1890 Fingernail Etiquette

 

The proper length of the little finger-nail in the pointed style is about a quarter of an inch.

Nail-Style Etiquette Reveals Personality and Nationality

The artist has sketched a couple of the nails of the period. One in the English style, the other, the French. The rounded nail is English, the pointed one French. These two styles are admirably symbolic of the style and conversation of the wearer. The English woman, rounded and pleasant; the French woman, remarkably pointed. The proper length of the little finger-nail in the pointed style is about a quarter of an inch. — Pall Mall Gazette, 1890

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