindulge at a party (“Only take one hors d’oeurve when offered,” she would say). Although it may have made you roll your eyes at the time, granny was really on to something. She knew that good etiquette always reflects positively upon the woman who possesses it.
Yet there are so many things we do to sabotage proper social etiquette, and thus our ladylikeness that not only make us appear unfeminine, but just plain unattractive. With that said, here are some Cro-Magnon maneuvers to steer clear of:
- Bad Posture: Why bother to make the event of you look the same way you do when you are sitting at home slumped over your laptop surfing for shoes on Piperlime? Being out in public is not the same as being at home, so whether it is a wedding, birthday party, or a simple lunch with some girlfriends, act like it. Your body language is a reflection of your feelings!
- Nose and Eye Picking: Many of us have been in public and seen someone go for their nose or even try to pick something out of the corner of their eye that the sandman left behind from the night before. Even more agonizing to watch; the picker then examines the specimen on their finger. Forget about it not being ladylike, this is just gross. If you must free your nose, eyes or any other part of your body of debris, go to the ladies' room. Just as it only take a minute for you to walk to the restroom; it also only takes a minute for someone to see you doing what should be done in private.
- Reapplying Makeup in Public: Although it is always tempting to pull out your lip gloss and give it a few quick swipes across your mouth, try to refrain from this. Despite the multi-zillion-dollar cosmetics industry that everyone in the universe knows of, still, somehow, we women are supposed to be beautiful naturally. Applying one’s makeup in public erodes our mystique as females. Plus, it’s just plain tacky.
- Playing With Your Hair: No matter how freshly coiffed your tresses might be, the fact remains that hair is dirty. No one wants to shake the hand of someone who has been playing with her mane anymore than they would if she had just sneezed into it.
- Nail Biting: Perhaps the worst of the bunch, nothing says you are uncomfortable more than this finger nail faux pas. The truth is, picking at and biting one’s nails in public is not only unladylike and poor social etiquette, but what’s worse is that chronic nail biting can lead to nail infection. According to WebMD, Paronychia (par-ah-NIK-ee-ah) is a contamination that develops along the edge of the finger or toenail that is usually caused by biting. In addition, the article notes that “it is the most common hand infection, and if left untreated, can progress to a more severe infection of the entire finger or toe”. With this in mind, it is effortless to see why it is best to leave your fingernails alone, and save the biting and chewing for meal times.
The copyright of the article Have Good Social Etiquette in Beauty is owned by Erika Thomas. Permission to republish Have Good Social Etiquette in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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Jun 10, 2009 10:15 PM
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