There was more to the 1950s than just James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and poodle skirts. It was also an era that stressed minding your P's and Q's with the help of a whole slew of etiquette books and guides to living. Enter: Betty Cornell’s Teen-Age Popularity Guide, a text from 1958 that reveals tips and tricks to becoming popular.
For the last week, New York City teenager Ella Epstein decided to resurrect the vintage text and live by its guidelines. The brave 14-year-old changed the way she dressed, ate, and exercised in order to adhere to Ms. Cornell's strict standards. Esptein documented the week for The New York Post with a photo diary and journal, where she describes the rigid beauty and food regimens she followed, as well as how she experienced teasing from classmates. At the end of the week, she said, "Although I wondered how this lifestyle could possibly make anyone more popular, I did feel a lot more elegant, composed and energized by the end of the week." Well gee, that's swell! Click on to read more about her time-traveling journey.
(New York Post)
Photo: via New York Post.