Secrets of Charm - A Social Experiment
Do you ever feel like the world that we live in today is, I don't know, crass and somewhat uncivilized? That maybe the lines between men and women have been blurred, just slightly? (Trust me, I'm all for women's rights, equal pay, etc... but can't we still be women?) Maybe you just feel like you were meant to be born in a different time. If you have said yes to any of these questions then I am willing to bet that on some level, you and I are kindred spirits.
When I was growing up, my heroes were my Grandma, my Granny, my mom and my aunts. I've always liked the practicality of old time ways and sometimes, even the glamour of the 40's and 50's. Not that life was necessarily glamorous for any of the matriarchs in my family. They were farmers wives and daughters. Nothing glamorous about that. When they did fix up for company, church and other family outings though, they were gorgeous. In my eyes they were anyway. I've looked at pictures of one of my aunts all spruced up for my uncle, who was in Vietnam at the time. To me, she looked like a calendar girl. I also have pics of my mom and her sister in poodle skirts. My mom's wedding dress was also the dress that she wore at her high school graduation which was the day before her wedding. To me, her wedding attire was perfect. More importantly, these ladies inner qualities were and are just as pretty as there outward qualities. Actually, even more so.
I just wrote a whole paragraph about the women in my life to tell you about a social experiment that I am diving right into. This social experiment was spurned on by the book The Secrets of Charm by John Robert Powers and Mary Sue Miller, in 1954. I bought this old book at a library sale 10 or so years ago. John Robert Powers was an American actor who started the Power Modeling School. Mary Sue Miller was a beauty columnist. I've read this book through, mostly just for fun, a number of times. In it, it details the way that women of that era dressed, took care of themselves and connected with others. Mostly, it is about grooming but there are also sections which talk about good manners, how to treat others, etc... It's not all about the outward.
Now to the social experiment. I am going to attempt to go through this book, chapter by chapter and apply it to my life for the next 4 weeks. This will not be easy for me. I'm not a girly girl. I'm a jeans and tee shirt girl. I want to do it though because a) it sounds like fun and b) I'm interested to see how this type of lifestyle will work in today's modern world. I will post my experiences at least 3x a week, maybe more. Basically, I will be living, as much as possible, the life of a woman in 1954. There re some things that I obviously cannot do, like buy a whole new vintage wardrobe. I'll be wearing what I have, but maybe I'll be a little more put together. On the whole, I will do my best to replicate what my life might have looked like in 1954. I'm looking forward to this adventure. I hope that you will read along and enjoy as I do.
Below is a little bit of 1954 trivia for you.
Top Songs from 1954:
This Ole House - Rosemary Clooney
Three Coins in the Fountain - Four Aces
Papa Loves Mambo - from the Oceans 11 soundrack
If you Love Me - Kay Star
Young at Heart - Frank Sinatra
That's All Right Mama - Elvis Presley
I Got a Woman - Ray Charles
The Man that Got Away - Judy Garland
TV Shows from 1954:
I Love Lucy
Flash Gordon
The Roy Rogers Show
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Father Knows Best
Movies from 1954:
A Star is Born
Sabrina
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
White Christmas
Godzilla
Brigadoon
When I was growing up, my heroes were my Grandma, my Granny, my mom and my aunts. I've always liked the practicality of old time ways and sometimes, even the glamour of the 40's and 50's. Not that life was necessarily glamorous for any of the matriarchs in my family. They were farmers wives and daughters. Nothing glamorous about that. When they did fix up for company, church and other family outings though, they were gorgeous. In my eyes they were anyway. I've looked at pictures of one of my aunts all spruced up for my uncle, who was in Vietnam at the time. To me, she looked like a calendar girl. I also have pics of my mom and her sister in poodle skirts. My mom's wedding dress was also the dress that she wore at her high school graduation which was the day before her wedding. To me, her wedding attire was perfect. More importantly, these ladies inner qualities were and are just as pretty as there outward qualities. Actually, even more so.
I just wrote a whole paragraph about the women in my life to tell you about a social experiment that I am diving right into. This social experiment was spurned on by the book The Secrets of Charm by John Robert Powers and Mary Sue Miller, in 1954. I bought this old book at a library sale 10 or so years ago. John Robert Powers was an American actor who started the Power Modeling School. Mary Sue Miller was a beauty columnist. I've read this book through, mostly just for fun, a number of times. In it, it details the way that women of that era dressed, took care of themselves and connected with others. Mostly, it is about grooming but there are also sections which talk about good manners, how to treat others, etc... It's not all about the outward.
Now to the social experiment. I am going to attempt to go through this book, chapter by chapter and apply it to my life for the next 4 weeks. This will not be easy for me. I'm not a girly girl. I'm a jeans and tee shirt girl. I want to do it though because a) it sounds like fun and b) I'm interested to see how this type of lifestyle will work in today's modern world. I will post my experiences at least 3x a week, maybe more. Basically, I will be living, as much as possible, the life of a woman in 1954. There re some things that I obviously cannot do, like buy a whole new vintage wardrobe. I'll be wearing what I have, but maybe I'll be a little more put together. On the whole, I will do my best to replicate what my life might have looked like in 1954. I'm looking forward to this adventure. I hope that you will read along and enjoy as I do.
Below is a little bit of 1954 trivia for you.
Top Songs from 1954:
This Ole House - Rosemary Clooney
Three Coins in the Fountain - Four Aces
Papa Loves Mambo - from the Oceans 11 soundrack
If you Love Me - Kay Star
Young at Heart - Frank Sinatra
That's All Right Mama - Elvis Presley
I Got a Woman - Ray Charles
The Man that Got Away - Judy Garland
TV Shows from 1954:
I Love Lucy
Flash Gordon
The Roy Rogers Show
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Father Knows Best
Movies from 1954:
A Star is Born
Sabrina
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
White Christmas
Godzilla
Brigadoon
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