The following suggestions for young ladies appeared in Manuel de la bonne companie; ou, guide de la politesse et de la bienseance (Manual of Good Company; or, Guide to Manners and Decorum, 1834) by Elisabeth-Felicite Bayle-Mouillard, otherwise known as Madame Celnart. Such etiquette books were important guides to proper middleclass behavior throughout Europe.

Everyone knows that no matter how much a young lady's dowry is, her manner of dress must always . . . be elegant and less brilliant than that of married women. Expensive cashmeres, very rich furs, diamonds are forbidden her, as well as much other showy attire. . . .

Until the age of about thirty, a young lady can never go out without being accompanied. For her errands in the city, to shops, to visit intimate friends, to church, she may go with a maid; but when it is a question...