Imagine Calea Victoriei on an afternoon at the beginning of the 1900s. Carriages move among pedestrians, the shop windows of the great stores attract attention, while in front of cafés and confectioneries people dressed according to the latest fashions from Paris and Vienna meet. Gentlemen wear impeccable suits, hats and walking sticks, while ladies appear in carefully chosen dresses, with decorated hats, gloves and accessories that complete their outfits. In this Bucharest undergoing rapid modernization, it was not enough to have the money for a meal at an elegant restaurant or for a walk along Calea Victoriei. You also had to know how to behave. Who entered a restaurant first? How was a person of higher rank supposed to be greeted? When were gloves mandatory? What outfit was appropriate for a visit and which one for a ball? And why could a woman be considered poorly brought up if she appeared in certain places without a hat? Good manners represented, for the elites and wealthy bourgeoisie of the capital, a genuine social code. Clothes, gestures, the way of speaking and even the way a person entered a venue could convey education, status and the respectability of their family. It is important, however, to view these rules in context. They did not represent a “regulation” followed by every Bucharester, but rather the social norms cultivated among the aristocracy, wealthy families and the urban society that was adopting a Western lifestyle.

Bucharest, where elegance was a calling card

Around 1900, Bucharest was changing rapidly. The capital of Romania was building its image as a modern city, while architecture, fashion, restaurants, theaters and stores increasingly reflected Western influences.

In high society, appearing in public was carefully prepared. You could not simply dress however you wanted for every occasion. A dress intended for a walk was not necessarily suitable for a visit, while daytime attire had to be distinguished from evening wear.

For women, the hat held an essential place in the wardrobe. It was an almost indispensable accessory for elegant public appearances and could be decorated with artificial flowers, ribbons, feathers or veils. Gloves, in turn, completed the outfit and represented a sign of elegance and respect for social conventions.

Women’s fashion was not merely a matter of beauty. The dress, hat, footwear, handbag, umbrella, fan and jewelry had to form a coherent ensemble. A well-dressed woman had to know which accessories were appropriate for each time of day.

For gentlemen, the city suit was completed by a shirt, tie, waistcoat and hat. Depending on the occasion, a top hat, frock coat, tailcoat, gloves, walking stick or pocket watch might appear. At formal events, the rules became even stricter.

Clothing was, essentially, a form of communication. Before a person even opened their mouth, their clothes could already convey information about their status, occupation, wealth and place in society.

Why the gentleman had to enter the restaurant first

Restaurants and cafés were among the most important spaces of Bucharest’s social life. People did not go there only to eat. They went for meetings, conversations, business, exchanging information and, very importantly, to be seen.

An elegant restaurant also required certain rules of behavior to be respected. The gentleman accompanying his partner had to pay attention to her comfort and take care of details that today seem, in many cases, outdated.

According to the etiquette traditions of the period, the gentleman entered the venue first. The rule also had a practical justification: he checked the surroundings and made sure that the place was appropriate before the lady entered. When leaving, the order could be reversed in certain contexts, but the male companion remained responsible for gestures of courtesy.

This behavior must be viewed in the context of a society in which the relationship between men and women was defined by much stricter conventions than today. The gentleman was expected to offer his arm, help the lady with her coat and give her precedence in numerous situations.

In the restaurant, politeness continued at the table. A gentleman was not supposed to speak excessively loudly, make crude gestures or unnecessarily attract the attention of those around him. Conversation had to be conducted discreetly, and behavior had to match the prestige of the establishment.

Capșa, the cafés and the promenade along Calea Victoriei

To understand the importance of these rules, one must also look at the world in which they operated. Belle Epoque Bucharest had an intense social life, and Calea Victoriei was one of its main stages.

Capșa House had become one of the capital’s emblematic places. Writers, politicians, artists, journalists and members of high society met here, turning the restaurant and confectionery into a genuine center of social life.

Going to such a place also meant submitting to the gaze of others. Clothing had to be appropriate, behavior discreet and company carefully chosen. In a society in which reputation was enormously important, an inappropriate appearance could quickly become a subject of comment.

The promenade had its own unwritten rules as well. Calea Victoriei was not merely a traffic artery, but also a place where Bucharest residents displayed themselves. Elegant clothes, carriages, shop windows and cafés formed the setting of an urban life increasingly inspired by the great European capitals.

For women from wealthy families, appearing in public had to respect certain social boundaries. Depending on the destination and time of day, there could be clear differences between what was acceptable for a walk, a visit, an outing to the theater or participation in a social event.

The hat and gloves, two almost mandatory accessories

The image of the Belle Epoque woman wearing a hat and gloves is not merely the result of photographs preserved to this day. It reflects the real importance these accessories had in urban fashion.

The hat protected against the sun and weather, but its social function was at least equally important. An elegant hat completed the silhouette and could radically transform an outfit. Its dimensions and shapes changed constantly, according to fashion trends.

Gloves, in turn, had a powerful symbolic function. Hands were expected to be covered in many elegant public settings, and the quality of the gloves was another detail through which a person’s level of refinement could be observed.

A lady who went for a walk, went shopping or attended a social event had to pay attention to the entire outfit. It was not enough for the dress to be beautiful. The accessories had to be appropriate and coordinated.

This is where the image so familiar to us today of the Belle Epoque woman who seems to have left the house ready for a photo session comes from. In reality, this elegance was the result of a much stricter dress and social code than the one of today.

The gentleman had to know more than how to wear a suit

Men also had their own code of elegance. A well-bred gentleman had to know when a daytime suit was appropriate and when a tailcoat was required.

For official events and ceremonies, the outfit could include a tailcoat, white shirt, gloves and specific accessories. In certain contexts, even the way decorations were worn was regulated.

A gentleman had to be polite without becoming overly familiar, speak quietly enough not to disturb others and control his gestures. In public spaces, discretion was considered a virtue.

A man was also expected to pay attention to older people or those of higher social status. Greetings, introductions and forms of address were important, especially in aristocratic salons and official circles.

In a society in which people frequently met within the same social circles, reputation was built over time. A man could be appreciated not only for his wealth or position, but also for the way he knew how to behave.

Home visits also had strict rules

A large part of Bucharest’s social life took place in the homes of wealthy families. Visits, however, were not made just anyhow and, above all, not at any hour.

There were times considered appropriate for visits, and the guest had to take into account the host’s status and the relationship between the two families. A visit that lasted too long could be considered impolite, just as arriving at an inappropriate hour could create an awkward situation.

In wealthy homes, guests were received in salons and served according to the customs of the time. Coffee, sweets, drinks and conversation were part of the ritual of a visit.

For young women, these meetings also had an important social component. They were occasions when families met, got to know one another and strengthened their relationships. A young woman’s behavior was carefully observed, and education and manners could matter almost as much as clothing.

A code of elegance that shows how much the city has changed

The code of good manners in Belle Epoque Bucharest ultimately tells a story about the transformation of the capital. The city was becoming modern, but modernization did not mean the disappearance of rules. On the contrary, the emergence of new public spaces created new situations in which people had to know how to behave.

The restaurant, confectionery, theater, store, promenade and salon formed a setting in which every gesture could have a meaning. Clothes and accessories conveyed status, while politeness confirmed education.

For a woman from high society, the hat and gloves were more than simple accessories. For a gentleman, the tailcoat, top hat and walking stick were not merely fashion. Together, they formed part of a social language that contemporaries understood very well.

Today, the idea that a gentleman had to enter a restaurant first or that a lady could not elegantly go out without a hat and gloves seems like something taken from a period film. In Bucharest more than a century ago, however, such conventions were part of the everyday life of a particular social category.

The Belle Epoque did not mean only elegant buildings, carriages, spectacular dresses and famous restaurants. It also meant a way of life in which the way you entered a door, greeted someone, spoke, dressed or sat down at a table could say who you were before you uttered a single word.

We also recommend: The code of good manners in interwar Bucharest: How gentlemen and young ladies behaved when they went out in the city