“Just look pretty and keep quiet” is among the many pearls of wisdom offered in this guide to looking good and getting your man, a pamphlet from a 1967 issue of Australian Women’s Weekly.
Before advising you on how to dress to get a husband, we must assume you already know an eligible man — one you would like to marry.
IF you don’t know the man, or haven’t met him, do what the hunter does. Go where the game is!
Consider the possibilities near at hand. Do you live near a university? Take some night courses. Do you play cards? Join a card club. Do you like dancing? Take lessons. Do you like sport? Indulge your interest by participating actively.
It should go without saying that what you wear in any of these pursuits is of vital importance. If you can make yourself interesting to look at and interesting to be with, your attraction for the opposite sex will be more than satisfactory.
Have you ever analysed what makes the most interesting people you know interesting? Chances are it is the fact that they are interested in you. The same principle works with men.
It’s obvious you can’t really show how interested you are in a man unless you know something about him. Draw him out; discover his interests, idiosyncrasies, likes, and dislikes.
You’ll learn a lot about that man simply by listening. Don’t forget, however, that a too-aggressive attitude and too many pointed questions might scare him away. Be interested, not inquisitive.
THE FIRST DATE
So much for the psychology of the first meeting. Now let’s consider the first date. Here’s where what you wear becomes most important.
If he tells you exactly where he’s taking you, the solution to the question of what to wear is quite simple. When you know he has box seats for a much-heralded concert, opera, or ballet, you know you’ll be safe in your prettiest short evening dress, white kid gloves, and most elegant jewellery.
But suppose he merely invites you to have dinner with him on Saturday night. You can’t ask him, “Where?” or “How much money do you plan to spend?”
This is the time good judgment must take over.
If you wear your prettiest short evening dress when he planned to take you to a small inexpensive restaurant that caters to the family trade, one of two things will happen: (1) You’ll be miserably uncomfortable all through dinner and fail to be any fun as a companion, or (2) he’ll change his original plans and feel forced to take you somewhere more in keeping with your costume, in which case he’ll think your tastes are too rich for his bank account. Either way, this first date is likely to be the last
However, if you consider all the possibilities before that first date, you can be perfectly dressed for almost any eventuality.
Select a simple dress from your wardrobe that can be dressed up or down. Adorn it with attractive, but not lavish, jewellery.
If, when he comes to pick you up he mentions going somewhere where there’s music and dancing, you can change your jewellery, put on a little evening hat or headdress, and add your most party-festive coal or fur. If he says you’re just going to the movies, leave well enough alone and wear your daytime coat, plus a colorful and interesting scarf.
But suppose he’s meeting you at the office and you have no clue where you’ll be going from there. Should you wear that pretty semi-dressy dark dress to the office and follow the same course? No, indeed. There’s nothing to lop a soft suit with high-buttoned jacket in a flattering, feminine color like soft blue, beige, grey, or rose. With the jacket on, you are well dressed for business, but underneath your jacket is glamor you can switch on as needed.
It is a pretty, dressy shell overblouse — sleeveless if you have attractive arms, with cap sleeves if you don’t. Have a jewelled pin or necklace and earrings tucked in your handbag. If your evening turns out to be a big one (a party, a plush candlelit restaurant, or a nightclub) off goes the jacket and on go the jewels. If nothing more exciting develops than a hamburger — don’t open a single button of that jacket, and keep the jewels concealed!
Either way, you have it made — and you’re on the way to a second date for sure.
But, let’s face it, a soft dark dress and a soft pastel suit don’t make a wardrobe. These are merely staples.
Building the right wardrobe for every occasion on your big-game hunt for a husband depends on the man.
ANALYSE YOUR MAN
Men fall readily into five categories or types. If you have been doing your homework in finding out all about him, you can easily decide which group your man fits into and then dress accordingly Instead of shopping madly for a lot of new clothes selected without plan, buy with him in mind
The Active Sportsman
Is he the Outdoor Type or Sportsman?
Without much effort you will be able to find out if he’s this type at your first meeting. The sportsman talks about his favorite sport with little or no encouragement. But there are subtle and very important differences between sports lovers that can easily lead a girl astray in her desire to please.
For instance, there’s the active sportsman and the spectator sportsman.
First, let’s take the active sportsman. Let’s say your man is mad about tennis. His conversation is so love-oriented you might think all you need to do is buy a racquet and a pair of sandshoes to make him think you’re Margaret Smith
However, if you happen to have two left feet on a tennis court and your serve bounces, for heaven’s take don’t play tennis with him! Be a marvellous spectator instead, and dress the part. Buy yourself some charming spectator costumes—crisp, fresh, and neat — and learn all you can about tennis and tennis personalities. It’s better to talk a good game than play a poor one.
If your man happens to love hunting, don’t rush out to equip yourself with gun, poncho, and boots until you know what kind of women he likes. Some of the most…..
….rugged sportsmen can’t stand competitive women.
If he’s this type, women are taboo on fishing trips, anathema on the golf course, and excess baggage on a hunt.
He’s one of the strong men who likes his women weak. He wants to pursue his game with the boys and come home to a little woman who is waiting, wide-eyed, to hear (by the hour) the details of how he caught that fish, or made that hole-in-one. Such men want their women feminine and the only pants they want to see you in are sexy hostess pyjamas.
There are, of course, active sportsmen who want their women to excel in their chosen sport and to be their constant playmates If your man is this type, you’d better make a decision
Say skiing is his first love and you suffer from acrophobia. You either have to conquer your fear of heights or spend every weekend alone.
If he wants to play twenty-seven holes of golf every Saturday and you have weak arches, make up your mind. Either you suffer around that course with a smile on your face or you take the chance of losing that man.
If you are interested enough in both the man and the game, you’re really on the way to reaching your goal.
But it also takes the right wardrobe. When a man takes a sport seriously, he knows that the right clothes are important not only as status symbols but as part of the equipment for performing like a pro.
This type of man is quick to spot the wrong kind of golf shoes, out-of-date ski pants, or cheap riding boots. He knows the score on active sports clothes and expects you to know it, too. If you’re in doubt about what to wear with him, go to a good store that specialises in active sports fashions and find out.
And once you know which sports are his favorites, subscribe to magazines that will keep you abreast of what’s happening and who makes the news in these areas.
The Spectator Sportsman
Now let’s picture all the men who follow a particular sport without actively participating. They’re the cricket fans, the football maniacs, the polo fiends, the boxing buffs, the racetrack followers. They know the name of every player on every team, and woe be to the woman (or man) who doesn’t share their enthusiasm for their chosen sport.
To interest this type of sportsman, the sporting pages of the daily newspapers are required reading for you. Be prepared to spend your evenings and weekends watching his favorite sport either on television or at the scene.
If he only watches on television, just look pretty and keep quiet.
But if he has to see every game in person, you can be sure he has the right wardrobe (slacks, tweed jackets, handsome sports shins, and sweaters), so don’t show-up dressed for dancing. Concentrate on good casual sports separates, comfortable shoes, good leather handbags, and colorful scarves, and the two of you will look like a pair that really came packaged together.
And. above all, if he’s a football fan— dress warmly! There’s nothing more irritating to the enthusiast than a shivering, complaining female whose only comment about the game is, “I’m freezing!” Dress in layers — you can always remove sweaters, socks, or boots if the temperature rises, but don’t expect him to bundle you into his arms to warm you up when he’s all wrapped up in the game.
At any sporting event (whether it’s racing, football, tennis, polo, or ping-pong) if you ask him. “What’s happening?” when the crowd cheers, your romance is over. If you don’t know what’s happening, keep quiet — unless he’s cheering. In that case, cheer, too.
Men-about-town . . .Now let’s consider another type — The Sophisticated Man-about-town.
He is aware of everything that’s in. from the latest discotheque dances to the hit musical shows. He has read this month’s best-seller and knows the headwaiter in all the best restaurants. He prides himself on his good taste and he’s a perfectionist.
Invariably he b articulate and entertaining as a conversationalist. This makes it essential for you to be a good listener. But don’t think you can get away with dumb, adoring silence for ever. He expects an intelligent comment once in a while. And he is attracted, like all men, to women who are interested in the things that interest him.
Because his interests are manifold, there’s more homework for you to do with this type of man. Reading one or more of the weekly news magazines each week will keep you up to date on many things that interest hirn: books, personalities, shows, fashions, politics. If you aren’t an avid reader of novels, at least read the book reviews, so when he asks you what you think of Auchincloss or O’Hara, you don’t say. “Who?”
If you haven’t read a book or seen a play he starts discussing, for heaven’s sake don’t say you have. When he starts questioning you about which character you sympathised with and whether you agreed with the viewpoint expressed at the end, your answers are likely to reveal you as a phony.
Be honest: tell him you haven’t read it but would like bim to tell you about it. He’ll be not only flattered but delighted to give you his condensed version.
Like the sportsman, this type of man splits into two distinct subtypes: (A) The Super-sophisticate, and (B) The Hail-fellow-well-met.
The Sophisticate
Subtype A inclines toward subdued…
…elegance in everything and is something of a snob about anything too overdone or too noisy, too jazzy, or too anything. In dressing to please him, ask yourself these three questions: Is it chic? Is it ladylike? Does it suggest quiet elegance?
If he takes you out dancing (which he most certainly will), he doesn’t mind if people turn around to stare at you if you look simply smashing but he’ll steer you to the darkest corner if you look too bizarre.
He likes dark or subtle colors, small patterns, luxurious fabrics, and perfectly put-together costumes. He prefers the look of one magnificent piece of fashion jewellery on an utterly simple dress to a dazzling array of bracelets that make you sound like a big brass band. He notices that you’re wearing leather rather than fabric gloves, and appreciates the fact that you carry a pretty handkerchief instead of a package of tissues. He is a proud man and wants to he proud of his women.
Wearing the right thing at the right time is of greater importance to him than to most other men, because he knows more about the right thing.
A less knowledgeable man might not know the difference between a cocktail dress and a dinner gown, but this man does. And he will he careful to tell you whether your date is for cocktails or an informal dinner.
Even though he is a man-about-town, sooner or later he will expect you to entertain him. At this point, remember he has been entertained by some of the best huntresses in town, because, after all, he is that most desirable of all creatures — an extra man
How you handle this first invitation to your home can spell triumph or catastrophe for your romance.
The people you invite, the hors-d’oeuvre you serve, the glasses you use, the menu you plan, will all be carefully noted by this man who is measuring your qualifications (you hope) as the possible chatelaine of his future chateau.
He may adore the way you dance, be delighted with your French accent, and be simply sent by the way you flutter your eyelashes, but if you turn out to be a dud in the drawing-room his disenchantment will be immediate and irrevocable.
So for this first invitation to meet your friends and sample your cooking, don’t bite off more than you can chew. Make it a small intimate group of people, six to eight at most, who are interested in the same things he is (that includes nearly everything).
A buffet menu will make things easier for you unless you have good part-time help. Choose the records in advance (soft background piano music) and don’t serve champagne if you have only sherry glasses.
What should you wear? Something he has never seen before, of course. This is his special introduction to the at-home you — the “you” he’ll come home to every night (you hope) with a heart full of joy.
A full-length hostess gown in a color that blends with your living-room is the perfect answer, but make sure it is one you can move in gracefully without spilling the drinks, tripping over the skirt, or knocking over the candles.
When you choose it, bear in mind how busy you will be as a hostess, so don’t select something with long, tight sleeves and a high turtle neck that will make you look and feel like a steamed clam after the first cocktail.
Play it cool. And. no matter how glamorous they look in the ads, avoid long dangling necklaces that wind up in the salad bowl when you’re serving. Above all, for every three cocktails you serve your guests, make a weak one on the rocks for yourself. There’s nothing that will turn a potential bride into a passing fancy quicker than her passing out at her own party.
The Good Time Charlie
Now for subtype B in our man-about-town category. The Hail-fellow-well-met. He’s sometimes known as “Good Time Charlie.” He is a little less meticulous than the Super-sophisticate about the right thing and the right place. He’s out for fun and laughs. He dances with more abandon, drinks a little more, laughs a little louder, and works a lot faster than our friend Type A. He’s the complete extrovert who will keep the conversational ball bouncing all evening whether you say anything or not.
Just laugh at his jokes and hell think you’re wonderfuL His taste in girls is more flamboyant in every way.
If this is the man you’re after, consider becoming a blonde or a redhead. Pile on the bracelets — he likes noise. Rather than seeking our the most elegant clothes to please him, find things that have youthful verve, like short flippy skirts, bright zingy colors, and cute crazy hats.
He’s the eternal “boy” who never wants to grow old. When he takes you out on the town you’re likely to hop from a bohemian joint to a hot jazz festival to a barbecue.
“Anything for kicks” is his motto, so don’t dress for him as though you belong under glass. Let him know you’re as fun-loving as he is, and wear clothes that look and feel young.
“Is he the marrying kind?” you may ask. (Ask yourself, of course, don’t ask him.) Well, girl, there is really no such thing! He doesn’t want to get married any more than the next fellow, or the fellow next to him. But if he has a wonderful time every time he’s with you, he’ll want to be with you all the time. Particularly if you laugh at his jokes the second time he tells them.
The Shy Conservative
As different from Good Time Charlie as a martini is from a malted milk is Type Number Three — The Shy Conservative Man. You will recognise him by his quiet, unassuming manner, his soft-spoken voice, his solid-color neckties, definite opinions, and the relaxing fact that he doesn’t proposition you on your first date. With this man, anything obvious in your actions, conversations, or clothes will send him scurrying back to all the blessings of bachelorhood.
Conservatism in your wardrobe will stand you in good stead. Shy away from plunging necklines, black lace-textured hosiery, very mini skirts, figure-revealing silhouettes, and wild hairdos.
To him, what fashion editors call mod is merely mad. He wants to see you looking like a lady, perhaps on the plain side. Loud plaids and bold checks shock him as much as loud laughter and risque jokes.
He likes clothes that are inconspicuous, introverted in color, design, and pattern. Stick to the classics and you’ll make him happy.
The Far-Out IntellectualIf your personality is too outgoing for a shy man, and dressing to please him would inhibit your desire for expression, look around for Type Number Four — The Far-Out Intellectual.
What would be the shy man’s chloroform is this man’s meat. He’s a longhair and doesn’t mind if you wear yours down your hack.
Avant-garde ideas and art nouveau are a delight to his eye — so let yourself go with exciting modern prints, exotic color combinations, unusual hand-made jewellery, and anything that might be called “artistic” or offbeat.
Conservatism in any form is just plain corn to him, so don’t be square enough (or wear conventional-looking costumes for his sake. He goes for Pop art. Op art, modern ballets — and girls he likes can look as kookie as they wish.
The Successful Executive
Type Number Five (everybody’s dream) – The Successful Executive. He’s the man who has it made. If you’re lucky enough to have latched on to or even sighted one of this dwindling and rare species, work fast.
You can be sure plenty of other women have their eyes on him, too. Whatever his business interests, he didn’t get where he is just waiting for things to happen. He is a very definite man.
He knows what he likes and dislikes and he makes fast decisions. He is impeccably neat and extremely well organised, and simply can’t abide sloppy, lazy, disorderly females. He will expect you to be immaculate always.
When you have a date with him, don’t dawdle around looking for your keys, your handkerchief, your gloves, or your glasses while he waits for you. Don’t giggle. Sit up straight And be on time.
As to your wardrobe in attracting such a man, it should express luxury without ostentation. He respects quality in investments and in women’s clothing. Sacrifice variety in shopping to please him, and settle for intrinsic value in a few blue-chip costumes that will take you proudly wherever he wants to go.
One beautifully tailored suit with several blouses to vary its look will cover a lot of ground.
This man would rather own one Mercedes Benz and keep it for six years than buy a new car every year. He feels the same way about clothes. He will admire your good taste and good sense for buying
one beautiful outfit rather than four shortlived inexpensive ones.He will expect you to be dressed perfectly for dinner in town, or for cocktails at the country club, with very little advance notice.
When he phones you at 11 a.m. to meet him for lunch, you’d better have the right thing in your wardrobe or on your back.
Of course, if you’re so ravishingly beautiful that this man (and every other) is panting with passion every time he looks at you, you can break all the rules — break dates, arrive late, forget appointments — and he’ll forgive you. But are you that irresistible? And, if you are, why are you reading this book anyway?
Other Types . ..
There are, of course, other types of men you have to take into consideration, but they are less likely to be influenced by what you wear
Among these are (A) The Hungry Man, whose main interest is food. All you need to please him is a well-filled larder and a stove. Wear any old apron, and if your cooking is reasonably good he’ll propose; and (B) The Drinking Man, whose four martinis before lunch and six before dinner make it nearly impossible for him to see what you’re wearing anyway. With him just concentrate on the ice cubes.
Well, you’ve met your man and you’ve landed him. Next step: The wedding.
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