Nell Drake on Manners, 1943

At a perfectly managed wedding, the bride arrives exactly one minute after the hour to give a last comer time to find a place. 

1. CAN YOU GIVE ME the details of etiquette at lunches?- N.D.G., Eagle Rock

Men leave their coats and hats in the hall; women leave heavy outer wraps in the hall or dressing room, but always go into the drawing room with their hats and gloves on. They wear their fur neckpieces and carry their muffs in their hands, if they choose, or they leave them in the hall or dressing room. 

But women of best taste never take off their hats. Even the hostess herself almost invariably wears a hat at a formal luncheon in her own house, though there is no reason why she should not be hatless if she prefers, or if she thinks she is prettier without! Guests, however, do not take off their hats at a lunch party even in the country. They take off their gloves at the table, or sooner if they choose.

2. WHAT IS CONSIDERED a perfectly managed wedding?- T.C., Santa Monica.

At a perfectly managed wedding, the bride arrives exactly one minute after the hour to give a last comer time to find a place. Two or three servants have been sent ahead to wait in the vestibule to help the bride and bridesmaids off with their wraps and hold them until they are needed after the ceremony.

The groom’s mother and father also are waiting in the vestibule. As the auto of the bride's mother drives up, an usher goes as quickly as he can to tell the groom. Any brothers or sisters of the bride or groom, who are not to take part in the wedding procession and have arrived in their mother’s automobile, are now taken by ushers to their places in the front pews. Then the wedding ceremony begins. 

3. WHAT GOES INTO the making of a really successful saleswoman?-C.B, Los Angeles.

Really great saleswomen have not only cultivated an expert knowledge of the commodities they sell, but an equally expert ability to appraise the customers to whom they sell. It is essential to know, therefore, whether a customer likes to be “dearied” or “madamed,” or chatted to about every topic under the sun to camouflage the sales talk; and whether she is one who likes to have her mind made up for her, or whether she is one who, knowing exactly what she wants, prefers to have her own questions answered intelligently, but does not want any unasked for advice.

But above all saleswomen, the one an intelligent customer is certain to like best... the one in-fact to whom she always returns, is one who listens to what she says and tries to give her what she wants, instead of trying to sell her what the store seems eager to be rid of.– By Nell Drake, L.A. Daily News, 1943

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