Customs, Etiquette and Manners

September 19, 2023

Lawmakers Give New Senate Dress Code a Dressing Down

Some senators worry that more casual dress might breed disrespect for Congress. Others argue that the harshest critics have already debased the institution, even in business […]
June 15, 2023

For Black Debutantes in Detroit, Cotillion Is More Than a Ball

In a heady swirl of bright white silk and lace, the young ladies of the Cotillion Society of Detroit Educational Foundation are presented as debutantes. The […]
June 14, 2023

My Sister-in-Law Spent All Her Parents’ Money When She Took Them In. Now She Wants More!

After her sister-in-law spent the money from the sale of her parents’ house on upgrades to her own, a reader bristles at being made to feel […]
April 26, 2023

Why Is My Boyfriend Pursuing Other Options After Planning a Summer With Me?

A reader is left to make new arrangements after learning that her boyfriend, who had agreed to live with her for the summer, was jockeying for […]
April 19, 2023

Is My Daughter Horrible for Refusing to Release Me From Her Student Loans?

A reader eager to be freed from $100,000 worth of co-signer responsibilities seeks a judgment on her daughter’s behavior. Five years ago, my 17-year-old daughter couldn’t […]
March 8, 2023

I Send My Brother Cash for Emergencies, but He Spends It on Vacations. Help!

A reader wants to shore up her brother against financial hardships, but she’s unsure how to stipulate what the money is to be used for without […]
February 15, 2023

What Should I Do About a Neighbor Who Verbally Abused Her Child?

A reader who overheard a neighbor shouting cruelties at her young son wonders whether, and how, to intervene. I live in a small apartment building where […]
January 18, 2023

I’m Racing My Biological Clock and a Tight-Lipped Boyfriend. Help!

A reader eager to have a child before she turns 40 doesn’t know what to make of a new love interest’s silence when conversation turns to […]
January 2, 2023

The Etiquette Guru Who Broke Up With a Boyfriend Over Text

On the ninth day of filming Netflix’s “Mind Your Manners,” the show’s host, the Shanghai etiquette teacher Sara Jane Ho, dumped her on-again-off-again boyfriend of four […]
January 2, 2023

Sara Jane Ho’s ‘Mind Your Manners’ Offers Advice for a Globalized World

On the ninth day of filming Netflix’s “Mind Your Manners,” the show’s host, the Shanghai etiquette teacher Sara Jane Ho, dumped her on-again-off-again boyfriend of four […]