Southern belle

This article is about the archetype. For other uses, see Southern belle (disambiguation).

Sallie Ward, a Southern belle

"Southern belle" (from French belle 'beautiful') is a colloquialism for a debutante or other fashionable young woman in the planter class of the Antebellum South, particularly as a romantic counterpart to the Southern gentleman.[1]

Characteristics

Cover illustration of Harper's Weekly, September 7, 1861 showing a Southern belle

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

References

  1. ^ a b c "History Engine: Tools for Collaborative Education and Research | Episodes". Historyengine.richmond.edu. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  2. ^ "Anatomy of a Southern Belle | Deep South Magazine – Southern Food, Travel & Lit". Deepsouthmag.com. June 2, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  3. ^ Clark, Thomas D. (2015). The Kentucky. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. pp. 238–255.
  4. ^ APPublished: January 30, 1988 (January 30, 1988). "Richard Downing Pope, 87, Dies; Promoter of Florida and Tourism - New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ The Lakeland Ledger, January 29, 1988. Vol. 82 No.99 Pg11A
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