The American Gentleman's Guide to Politeness and Fashion / or, Familiar Letters to his Nephews

A series of conversational letters addressed to young men offers practical advice on dress, manners, and the small rituals of social life, urging tasteful conformity to fashion without eccentricity or neglect. It treats clothing, grooming, and the cut and color appropriate to different occasions; posture, deportment, and conversational politeness; and proper behavior toward family, superiors, servants, and strangers. Dozens of anecdotes and situational prescriptions illustrate recommended conduct, while repeated emphasis on self-discipline and attentive habits argues that attention to trivial details helps form character and secure social respect.