Vintage Advice: Perfume as a Gift

Christmas is only a few weeks away, you know. It's time to start thinking about the perfect gift.

I decided to turn to my vintage magazines to see what wisdom I would find. In my December, 1946 issue of Woman's Day, I discovered two pages of advice about matching the perfume to the person. The title says, "Give Her What She Ain't--don't follow her type--cross it if you want a provocative gift!"

(I'll split this up into three parts.)

The Young Teen

"To you she looks chunky and fourteen--to herself she's as snake-hipped as Lauren Bacall. So don't give her soap...it's too pointed...make it bubble bath. And don't choose some pink-and-blue baby scent for her. Remember, she thinks she's a femme fatale. The new Witchery from Primrose House has an air about it and it's not too sophisticated for her age. And the same goes for Hartnell's new Bright Star's fragrance..."

The Bird-Brained Variety

"If she's the bird-brained variety, chances are she's a would-be 'thinker.' Maybe she's tired of being so cute and appealing and would like to be looked up to--well, just a little. Try fragrances that are not too coy and clinging for her. How about Tabu by Dana? It has a Far-East amberish tang..."

The Whistler's Mother

"Maybe she's the Whistler's Mother type, but that doesn't mean she likes tippets and foot warmers for Christmas. You might prove that she's still in the running by giving her something that oozes 1947--perhaps Elizabeth Arden's Flower Mist trio of pinch bottles, a career-woman kind of gift, [or] Roger and Gallet's Blue Carnation..."





Part 2: The Sporty One, The Intellectual, and The Out-and-Out Siren.