TO BE A
LADY
HOW LADY
TO BE A
CANDACE SIMPSON-GILES
To my mother, Margie Smith, who taught me that being a lady was one of the most important parts of being a woman.
Copyright 2001 by Candace Simpson-Giles All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews and articles.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Thomas Nelson, Inc. titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Simpson-Giles, Candace, 1953 How to be a lady / by Candace Simposn-Giles. p. cm. ISBN: 978-1-5585-3939-6 1. Etiquette for women. I. Title. BJ1856 .S56 2001 395.1'44dc21 2001004337 Printed in the United States of America 08 09 10 11 12 13 WOR 23 22 21 20 19
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My heartfelt gratitude goes to all who have championed and cheered with great enthusiasm as this book was birthed. You were the ones who believed that it does matter that this book is written so as to show others how to live life with grace, selflessness and great style. To all the men and women who have given me wise counsel and words of encouragement, I am grateful that I have you in my corner. Your footprints are forever within this book of guidance and inspiration on how to be a lady in life. Thank you.
INTRODUCTION
Being a woman does not automatically make one a lady. The term lady has evolved to mean many new and different things over the past 100 years. Manners, attitudes, appropriate dress, and social mores have changed so dramatically that our grandmothers definition of being a lady hardly resembles todays expectations. The rapid evolution of the modern woman over the last century has brought with it both confusion and fulfillment. Women have stepped back and asked themselves just exactly how to properly handle their new status and situations that arise in their professional careers and active personal lives. White gloves and hats are not as much a part of our dress standard as they were for the women of earlier generations, nor does a woman find that she has to have a male escort to attend functions. A lady by todays definition knows that educating herself in every way possible,
from higher education to the common sense manners, empowers her to become a woman of accomplishment and poise. She knows that it is not the dress size she wears or the money she possesses that brings her satisfaction in life. A lady knows that beauty and wealth can be fleeting, but her inner character is the measure by which others will ultimately judge her as a person. Her courtesies, the high esteem in which she holds herself and others, and her sincere words of praise and thoughtfulness will reflect her strong values and place her ahead in the minds and hearts of those who know her. Being thought of as a lady may be the one of the highest compliments a woman can receive in life.
Chapter One
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with whom she attends the performance and, when allowed, a bottle of water. If a lady finds herself surprised by an uncontrollable coughing jag, she leaves the theater both for her own good and for the good of others.
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if she has ever been entertained in the deceased persons homea lady makes a point to show her respect.
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A lady makes every effort not to be late. A lady stays away from public
gatherings (and even work) if she feels that she is contagious or has a fever.
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