Southern belle
Script error: No such module "about". Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates
"Southern belle" (Template:Etymology) is a colloquialism for a debutante or other fashionable young woman of European heritage in the planter class of the Antebellum South, particularly as a romantic counterpart to the Southern gentleman.[1]
Characteristics
The image of a Southern belle is often characterized by fashion elements such as a hoop skirt, a corset, pantalettes, a wide-brimmed straw hat, and gloves. As signs of tanning were considered working-class and unfashionable during this era, parasols and fans are also often represented.[1]
Southern belles were expected to marry respectable young men, and become ladies of society dedicated to the family and community.[1] The Southern belle archetype is characterized by Southern hospitality, a cultivation of beauty, and a flirtatious yet chaste demeanor.[2]
For example, Sallie Ward, who was born into the planter class of Kentucky in the Antebellum South, was called a Southern belle.[3]
Dick Pope Sr., promoter of Florida tourism, played an important role in popularizing the archetypal image.[4] Hostesses at his famed Cypress Gardens were portrayed as Southern belles in promotional materials for the theme park.[5]
See also
- Ringlets, a hairstyle
- Scarlett O'Hara, perhaps the most famous fictional Southern belle
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".