One of the books that fell off my shelf during the “The Big Mineral, Virginia, Earthquake of 2011” was a paperback titled McCall’s Guide to Teen-Age Beauty and Glamour, written by Betsy Keiffer. My version is from 1959 and claims to provide “the sure-fire way to become the most charming, poised and popular girl in […]
Tag: beauty
Summer Icicles (1955)
What else is there do to do on a sweltering summer day but to stay inside and blog about it? Here are some summertime tips from a book called Teen-Age Glamor, written by Adah Broadbent in 1955. These could come in handy on a day like today: When the sun is at its zenith, and the […]
Sears Discovery Charm School Book Teaser: Ideal Body of the 70s
To whet my reader’s continued appetite for excerpts from my copy of the Sears Discover Charm School book, I’ve scanned in this “fun with graphic design” page from the notebook’s section on Fashion. You’ll have to wait a bit for more from this section; I’ve been so busy and am I’m headed out of the […]
Sears Discovery Charm School: Introduction to the 1972 edition
Many moons ago, I published a query from a visitor to the site about the Sears Discovery Charm school. Little did I know, that this would be one of my most popular posts on the site! Seems that many of you charming, lovely, Googlers out there have fond memories of the course (which ran from […]
The Eyelashes Have It
Q Dear Miss Abigail: Is there a certain way to look at a guy to make him want you more than any other girl? Signed, Mary A Dear Mary: I bet you never thought that eyelashes were so important when it came to making googly eyes. But they are, at least according to Eileen Ford, […]
Her Face Looked Like a Sequined Jacket!
Q Dear Miss Abigail: The other day I heard about a friend of a friend who’d had his tongue forked ~ that’s right, split up the middle. Then yesterday I saw a picture in the paper of a woman with some 200-odd piercings. Her face looked like a sequined jacket. Don’t you think this piercing […]
Am I Bald?
Q Dear Miss Abigail: Am I bald? Signed, Claudia A Dear Claudia: Well, sweetie, it’s kinda hard for me to tell via email. But here are some thoughts about baldness from a delightful little book calledYour Hairdo, written by Elaine Budd. And if you are not bald yet, her words should help you avoid such […]
Eyes Right, Eyes Bright, Eyeglass Frames Can Pretty Your Sight
It’s time to replace my spectacles, due to lost sunglass clips and an out-of-stock frame style. So while I wait for my new frames to be delivered, let’s read a bit about eyeglass frame styles as enhancements to beauty. This little excerpt is from Finishing Touches, written by the lovely Candy Jones. 1961: Eyes Right, Eyes […]
“Nice Girls” and Dyed Hair
Q Dear Miss Abigail: When did dyeing your hair blonde became acceptable ~ you know, when “a nice girl” could do it? When did it start ~ and who was doing it? Signed, Yes, my name is Abigail, too! A Dear Abigail, too: How did you know that I used to dye my hair? Must […]
My Underarm Hair Is Really Dark!
Q Dear Miss Abigail: I am facing a bit of problem. I used to clean my underarms with hair-removing cream, but recently I started shaving them. The hair now grows in really dark (my underarms skin color is very dark). Can you help or suggest any kind of solution to this problem? Signed, Maryam A […]