Gentlemen-Etiquette-Part1 2-13-2013

So a Guy Walks Down the Street…

Origins of forgotten etiquette: Walk Curbside

Cynics may claim that chivalry is dead. The days of opened doors and held elevators are as passé as Saturday mail delivery. Of Rogues and Gentlemen laments this loss of etiquette so to inspire a return to all things courteous, we offer a series concerning the origins of forgotten traditions and ask you to pledge to bring them back. We will endear ourselves to a generation who have become deprived of decorum in a day when text messages suffice as correspondence and men wear tank tops on commercial flights. Without further pomp and circumstance, our first installment:


Hit the Curb

Next time you are ambling about town with a lady friend,
take the side closest to the street.

Yes, you are in the splash radius of harried drivers as they veer perilously close to the curb, but she will just adore the concern for her well being. She will also be impressed when you share your erudition on the origins of this tradition. In medieval Europe, the very epicenter of all things chivalrous, it was common practice for refuse to be thrown from the second-story onto the streets below. Gallant knights and courtiers would cede the inside to the lady, in order to avoid her being sullied by the falling debris from the peasants in 2B.

So Gentlemen (and Rogues), it’s time to take the pledge; take her by the arm and let her know you are a changed man. You are her very own knight, set to take up arms against the ne’er-do-wells who dare impugn her honor… just be sure to steal an upward glance from time to time.

TAGS: chivalry | curbside | Etiquette | gentleman | walking

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  • avatar
    MarcusCannon
    This works in theory, but it becomes a bit tiresome every time you turn the corner and have to switch sides or remind her to take the inside. Any tips on doing this unobtrusively?
    3 months ago | Report abuse |
    • avatar
      The Editors
      It takes practice. Many gentlemen hang back a step so the "switch" is less awkward.
      3 months ago | Report abuse |
  • avatar
    JohnDoyle
    Well! It is about HIGH TIME someone put forth this advice! I was raised to believe that this is the way men are supposed to behave when with a woman, any woman, including a sister or a mother. Good job, Brooks Brothers!
    3 months ago | Report abuse |