Retirement Life
Outrageous teen magazine advice from the 60's
In 1967, popular American magazine Seventeen released a book called The Seventeen Book of Fashion and Beauty. These pages contained harsh and discouraging advice including tips on how to become anorexic and how to shame others for their voice.
These are the most outrageous bits of advice that made it to publishing.
Beauty “tips”:
- “Some girls can use nothing but eyeliner, blusher and lipstick and still end up looking like a lady clown.”
- “Cross your ankles if you like, but never your knees. Why? Try it in front of a mirror and see.”
“Advice” on eating:
- “Meal at a friend’s house? Take a little of everything, but imagine you are a frail 19th century beauty and eat like a bird.”
- “What happens when you return from your summer holiday ten pounds heavier? Let us hope the condition is temporary. Meanwhile, you have to dress to minimise.”
- “A pretty figure can do a great deal for a girl, even more than a pretty face.”
Vocal cord “tips”:
- “Hold a matchstick in your teeth the next time you phone your best friend. Can she tell it’s there? If so, you need practice.”
- “To find the best pitch for your voice, sing do-re-mi-fa-so up the scale, starting on the lowest note you can comfortably sing. The fifth note above this is the place where your voice should sound best—pleasant and rich in tone. At this level, you can raise your voice without sounding harsh or shrill.”
- “Good speech is more important than the actual words you say... The sound. The smile. The gentleness, warmth, and vitality. The voice that says, ‘I like people. I like you.''
Hair styling “advice”:
- “When should you shampoo your hair? The day before it looks like it needs it.”
- “If your hair is so limp it just clings affectionately to the back of your neck, face up to it bravely: you’ll be better off with a short hairdo.”
How to be “attractive”:
- “Do you get into cars head first? You’ll look prettier if you slide in sideways.”
- “Your hands tell a lot about you. Are they pretty to look at, soft to hold? They should be.”
- “Fresh as a daisy, neat as a pin, pretty as a picture—you could sum it all up in one word: Girl.”
- “To keep teeth pretty, never open curler clips or bobby pins with them; don’t chew on pencils, don’t break sewing thread, and don’t grind your teeth.”
- “You may be tempted by boldly coloured glasses frames… think about it overnight.”
- “If a girl slumps her shoulders, it’s a safe bet she hopes nobody will notice anything about her. Probably nobody will.”