Here I am in 1969 in my ONLY pair of white gloves, waving goodbye as I left for California.

The twelve-page booklet is copyrighted 1963: 101 Ways to be More Attractive. The information was compiled by staff members of Patricia Stevens Career College and Finishing School in Chicago who referred to themselves as the “foremost authorities of beauty and charm.”

I don’t recall how that booklet ended up in my teenage hands, but I remember fervently wishing my parents had both the money and initiative to send me there.

The school promised to teach me how to: walk properly, sit and stand gracefully, acquire poise and confidence, speak in an interesting way, and of course, be a beautiful person.

“You can be that girl!” they assured me. And as a beanpole-skinny, tall for my age, flat-chested, unsure of herself young teenager, I wanted to be that girl.

In reading the 101 Ways again last night, I was pleased to remember it was more about being an authentically good person rather than about applying makeup correctly. There were many points that still hold true today. Here are a few, mostly paraphrased:

• Don’t make fun of other people because when you ridicule someone else, you make yourself look ridiculous.
• Simplicity is the best fashion sense any woman can have at any age.
• A gentle attitude toward the faults of others has a softening effect on your own personality.
• When trying on new clothes, move around in them. Ladies, can you bend over or sit down without displaying anything others don’t need to see?
• Kindness and consideration of others are the cornerstones of good manners.
• Makeup can’t camouflage the effects of lack of sleep, improper diet, too little exercise, and unhealthy attitudes.
• Read. A lot. And then some more.
• The determining factor of your true attractiveness is the inner you, not your looks.

And I would need to amend #27, “When you choose a handbag, think beyond the looks of it. Will you be able to carry it with ease and grace?” I would say, P.S. Make sure there is an easily accessible holder for your cell phone so you can reach a ringing phone quickly without digging through your bag for five minutes. But maybe that’s just me.

Naturally, there are a few that DON’T apply in today’s world, and I quote:

• “You cannot have too many pairs of white gloves.”
• “Don’t wear a large hat with a fur coat.”

I checked on Amazon and the booklet shows up, but it’s currently unavailable. That’s too bad, because many of the suggestions, if followed, would help us be nicer people. And that IS attractive.

To my readers: I guess it’s up to us. What is your one best piece of advice that you would pass along to be included in the Next Generation: 101 Ways to Be More Attractive?