The Elegant Male - Worsted and Talc

The Well-groomed Man in 1950s Britain

Here's a charming little clip from our friends at British Pathé entitled The Elegant Male. Click here or on the image below to watch it.

Don't Smell of Compost Heaps

Contributors to the clip offer some interesting advice on male grooming. Try not to smell of "compost heaps", says one.

That's how not to smell. So how should an elegant male smell? Of "tweed and pipes" and "fresh beer", suggests actress and singer Cicely Courtneidge.

Cicely Knows Her Men

Here we see Cicely performing in top hat and tails in the The Soldiers of the King from 1934. Perhaps, for authenticity, she's smelling of fresh beer too.