Husband hunting: Cringeworthy 1950s article advises women on how to attract men

NZ Herald

7 Nov, 2018 11:38 PM3 mins to read

A 1958 magazine article advising women on how to attract a partner has surfaced on the internet. Photo / Facebook

A magazine from the 1950's features a cringeworthy advice column for single women on how to attract men.

The article headlined 129 Ways to Get a Husband from the American magazine McCall's includes hilarious and bizarre tips where most would never be used in this era.

Photos of the advice column were posted on Facebook, with the post quickly becoming viral.

The post has been shared over 13,000 times and has caused widespread controversy, quickly racking up more than 4600 likes and thousands of comments from shocked and amused users.

The feature, aimed at women who weren't married by 17, was created with the help of 16 people who used a "brainstorming" technique to see if they could come up with "fresh ideas" on how to find a husband.

The first 30 pointers reveal "Where to find him", giving single women creative tips on how to run into their potential new husband.

This sections includes advice as simple as "get a dog and walk it" to very cynical ideas like "read obituaries to find eligible widowers".

The next piece of advice is "How to let him know you're there", giving women cunning ideas to get a man's attention.

"Stumble when you walk into a room that he's in," tip number 31 says.

"Wear a band aid, people always ask what happened," another pointer writes.

One woman said her personal favourite was number 40, which said "stand in a corner and cry softly. Chances are good that he'll come over to find out what's wrong".

"How to let him know you're there". Photo / Facebook

Next, single women are given advice on "How to look good to him", suggesting what cosmetics and items to wear.

"Get better-looking glasses – men still make passes at girls who wear glasses, or you could try contact lenses," number 49 advised.

"Wear high heels most of the time – they're sexier! Unless he happens to be shorter than you," another pointer said.

"How to look good to him." Photo / Facebook

In the final of part of the feature, the magazine provided women guidance on "How to land him".

Tips ranged from "Ask him for her recipes" to "find out about the girls he hasn't married. Don't repeat the same mistakes they made".

If all else fails, the magazine offered a section "Wild ideas - Anything goes" which included tips such as "get a hunting licence and" advertise for male co-owner of a boat.