Why do girl lift up their dress when they curtsey?

Question

I seee girls do this all the time but have always wondered why?

Answer 1

WHY LITTLE GIRLS ARE MADE TO CURTSY

With its delicate movements and prominent display of the skirt or dress, the curtsy is an exquisitely feminine gesture.
It indicates respect and humility toward grown-up ladies. The lifting of the skirt is clearly a sign of deference.
It allows a lady, in a very feminine way, to inspect a Little Girl's clothes and, personal grooming. In this way, the lady can be sure that the Little Girl is dressed, groomed and caries herself as a proper young lady
Done between Little Girls, It is a greeting much as a soldier salutes
TO WHOM DOES ONE CURTSY? One curtseys to grownup ladies and other Little Girls. In the case of grownups, one curtseys as an inferior. To other little girls, it is a gesture between near, but not quite, equals and both perform the gesture. The only difference in the latter case is that the older Little Girl is entitled to a bit more deference and therefore the younger Little Girl starts the gesture.



HOW TO CURTSY

This is a very basic curtsy and serves as the framework around which the others are built:

Take the hem or lower part of your skirt or dress in your hands, using only your fingertips to hold it in a delicate, ladylike way. You may have to gather the fabric in your arms somewhat if the garment you are wearing has much fabric.
Raise your skirt so that it can clearly be seen that you are doing so. If you are curtsying to a grownup lady, she will indicate how high you are to lift your skirt. It is important that you do this in a ladylike, graceful way, not like some ill-mannered barbarian or unchaste hussy. The original reason for doing this was that, in olden days, skirts usually went right to the feet and ladies did not want them to touch the floor or ground.
Move one foot behind the other (about 18").
Bend at the knees so that you dip.
About half way down, bend forward a bit at the waist towards the other person
At the bottom of your curtsy, pause for a moment, remaining bowed towards the other person
You may now rise. After you have risen back to where your forward leg is straight, and your back leg is still bent slightly at the knee behind you, you may stand straight.
You may now release your skirt
DEFERENCE: In some cases, the gesture is made with deference, meaning that Little Girl is to acknowledge that the other person is her superior; this applies to

grownup ladies
older Little Girls
Little Girls in longer skirts or dresses
Girls wearing tiaras or if both are wearing them, the one with the larger tiara.
In such cases, deference is shown by being the one to start the curtsy, lifting the skirt slightly higher relative to her knees than the and keeping it raised until told to let it fall or letting it be taken by the one being deferred to, and by waiting until you are dismissed before turning away or leaving. Very seldom is this a part of Little Girls' curtseying to each other as is is very haughty to demand this and only nasty Princesses demand this.



CURTSYING TO ANOTHER LITTLE GIRL

Using the basic curtsy to start with:

The girls perform each part of the gesture in turn. That is, they perform a part and wait until the other girl completes that part before going to the next.
The younger girl or the one with the shorter skirt or dress, or if one is wearing a tiara and the other is not, the one without the tiara starts. This is so that there is some order so that there is no confusion. the order is like this; tiara, skirt length and age. In some places hair color is important and blondes are required to start to show that they are not proud about being blondes and in other places the non-blonde must start because the blonde is allowed to be proud about being a blonde. I bet you can guess which I prefer :Giggle:
If both are wearing tiaras, they should touch tiaras at the bottom of the bow
The older girl, the one with the longer skirt or dress or the one with the tiara or larger tiara rises first and when the other has risen, is the first to let her skirts back down


CURTSYING TO A GROWNUP

Again, using the basic curtsy to start;

Little Girl first stands before the grownup lady with her hands by her sides and facing the lady directly, Little Girl then bow and stands straight
The lady is to show how high the dress or skirt is to be lifted: Remember, This is also a way that a lady may inspect a Little Girl's manner of dress, including under things if she wishes, and grooming in a feminine way.
The Little Girl lifts her skirt or dress that high and perform the curtsey
At the bottom of her bow, Little Girl is to wait before rising until she is told she may do so by the lady
The lady may point to the hem of her own skirt. This means that the little girl is to, with her right hand, let go of her own skirt, take and kiss the hem of the lady's skirt then take up her own skirt again
When she has risen, she is to keep her skirt raised until the grownup takes it. The lady may let it fall or decide to do something else such as lift it further to inspect the Little Girl. This is the lady's right and Little Girl is to neither complain nor resist. If the lady makes any comment, Little Girl is to say "Yes My Lady" and then wait.
After the lady has let Little Girl's skirt down. Little Girl is to stand facing the lady with her hands at her side and wait to be dismissed at which point she says "Thank you, My Lady"
Generally, ladies do not require all of this and a simple curtsy is usually sufficient. Only the nasty kinds of ladies make an issue of this and a well-done curtsy usually gets a kiss on the cheek or a piece of candy.

NOTE: If the grownup or older girl is wearing a ring, she may offer it to be kissed by the Little Girl who MUST do so.

Answer 2

A curtsey (also spelled curtsy) is a traditional gesture of greeting, in which a woman bends her knees while bowing her head. It is the female equivalent of male bowing in Western cultures.

In more formal variants of the curtsey, the woman bends the knees outward (rather than straight ahead), often sweeping one foot behind her. She may also use her hands to hold her skirt out from her body.

In European cultures it is traditional for women to curtsey in front of royalty. It may then be referred to as a court curtsey and is often especially deep and elaborate.

Traditionally, women would curtsey for those of senior social rank just as men would bow. Today this practice has become less common. According to Victorian dance etiquette, a woman curtseys before beginning a dance. Further, some female domestic workers curtsey in front of their employer.

Female Dancers often curtsey at the end of a performance to show gratitude and/or acknowledge any applause from the audience. At the end of a ballet class, students will also curtsey or bow to the teacher and the pianist to show gratitude.

The "Texas Dip" is an extreme curtsey performed by a Texan debutante when formally introduced at the International Debutante Ball in the Waldorf-Astoria. The young women slowly descend their forehead to the floor by crossing their ankles, then fluidly bending their knees and sinking. The escort's hand is held during the dip. When they get close to the floor their head is turned down towards the gown and floor. The rising is made as an awakening.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Why do girl lift up their dress when they curtsey?
I seee girls do this all the time but have always wondered why?

Answer 4

Gnomon pretty much said it... To keep the bottom hem of the dress from getting dirty.

What's fun to think about is that it used to be considered quite naughty to show one's ankles (much like baring one's chest would be today), so imagine the men of the times getting all hot and bothered at the prospect of PERCHANCE seeing *gasp* a lady's ANKLE if she was not careful during her curtsey!

*grin*

Answer 5

Girls Lifting Up Skirts

Answer 6

This dates from the time when dresses were very long. In those days, there were no sidewalks/pavements, and roads were covered in mud and worse things.

If they didn't lift their dresses, then the bottom of the dress would drag in the mud.

Answer 7

My guess is that it keeps the dress out of the dirt, and/or it keeps the dress from getting caught on the shoes, which will happen sometimes.

Answer 8

so as not to trip or step on the dress. like walking upstairs. the hem of the dress is lifted so as not to step on it and trip.

Answer 9

They may catch their knees and tear it if they don't.

Answer 10

so that the dress doesn't drag the ground and get dirty.