Southern belles?

[PandaPrincess]

As a northern born girl and having been raised in a part of Florida that does not have a particularly ” southern” cultural identity, I've always been curious about southern belles. What makes a southern lady a belle? Is it just a term of endearment, or is there more to it?

[SWTXBelle]

http://www.amazon.com/Reference-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=21

[JDCookMS]

.....are there still traditional southern belles? I'm from Mississippi, but from my understanding a southern belle is: a beautiful, upperclass lady, she has perfect manners and refrains from any unpleasant talk, she always wears a dress (she would never wear pants), she is always polite to everyone, etc.

That being said, in modern usage, a belle is simply a beautiful woman and typically involves being present into society...so, your typical prom queen would be a belle.

[thetalady]

Originally Posted by PandaPrincess

As a northern born girl and having been raised in a part of Florida that does not have a particularly ” southern” cultural identity, I've always been curious about southern belles. What makes a southern lady a belle? Is it just a term of endearment, or is there more to it?

Oh. My. More to it? OF COURSE there is ever so much more to it!! There is the grace and ability to tell someone to go to hell such that they look forward to the trip. There is the pearl clutch and the somewhat outdated swoon. It is the ability to drop the temperature in the room by 20 degrees with only a cold stare. It is understanding the importance of the Mason Dixon line.

Watch most of the episodes of Designing Women or read Maryln Schwartz's updated version of A Southern Belle Primer

Of course, many of us grew up on the original version, which I find to be more authentic.

[JDCookMS]

Originally Posted by thetalady

Oh. My. More to it? OF COURSE there is ever so much more to it!! There is the grace and ability to tell someone to go to hell such that they look forward to the trip. There is the pearl clutch and the somewhat outdated swoon. It is the ability to drop the temperature in the room by 20 degrees with only a cold stare. It is understanding the importance of the Mason Dixon line.

Watch most of the episodes of Designing Women or read Maryln Schwartz's updated version of A Southern Belle Primer

Of course, many of us grew up on the original version, which I find to be more authentic.

....where is the like button at for this post?

[exlurker]

And some Southern Belles are Southern debutantes. For example, a recent list of debs from Hattiesburg, Mississippi is at

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/a...TYLE/112110301

The list provides, where applicable, the sorority affiliation (NPC, I think, in all or nearly all instances) of the debs.

[carnation]

I think that at least half must be Tri Delts!

[Xidelt]

Seems like all the debs are in tri delta, chi omega, or kappa delta.

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by Xidelt

Seems like all the debs are in tri delta, chi omega, or kappa delta.

The majority, yes; but notice that Pi Phi and DG are represented in the list, too. The sorority memberships would probably be different in other Southern cities / regions where a different set of colleges would be the ones that most debs attend.

[JDCookMS]

A lot of them are Tri Delts, KD's or Chi O's, but you have to take in consideration that those are the 3 largest/most powerful sororities here at USM.

[AnchorAlumna]

White? I've known some AA women who are just as much a Southern belle.
A Southern belle knows what to do at a white-tie-and-tails event and at a hog killin' and how to dress properly for both.

[AGDLynn]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

A Southern belle knows what to do at a white-tie-and-tails event and at a hog killin' and how to dress properly for both.

Why, goodness sakes alive, yes!

[PandaPrincess]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

White? I've known some AA women who are just as much a Southern belle.
A Southern belle knows what to do at a white-tie-and-tails event and at a hog killin' and how to dress properly for both.

HAHAHAHA! That's amazing!!!!


Thanks to everyone for a great info and reading suggestions! My fascination with this subject is that I live in what I consider to be "southern limbo". There isn't a lot of deep south tradition or heritage (that I know of) down here in the Tampa Bay area because almost everyone is a transplant from the Northeast (or REALLLLLY old! Usually both...). However, it's southern enough that seeing trucks with confederate flags and decals of cartoon characters urinating on rival sports teams is a common occurrence.

[KD4Me]

Originally Posted by PandaPrincess

confederate flags and decals of cartoon characters urinating on rival sports teams is a common occurrence.

does NOT = southern

Get a subscription to Southern Living.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

/since the OP is from "the north" and needs to know the variance in how people define and feel about "southern belle" as to avoid turning into the Sex and the City episode where Carrie met a woman from further down south at the bar who wore a scrunchie.

Psst...the OP is from Florida. According to the last map I looked at, that's kinda not north. In fact it's kinda southish...geographicly, not culturally.