Retro Techniques On How To Attract A Man; 129 Ways

I love books and articles from the past, especially ones about dating and etiquette. I find it quiet interesting observing how times and societies have changed and how our thinking has evolved through the years…

I stumbled on this article which was written in a bid to help women who were of marriageable age to attract a suiter. One can imagine it must have been indispensable advice for the ladies, considering life in those times; there was no internet or satellite tv for inspiration, there were no dating sites, no cell phones… Life was a lot more simpler than it is today. In all fairness, this was a very crucial and much needed article.

So, to come up with ideas for the “attract a man and find a husband” campaign, a brainstorming panel was thoughtfully selected. Amongst the members of the panel was an air hostess, a popular song writer, a marriage consultant, a housewife, investment banker, psychologist, a bachelor and a newly wed, an engineer and others who “were known to have good minds” and mature experience. The rules for the brainstorming session were that “sheer quantity” was the aim and the more uninhibited their thinking the better. And off they went…

A very entertaining and amusing article- advice from the 1950s on how to attract a man and hopefully end up with a husband;

Where to find him

1. Get a dog and walk it.
2. Have your car break down at strategic places.
3. Attend night school- take courses men like.
4. Join a hiking club.
5. Look in the census reports for places with the most single men.
6. Read the obituaries to find eligible widowers.
7. Take up golf and go to different golf courses.
8. Take several short vacations at different places rather than one long one at one place.
9. Sit on a park bench and feed the pigeons.
10. Take a bicycle trip through Europe.
11. Get a job in a medical, dental or law school.
12. Become a nurse or an airline stewardess- they have very high marriage rates.
13. Ask your friends’ husbands who the eligible men are in their offices.
14. Be nice to everybody- they may have an eligible brother or son.
15. Get a government job overseas.
16. Volunteer for jury duty.

17. Be friendly to ugly men- handsome is as handsome does.

18. Tell your friends that you’re interested in getting married. Don’t keep it a secret.
19. Get lost at football games.
20. Don’t take a job in a company run largely by women.
21. Get a job demonstrating fishing tackle in a sporting goods store.
22. On a plane, train or bus don’t sit next to a woman- sit next to a man.

23. Go to all reunions of your high school or college class. There may be widowers there.

24. Don’t be afraid to associate with more attractive girls; they may have some leftovers.
25. Go back to your home town for a visit- the wild kid next door may have become a very eligible bachelor while you were away.
26. Don’t room with a girl who is a sad sack and let her pull you down to her level.
27. Get a part-time job in a convention bureau.
28. Change apartments from time to time.
29. When travelling stay at small hotels where it is easier to meet strangers.
30. Learn to paint. Set up easel outside engineering school.

How to let him know you’re there

31. Stumble when you walk into a room he’s in.
32. Forget discretion every once in a while and call him up.
33. Carry a hatbox.
34. Wear a Band-aid- people always ask what happened.
35. Make a lot of money.
36. Learn several funny stories and learn to tell them well- but make sure you don’t tell him more than once.
37. Walk up to him and tell him you need some advice.
38. Dropping the handkerchief still works.
39. Have your father buy some theatre tickets that have to be got rid of.
40. Stand in a corner and cry softly. Chances are good that he’ll come over to find out what’s wrong.
41. Don’t let him fish for your name the next time you meet. None of this “guess who” stuff.
42. If you are at a resort have the bell-boy page you.
43. Buy a convertible. Men like to ride in them.

44. Learn how to bake tasty apple pies. Bring one into the office and let the eligible bachelors taste it.
45. Laugh at his jokes.
46. If there’s a wallflower among the men you know, why not cultivate him? For all you know he may be a diamond in the rough.

47. ‘Accidentally’ have your purse fly open, scattering its contents all over the street.

How to look good to him

How to land him

73. Show him you can have fun on a cheap date- but don’t overdo it!
74. Don’t let your parents treat him like a potential husband.
75. Ask your parents to disappear when you’re entertaining!
76. Double date with a happily married couple- let him see what it’s like!
77. Tell his friends nice things about him.
78. Send his mother a birthday card.
79. Ask his mother for her recipes.
80. Talk to his father about business and agree taxes are too high!
81. Buy his sister’s children an occasional present.

96. Be flexible. If he decides to skip the dance and go rowing on the lake, go – even if you’re wearing your best evening gown.

97. Hide your Phi Beta Kappa key if you own one – later on junior can play with it.
98. Turn wolves into husband material by assuming they have honour.
99. Resist the urge to make him over- before marriage, that is!
100. Learn where to draw the line- but do it gracefully.
101. Remain innocent but not ignorant.
102. Make your home comfortable when he calls- large ashtrays, comfortable chairs.
103. Learn to play poker.

104. If he’s rich, tell him you like his money- the honesty will intrigue him!

105. Never let him believe your career is more important to you than marriage.
106. Buy him an amusing or particularly appropriate present every once in a while. But don’t make it too expensive.
107. Clip and mail him a funny cartoon that means something to both of you.
108. Don’t tell dirty stories.
109. Stop being a mama’s girl- don’t let him think he’ll have in-law trouble, even if you know he will!
110. Point out to him that the death rate of single men is twice that of married men.

Wild ideas- anything goes

111. Go to Yale.
112. Get a hunting license.
113. If your mother is fat, tell him you take after your father. If he’s fat too, tell him you’re adopted!
114. Stow away on a battleship.
115. Rent a billboard and post your picture and telephone number on it.
116. Paint your name and number on a roof and say “Give me a buzz pilots”.
117. Start a whispering campaign on how sought-after you are.
118. Sink at a fashionable beach at high noon.
119. Ride the airport bus back and forth from the airport.
120. Bribe Ferris-wheel operator to get you stuck at the top of the Ferris-wheel.
121. Stand on a busy street corner with a lasso.
122. Carry a camera and ask strange, handsome men if they would mind snapping your picture.
123. Ask your mother to take in male boarders.
124. Make and sell toupees- bald men are easy catches!
125. Advertise for a male co-owner of a boat.
126. If you see a man with a flat, offer to fix it.
127. Carry a tow chain in the trunk of your automobile.
128. Let it be known in your office that you have a button box and will sew on bachelors’ loose buttons.
129. Don’t marry him if he has too many loose buttons.

THE END

I believe men oftentimes need a little help from us ladies; a signal that it’s safe to approach.

I feel like we desperately need a panel for our times, because Evidently there’s a lot of confusion between the sexes; men have lost their true selves (masculinity) and cannot figure out what women want due to the rise of feminism. This is because women have been led to believe that masculinity is toxic and that we don’t need men. Sigh. As a result women have to act tough (when in our core essence we’re not built that way at all) and prove that we can do everything men can, and then some… In the end, everybody loses(especially women).

As silly as some of the advice in the list may be, I’ll admit there’s some pretty good ones applicable even today. Use it, don’t use it…

I hope you found this just as amusing as I did.

Remember; good manners and good wine are timeless. Cheers to a life well-lived,

Makgoadi Ngoasheng