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There are some things well-mannered southern ladies always do that make them seem warm and generous — but how?!
Ever wonder how some Southern women are effortlessly welcoming hosts? Or how they always seem to know what to say in a note?
Who here went to cotillion? Anyone?
You may have mastered the table setting and the slow waltz, but brush up on these five things well-mannered Southern ladies do to make sure your manners (and standards) are up to par!
Side note: Of course I’m over-generalizing here! I’ve met plenty of lovely, well-mannered friends from above the Mason-Dixon Line and have met my fair share of ill-mannered Southerners. But such stereotypes make for easier round-ups, so we’ll let it slide this time!
5 THINGS WELL-MANNERED SOUTHERN LADIES ALWAYS DO
1.) A well-mannered Southern lady always … speaks.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I see someone across an aisle or at a restaurant who CLEARLY sees me and does not say hello.
You speak to people! It is polite.
Now, I am NOT in favor of pointless small talk, gossip that drags on, or interrupting someone’s dinner — because that’s the opposite of polite!
But if you see someone you know, don’t avert your eyes and pretend you didn’t make eye contact — that’s rude. A simple “Hi, good to see you! Y’all enjoy your meal!” is entirely sufficient, or even a wave from across the room when it suits.
I just can’t stand when I see someone I know who avoids acknowledging my existence.
Speak. It’s good manners.
2.) A well-mannered Southern lady always … shows kindness to the waitstaff.
I have little tolerance for people who think they are “better” than a waiter/waitress. Also, why potentially irritate the person with the ability to spit in your food?
They say you can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his mother and the waitstaff, and I say that applies to women, too. You catch more flies with honey, anyway.
3.) A well-mannered Southern lady always … says please and thank you.
So basic. So simple. And yet so very commonly overlooked.
Make eye contact when you say it, too.
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4.) A well-mannered Southern lady always … writes (prompt) thank-you notes.
A handwritten card will never go out of style.
It is absolutely an art and although it may be less popular than it once was, it is JUST as important — whether or not anyone else is doing it!
Handwritten notes are thoughtful, timeless and necessary — and yes, this is a hill I will die on.
It doesn’t have to be long and it doesn’t have to be fancy. It just needs to acknowledge someone’s time, efforts or generosity where appropriate. And I’ll give you a hint: It does no good sitting unfinished and unsent on your dresser.
Here are some cute ones I found (pretty inexpensive, too!):
5.) A well-mannered Southern lady always … makes people feel welcome at her home.
The gracious Southern hostess is more than a role played by Reese Witherspoon — it’s truly an attitude.
As a well-mannered hostess, you want people to feel comfortable and welcomed in your home and at your table, even if the accommodations and food aren’t fancy or formal.
From making sure you have a non-alcoholic drink to offer to those who don’t wish to imbibe (and never prying as to why!) to having an extra phone charger in your guest bedroom, to making sure new guests are introduced to someone they can talk to, go out of your way to make people feel at ease under your roof.
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There you have it!
Five etiquette habits a Southern lady never forgets. Note that these practices aren’t about how much hairspray you use or how many times you can work “Bless your heart” into a conversation. It’s about demonstrating graciousness and true kindness so that it radiates out of you like sunshine 🙂 That’s what really makes a person beautiful, anyway.
What other Southern manners/standards should I add to this list? Drop it in the comments.
And, be sure to save this pin to your party planning Pinterest board — so that you have it for later, and so that your friends also pick up on a few subtle pointers (bless their hearts). 😉
