"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.
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.
Southern belles were expected to marry respectable young men, and become ladies of society dedicated to the family and community. The Southern belle archetype is characterized by Southern hospitality, a cultivation of beauty, and a flirtatious yet chaste demeanor.
For example, Sallie Ward, who was born into the planter class of Kentucky in the Antebellum South, was called a Southern belle.
Dick Pope Sr., promoter of Florida tourism, played an important role in popularizing the archetypal image. Hostesses at his famed Cypress Gardens were portrayed as Southern belles in promotional materials for the theme park.
See also
- Ringlets, a hairstyle
- Scarlett O'Hara, perhaps the most famous fictional Southern belle
References
External links
