Vintage Etiquette Advice That Used to Be Normal

There’s more to social etiquette than saying “thanks,” “please,” and holding open the elevator door for others. For example, do you remember when your mother used to tell you to never put your elbows on the dining table?

While some etiquette rules have survived the passage of time, these bits of vintage etiquette advice sound totally ludicrous today, but they were completely normal back in the day.

Women Had to Wear Their Hair Up

In the 1880s, women had to wear their hair up all the time until it was time for bed. Not doing so was considered extremely unladylike and you were bound to get a few side-eyed glances from other women for defying this strict hair rule.

Wives Could Only Give Presents on One Condition

It sounds nuts, but during the 1890s, women could only give their husbands a gift under one condition: the husband had to give them a gift first. But believe it or not, this wasn’t the only weird gift rule women had to follow.

Gifts Had to Be Cheap

When women presented their husbands with a gift, these tokens of affection had to be very cheap, homemade, or preferably both. This meant that a fancy watch or a tie would’ve been too impersonal and completely out of the question.

Direct Questions Were Frowned Upon

1890s etiquette wasn’t just strict on women, but everyone had to adhere to a stiff set of rules. For example, asking direct questions was not considered to be classy at all. So, if you asked, “How are you?” you were technically being impolite.

Instead you should have said, “I hope you’re doing well.”