, 1935-05-24
Girl Needs To
Be Hard Boiled
Business

NEA Service staff Correspondent
NEW YORK. May "a. - The ideal
business girl Is: item one. hard boil
ed In a nice way; item two. reason
ably feminine: item three, efficient
without being annoying about IL:
item four. natural-looking.
Those, In substance, are the quail
ifications that Emma Dot Partridge
business woman and director OF the
Advertising Women OF New York,
considers absolutely essential for the
modern woman Of affairs.
Miss Partridge was chairman OF
the tribute dinner TO twenty-fiv
career women, ranging from q for
ist TO Ethel Barrymore, that marked
the wind-up here Of National Bust
ness Woman's Week. The twenty
five, according to Miss Partridge. all
have, In the main. the attributes
OF the ideal business girl. That Is
how they have managed 70 get 70
the top in their various fields.
Should Preserve Femlnity
The ideal business woman" said
Miss Partridge. must have learned
to look at herself effectively. ]
mean she cannot always be thinking
Of hedself as a woman, and getting
her feelings hurt. She isn't inclin-
ed. In other words. to take her bust
ness affairs as a personal matter.
THAT doesn't In the least mean,
though, that she assumes mannish
dress and ways. or leaves her own
personality, charm and graciousness
out Of her business relations. A
woman gets nowhere doing that. only
hurts herself. She should be fem
mine without insisting on her fem
ninity. If you know what I mean.
"She should dress according TO
her own taste and personality. but
should have the good Judgment not
10 make herself conspicuous during
business hours - which would in
clude all the hours when she appears
In an official OF semi-official ca
pacity.
Bowling associates over by spec
tacular clothes or makeup means
they have TO get over the shock be-
fore they can go on with the nego-
tiations. whatever they are. A
startling makeup hinders rather
than helps business. Save 1t for
after office hours"
Sense OF Humor Needed
The efficiency clause In Miss
Partridge's bill OF particulars in
cludeS a number OF items. The first
Is a sense Of humor. without which
Miss Partridge declares her ideal
business girl would be a nervous
wreck in no time. Then she must be
orderly.
Not that she needs TO tear around
her office like a fire engine going
full speed ahead" her mentor quail
flies. Il can't stand working with
the kind Of business woman who.
either because she's trying 10 i'm
press her boss with how busy she Is.
or because she really Is out Of
breath and harassed. Is always In a
furry and hustle. She gets on
rverybody's nerves. SO does the one
Who is irritatingly right. and tries to
lam the fact down your throat that
she never makes n mistaken"
Other efficiency items that Miss
Partridge would stress include the
ability to stay out OF business asso-
clates' personal affairs without SEEM
ing unsympathetic; initiative; dis
erection. which would involve being
lble to keep a secret: good health:
reasonable weight; scrupulous
grooming and the grit TO take IL or
the chin when she must.
Used TO Being Important
Emma Dot Partridge. secretary
and treasurer Of the Window Adver-
Using Company, which has 141 Of
fees in this country. is a pretty good
exponent Of her own theories. She's
small and slim. with neatly combec
dark hair. She dresses In excellent
taste, and although she frequently
does three peoples Job. she always
seems 10 have time 10 e everybody
and even to laugh at such jokes as