If a film these days told women to keep their fringes short and that they need to pluck their eyebrows, there would be outrage.
But back in the Seventies, this was seemingly deemed acceptable as scenes from a controversial film for female military personnel have re-emerged – and they instruct women how to ‘take pride in their appearance’.
The quirky film from 1971 aimed at women serving in the US military shows the ways in which female personnel should take care of themselves, according to the Department of Defence at the time.
One controversial scene in the film produced by the US Department of Defence warns women that they can’t have their fringes longer than their hats
The film says that women in the military need to take ‘pride in their appearance’
The scenes start with a patronising narrator saying that women have come ‘a long way’ through the years with regard to their standards of education, their appearance and getting jobs.
The film then goes on to warn that military women need to ‘take pride in their appearance’.
The narrator even takes time to advise women to shower regularly, saying that women used to find daily showers time consuming, but reassuring female viewers that ‘it doesn’t take much time at all’.
One scene shows a very smartly dressed female military personnel walking in a tight skirt and black heels
Another scene shows a women in the military applying lipstick
This female military women is shown combing her hair. The film warns that women should look after themselves to ‘look like a winner’
Another shocking scene shames woman with unplucked eyebrows, describing her as having a ‘shaggy’ look.
The film also shows a woman telling her hairdresser that military regulations state that female personnel mustn’t have their fringe below their hats.
The scenes come from a film called Look Like a Winner: Military Etiquette and Grooming. It was produced by the Department of Defence in 1971.
It was made to explain the important points of good grooming, covering cleanliness, health habits, hair styling, cosmetics, and tailoring for women serving in the military.
The film shames a woman with unplucked eyebrows, describing her as having a ‘shaggy look’
The film shows a military women going to the hairdresser to make sure her fringe is kept trim
The scenes show military women applying make up and freshening up in the bathroom as the controversial film advises that women take ‘pride in their appearance’
For thousands of years in a substantial number of cultures and nations, women have served in various roles in the military, from ancient warrior women to those currently serving in armed conflicts.
Women have historically served in a number of roles, from soldiers to nurses and aides.
It was at the beginning of the 1970s that most Western armies began to accept women in all military branches.
In nine countries women are conscripted into the military: in China, Eritrea, Israel, Libya, Malaysia, North Korea, Norway, Peru and Taiwan.