16 Womanly Traditions From the Past Generation That Should Be Forgotten Forever

Many tricks our mothers and grannies used are still around even today, that’s why we carefully keep them and try to pass them on to the next generations. At the same time, there are ideas that need to stay in our lives only to be used in historical movies and books. For example, buying food in bulk, ironing “all the things,” or keeping beautiful dresses and not wearing them. It might be extremely uncomfortable to live in the modern world with these attitudes.

We at Bright Side dove into our memories and looked through users’ posts on the internet, and now we are ready to say goodbye to some habits and traditions.

Bras should be worn even at home.

A bra is an eternal stumbling block. Women are split into 2 opposing sides: one side fights for total freedom from bras, the other side is only ready to take off this item before going to bed. The truth is, however, that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that wearing a bra or not can change the shape of your breasts or impact sagging.

• I almost never wear bras, ever, and definitely never at home. © dricysarcasm / Reddit

Short hairstyles are meant for lazy people only.

It’s a common belief that short hairstyles are the choice of those women who don’t want to spend a lot of time taking care of their hair and are absolutely indifferent to how they look. However, in reality, the speed of creating a hairdo doesn’t depend on the hair’s length that’s why a hairstyle should be chosen based on personal preferences. Also, make sure to pay attention to the shape of your face.

• When I had long hair, I would spend about 10 minutes doing my hair! I currently have a short bob which I have to style or it looks terrible, so about 20 minutes (if I’m staying at home I pin it up messily!). I cannot wait until it’s long enough for a ponytail, it’s so much easier. © Jo Wicks / Quora

It’s necessary to dye gray hair.

Whenever a woman sees the first gray hair on her head, it starts to seem to her that her life has started to wind down to senility. That’s the reason some women start to pluck out the pieces of evidence of their aging, while others try to color them. But do we really need to pay attention to them? First of all, gray roots appear pretty fast, that’s why one could easily end up ruining their hair in pursuit of concealing grayness. The good thing is that shades of gray are becoming trendy nowadays and it might become a good reason to embrace your gray hair and finally show it to the world.

• I did color my hair for over 25 years. But now I’m 10 months into my cold turkey gray hair transition and LOVING it. I often wish I had never started dying or that I had stopped dying much sooner than I did. The waste of time and money (mainly TIME) was a major factor for me in deciding to stop dyeing. © Katie Emery / Quora

Feeling shy when buying feminine hygiene products

Perhaps every woman remembers that feeling of strong embarrassment when she had to take out a pack of hygienic pads at the checkout zone with so many people looking at her. These objects seem to be something intimate, and showing them to others is incredibly embarrassing. In recent years, the situation has changed, and modern girls not only easily buy these necessary things, but can also ask their boyfriends to get them for them. Those who are still worried about buying feminine hygiene items can order them online.

Buying products in bulk and packing up kitchen cabinets with them

Buying a lot of products in bulk might seem like a good idea. You don’t need to go to the store often and products cost less when bought in large quantities. But this strategy doesn’t always work well. People start to use products in bigger than usual amounts if they have a reserve. Also, you’ll need to find a place to store them and buy special containers for them, which implies bigger expenses. In addition, your menu becomes kinda the same, and the chance that some of the products will expire before you use them is pretty high.

Storing clothes for years and not wearing them

Getting rid of old clothes might be more difficult than it seems at first glance. We carefully store things that suit us, neither by fashion nor by size — all because we have already spent money buying them and feel pity discarding them. We often think we might like them better after a couple of years. But if you haven’t used a clothing item for more than one year, it’s better to say goodbye to it. Also, it’s better to not store small or very tight-fitting items, in hopes that you’ll lose weight and be able to wear them again. This works more to disappoint you, instead of encouraging you.

• Almost every 4–6 months, I purge my wardrobe... I empty my closet/wardrobe, I hang up and fold and shelve all those clothes that I have been wearing... then I make 2 piles: 1. For donation and 2. For discard. Then I send Bin#1 to the laundry for cleaning and ironing and ask them to fold them and pack them nicely. I take them to my nearest point of donation and drop them there for someone else to enjoy these clothes that I loved so much. Bin #2 is discarded. So, if I look at my wardrobe today, I have clothes that have been with me for as long as 10 years, while a few are just a few days old... © Monika Sveet / Quora

Ironing everything

It used to be customary to iron everything possible, even socks and underwear couldn’t avoid this fate. However, times are changing and irons now often collect dust in the depths of people’s closets. Millennials tend to refuse to use this appliance, giving preference to wrinkle-free clothes. Nothing bad actually happens when ironing — it’s just that people don’t want to waste their time on this activity anymore.

• I used to iron. Not anymore. I don’t miss it! © cooperationisgood / Reddit

High heels are a woman’s best friend

High-heeled shoes are a must-have for every young lady. They visually lengthen the legs, give grace to the gait, and add femininity to the overall look. In fact, high heels were initially the prerogative of men’s fashion. No matter how nice this footwear looks, it’s definitely not good for your health and is actually not that comfortable.

• I don’t like high heels, I think they’re painful, debilitating, and dangerous should I ever need to run. Every time I’ve worn them, I regret it (especially if they’re pretty high) and I end up needing extra back stretches while doing yoga. I’ve heard that “you just have to get used to them and that they’re not that bad,” but I have no desire to put my body into unnatural positions in an effort to normalize it. To me, it’s similar to foot binding. Pain and deformation for the sake of fashion or “beauty.” For me, no thanks. © Anne Goldberg / Quora

Going to the theater is a chance to show off your clothes.

Earlier, a visit to the theater used to be some sort of special event — a person was supposed to put on their best outfit and choose suitable jewelry. The origins of this tradition lie in the history of the theater, a visit to which was the privilege of a rich and noble class of people. So they went to the performances not only for the sake of the show, but also to demonstrate their exquisite taste and wealth. Everything changed a couple of decades ago and avid theater-goers now recommend wearing comfortable, not dressy clothes in order not to distract other people from the events taking place on the stage with their looks.

• I am a frequent theater-goer. There is no dress code. You’ll see people wearing everything from shorts (in the summer) or jeans, up to suits and dresses. In my personal experience of seeing several hundred Broadway shows, it’s often obvious that the people who are the most dressed up are out-of-town tourists who rarely go to the theater. © Erin Foster / Quora

Tattoos are only for young people.

Tattoos, piercings, and bright hair strands are for young people only. Making unusual changes to your appearance after 40 is considered to be a weird step. In fact, these decisions are better made as an adult person, not a teenager. A woman at this age knows for sure what she likes and will unlikely decorate her body with a strange quote or an awkward picture.

• Got my first tattoo at 39, 3 months shy of 40. I was going to wait for my birthday, but I found out a guy I knew was a tattoo artist, so I talked to him a bit and said screw it. Got my second about a week after my 40th. © Jennifer Dagle / Quora

Get-togethers with friends should be held at home.

Hosting various celebrations doesn’t hit the family budget heavily, but can bring the hostess or the host to complete exhaustion. The one throwing the party will have to clean the apartment, prepare all dishes for the celebration table, and plan the overall event. After that, they will need to wash all the dishes and make sure that guests who are staying overnight feel comfortable. As a result, this person will likely feel tired, not joy, after these home-based celebrations.

• We would always celebrate birthdays and other big events at home. But one time, after I fell asleep at the table because I had been cooking, cleaning, and decorating the house for 2 days straight, my husband and I decided to host these events in cafes or at restaurants.

Using foldout couches instead of beds

A sofa-bed might seem like a wonderful idea if someone needs to combine a sitting-room and a bedroom. It takes up very little space, you can sit on it in front of the TV with the entire family during the day and unfold it and turn into bed in the evening. However, this interior item has its downfalls as well. These constructions are very heavy and it’s hard to move them yourself. When used regularly, these sofas break quickly and the mattress gets deformed too. It’s inconvenient to make the bed in the morning and you have to figure out how to hide bed linens, pillows, and blankets somewhere. Not only is it uncomfortable to sleep on, but it’s also bad for your health. If the bedroom and the sleeping room are located in one room, it’s better to split them into 2 different zones and get a real bed.

• The cheaper sofa-beds with the wire foundations and bar support in the middle have probably caused more casualties than your average natural disaster. The excruciating pain from tailbone to vaguely padded metal rod sticks with you for a while... © Jeremy Brookins / Quora

Buying a new dress for a special occasion to only wear it once

Some clothes are bought for attending a certain event, like a prom or a wedding. This chic item can cost a lot of money, but is only worn once or twice, after which it continues collecting dust in the depths of our closets. If you really like something, you don’t need a reason to wear it. If a girl doesn’t like wearing dresses and she needs only this item of clothing for one event, she’d be better off renting it.

• My parents gifted me with a traditional Bavarian dress for my prom ball. The outfit was charming and luxurious, but it looked weird in any place other than Oktoberfest. As a result, it has been gathering dust in my closet for many years and I still feel guilty when I think about getting rid of it.

A balcony is a place for storing things.

Balconies are real magnets for various unnecessary stuff. Everything that doesn’t fit in the apartment or that is supposed to be taken out to the garbage, first finds itself on the balcony. Actually, this place is meant for nicer and more pleasant activities and lets an urban resident spend some time in the open air without leaving their apartment.

• When I lived in my previous apartment, I had a precious balcony, and ironically I liked it so much that I used to spend most of my spare time there, reading or playing some Sudoku puzzles in my comfy chair. © James Sorenson / Quora

Shoes and bags should be bought as one set.

There is no more need to roam around stores for hours trying to find a bag that is identical to a pair of shoes. In fact, these sets have already made their way to the past. It doesn’t mean that they won’t become trendy again one day, but this trend won’t become a strict rule for sure. It’s better to select things that complement each other and don’t match perfectly.

• It used to be a rule. Shoe color and style should match. This is no longer the case. For me, the rule is now: if you wear chic high heeled shoes and a gown, you should have a bag that matches the same style. If you wear flats with casual clothes, you should have a bag that matches the spirit of your shoes. The color is also important. © Maude Coulombe / Quora

It’s obligatory to wear a wedding ring.

The absence of a wedding ring on the finger of a married woman or a married man doesn’t indicate their weak moral principles or their willingness to get into a love affair. A person may be allergic to the metals or they might simply not like wearing jewelry.

• I used to wear a wedding ring when we were first married. I stopped because of a health condition that causes swelling in my hands. My husband hasn’t worn one in years either after he lost his on a golf course. (22 years married. Very happy). © jluvdc26 / Reddit

What else would you add to our list?