August 16, 2007

The 17th century women’s guide to looking good

An edition of a rare 1694 manual, The Ladies’ Dictionary: being a General Entertainment for the Fair Sex, is going up for auction next month.

It reveals the bizarre, and often hilarious, home remedies and etiquette tips offered to women during the reign of William and Mary.

Described as the Cosmopolitan magazine of its day, its pages include pointers on dating, make-up, diet and expanding the mind.

A large portion of the text, however, is devoted to that age-old concern – wobbly bits.

link

posted by in beauty, history | * | 2 comments 

comments

  1. India on August 16th, 2007 at 10:03 pm

    Those wishing to target particular flabby or sagging areas had more of challenge.

    They were told to brew up a foul mixture of chicken and goose grease, pine, rosin, pitch and turpentine in an earthenware pot.

    This was then mixed with wax, cooled, applied “to the place that Languishes, or does not equally Thrive”, and allowed to set into a plaster.

    That is what I will henceforth be calling my wobbly bits, baby: my places that Languish, or do not equally Thrive.”

  2. Cindy Scroggins on August 17th, 2007 at 9:33 am

    That’s better than a big bag of pudding, baby.


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