Item 41 - What Makes A Feminine Woman?

Typescript essay, in which Beaton discusses the qualities which render a woman feminine and offers advice on what a woman should and shouldn't do in order to achieve femininity. He writes that the most important feminine qualities are the soothing, calming ones. If a man is highly-keyed, temperamental, or pessimistic, then the serenity and enthusiasm of a woman should reassure him. Feminine intuition should be used to create an escape from the unpleasant realities of his business world. Women should not permit reality to be strained too far by allowing their husbands to see them applying make-up, nor show obvious signs of irritation or boredom, since these things are unbecoming and can make anyone appear ugly. A woman should not let the man see how clever she is, nor let him be made to feel inadequate by comparison. She should not interrupt his stories, but allow him to show off occasionally without contradiction. Nor should she appear too efficient, nor reverse a car too cleverly. Finally, a woman should not have too many buttons on the back of her dress, nor have zipper troubles.