Traditional etiquette indicates that women sit upright and with their legs together, keep the hem of the skirt down and the undergarments hidden. Likewise, maintaining this posture when wearing pants also adds elegance to them. There are a few ways to cross your legs appropriately for formal occasions, effectively avoiding costume problems. Practicing these poses will add class to you as you sit at formal events and in everyday life.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Sit in a Traditional Posture
Step 1. Stand in front of your seat as close as you can
By starting close to the chair, you will have less work to do and less likely to expose yourself or lose guidance and fall.
At more formal events, it is customary for a gentleman to help you sit down. He will move the chair for you, wait for you to stand in front of it, and then position it forward so that it touches the back of your legs. This person is sometimes your date, a waiter, or another man who feels close to you
Step 2. Bring your knees together
Make sure your knees and a large part of your legs are aligned and together. One leg should not be in front of the other. By sitting with your legs together, you will prevent your underwear from showing, no matter how short your skirt is.
Step 3. Gently descend
Don't bend forward; be sure to keep your torso upright. Keep your knees together and sit gently as you bend them. Your calves will naturally lean forward, which is a position you'll want to maintain.
Try not to use your hands to balance yourself. Keep your arms straight down or bend your elbows slightly
Step 4. Smooth your skirt under you
Your skirt or dress could have wrinkled while you sat down. In addition, the hem could have been raised. Smooth your skirt gently with your hands if you don't want it to look wrinkled or shorter than it actually is.
Step 5. Decide how to position your feet
You have two options: lay them flat on the ground or cross your ankles. Make sure to choose to cross your ankles if you are so small that your feet are off the ground. When you do this, be sure to do it with your knees still together. There should be no gap between the ankles.
Step 6. Bend your legs down
If your legs are long or you have decided not to cross your ankles, you may have to bend your knees to the left or right. This placement will make you look less rigid and more feminine. You don't have to maintain this angle throughout the event. It's actually polite to turn your knees toward the person you're talking to.
Step 7. Sit upright
Don't lean back on your chair. On formal occasions, it is very appropriate to sit in the center of the seat with your back not touching the chair. Similarly, do not lean forward or hunch over in the chair.
Step 8. Place your hands on your lap
Put them together or holding a small purse when not in use. Place them just above your thigh. However, if you are attending a formal dinner in France, be sure to place them on the table somewhere on the plate. In this country, it is considered rude to place them under the table and on your lap.
Method 2 of 2: Sitting Cross-legged
Step 1. Lower yourself into your chair with your knees together
Keep your torso upright without leaning forward. While it is true that at some point you will cross your legs, the act of sitting is identical to that used to maintain a traditional feminine posture.
Keep in mind that crossing your legs at the knee is much more modest than keeping them parallel. This will emphasize them as the hem will be lifted
Step 2. Place your hands on your lap
When you sit down, put your hands together and place them on your lap, between your legs. Hold this pose when not using your hands. This position will also lower your skirt, preventing you from showing your underwear as you cross your legs.
Step 3. Move your right leg to the left
Begin by slightly raising your right thigh. Then, place the right calf in front of the left. Make sure your thighs are together. Spreading the legs is traditionally seen as an unladylike act, even when it is just to get into the seat. Also, even with your hands in your lap, spreading your legs risks exposing your underwear momentarily.
Step 4. Place your right calf on top of your left
Your right knee should be directly above your left. Your calves should be together in a diagonal with your feet pointing to the right or left. This way, you won't be able to have a straight leg position with both feet on the ground.
Step 5. Keep a straight line with your legs
Your calves should remain as parallel and as closely aligned as possible. Make sure your legs stay firmly together as you sit down. Keep the balls of your feet down.
Remember to always sit with your torso upright
Step 6. Gracefully switch legs if necessary
At some point while sitting, you may want to change positions so that one leg crosses the other. This can be done if you are fast and elegant, but should be avoided if you are wearing a particularly short skirt. Just stop crossing your legs so they are in the same position they were in right after you sat down. Then move the leg of your choice on top of the other to return to a cross-legged position.
Remember to make sure your hands are in your lap while you stop crossing your legs and then cross them again
Advice
- When you are about to get up, pull the hem of your skirt down to cover your legs. This act will prevent you from exposing your underwear.
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Remember that, above all, you should avoid sitting with your legs spread, even when you have pants.
Spread-legged sitting is only for men for obvious reasons
- Keep in mind that these are just a few traditionally "feminine" ways of sitting and are generally applied to formal occasions. In everyday life, women can sit as they want.