Book Review: How to Live Like a Lady
The summer between 7th and 8th grade, I read a number of etiquette books. I have no idea why, nor is it surprising, but it created a love of books about manners.
Now, I have a nice collection of vintage copies of Emily Post and Amy Vanderbilt. I’ve even contemplated trying to live my life according to my 1942 version of Emily Post’s Etiquette and blog about the experience.
However, I sometimes wear pants after 7 p.m., and people would stare at me if I started wearing white gloves and hats to the grocery store. (It would be a fun experiment though!)
While etiquette has changed over the last few decades, the need for manners has not. I once read somewhere (sadly, I can’t remember where) that manners exist to put other at ease. Maintaining manners isn’t about snobbery, but about maintaining an awareness of others.
Recently, my mother gave me a copy of How to Live Like a Lady: Lessons in Life, Manners, and Style by Sarah Tomczak.
I love this book! It’s not pretentious or stuffy and has extremely valuable life lessons. In fact, I’m tempted to start giving this as gifts.
You’re probably thinking, “But Adrienne, of course you would like this book. You have some kind of 1950s fetish going on.”
While you’re likely right, this book is written for the modern woman. In the introduction, Tomczak writes:
Social graces not only make the world a much more pleasant place, but they make you a much more pleasant person. Behaving like a lady can ensure you a place on every party guest list, make you the most popular girl in the office, and yes, even help you procure the man of your dreams.
However, many of the old rules no longer apply. It’s not necessary to let a man order for you in a restaurant and it’s become de rigueur to air-kiss your friends when greeting them. Sending a text message is now a perfectly acceptable way to invite a friend for dinner and you no longer have to home-cook every course you serve up. With our fast-paced lives and never-ending advancement of modern communication, only the most conscientious of ladies can be bothered to switch off her cell phone, turn down her iPod avoid hitting “reply all” on her e-mail, and get out her pen and paper to send a thank-you note.
Manners are still needed in this modern era, and this 125-paged little book is the perfect guide. It covers the art of conversation, how to dress, landing the perfect job and workplace etiquette, how to eat tricky appetizers at a party, what to carry in your purse to be prepared for anything.
Every time I pick it up, I find a helpful tip. This book should be mandatory reading if you have two X chromosomes.
Now to go catch up on some thank you notes…
