How to be irresistible
By Ellen T. White How did Marilyn Monroe bring men to their knees? What about the courtesan Veronica Franco made men so eager to seek out her company? Why was Camilla Parker-Bowles the woman Prince Charles couldn’t resist when more dazzling women were virtually throwing themselves at him?These ladies are among the great seductresses of all time. And when it comes to seduction, they are the indisputable experts. Want men to find you irresistible? Unleash your inner siren, and mesmerize men with this advice from the most famous and infamous women in history!
Ask for directions
A man would rather get hopelessly lost than ask for directions. But he is positively titillated by the damsel in distress—a tip Marilyn Monroe picked up early in her sex-kitten game. She had a wide circle of men whom she counted on for guidance. The aspiring seductress — particularly one with a Ph.D. and a six-figure salary — loses nothing by asking a man for a little guidance now and then. Get his help putting together your presentation for the company retreat. And since he clearly works out, might he recommend a gym? Watch him warm to your alluring needs.
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As the late, great Southern belle Zelda Fitzgerald would say, “It never helps your cause when he thinks you’re too available.” Zelda turned the novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald on his ear when she slipped a letter meant for his rival into his envelope. Play the field. After all, you haven’t vowed to forsake all others yet. It doesn’t hurt if he knows you’re in hot demand… the email open on your screen, the bouquet of flowers, the voicemail you failed to stifle quickly enough.
Master the pick-up line
“My great-grandmother was your great-great-grandfather’s mistress. How about it?” said Camilla Shand (Parker-Bowles) to Prince Charles on the polo field, igniting their romance with a pick-up line. What’s a girl to do without a clever opener? Standards like “What’s a nice boy like you…” work, as long as they’re delivered with a twinkle in your eye. Like Camilla, try throwing down the gauntlet with a line that’s a bit of a tease. “The bride says we’d make beautiful music together,” you say to the best man, if you’re the daring type. “Tell me a little about your instrument.”
Make brilliant conversation
“Desire begins in the mind,” the 16th-century Venetian courtesan Veronica Franco might say. Veronica was paid one fee for “the whole deal” and separately just for the pleasure of speaking with her. Her secret? Her conversation was an act of heightened sensitivity to her partner’s interests and moods. For him, that’s unlikely to be hearing about the adorable antics of your dog or the foods permitted on the diet you started last week. Don’t yammer on aimlessly. Transport him with conversation that turns him on. Show your sincere interest in what he has to say.
Cross-dress
The African bush pilot Beryl Markham wore men’s shirts with most of the buttons undone and tied a silk scarf rakishly at her throat. Her “mannish glamour” turned men on. What is it about a woman in his clothes that packs such a punch? Maybe it’s that his duds look like they might slip off as quickly as they slide on. Accessorize a simple suit or tuxedo with Victoria’s Secret—and see for yourself.
Refuse to commit
“She has many suitors for her hand,” said an ambassador of the “Virgin” Queen Elizabeth I. And by refusing to commit, “Bess” kept them coming back for more—which is exactly the way she wanted it. Banish those images of that fluffy white dress from your head. Advance, retreat, and hold your cards close to your chest. Flirt outrageously. Enjoy him in the moment, but be unsure of where you’d like it all to go. Then watch reverse psychology kick in. He won’t be able to get enough of you.
Make lemonade…
“No outing with Jennie could be dull. Her gray eyes sparkled with the joy of living,” said an admirer of Lady Randolph Churchill (Winston’s mum). Handed the difficult situation, Jennie turned a sow’s ear into a Kate Spade purse, making it a blast for herself and everyone else. When your team is down, get your pom-poms in the air. Turn a power outage into a séance, a faux-pas into a funny tale, and a failed meal into a chance to try a new restaurant. Enthusiasm has more sex appeal than you know.
Take up striptease
Sounds camp, but a little private striptease can bring out the beast in a man. For divine inspiration, watch Sophia Loren in the 1963 sizzler Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. In a black lace camisole, garters, and stockings, Loren took on co-star Marcello Mastroianni. “Slowly, sensuously, tantalizingly, I removed my clothes, letting each article dangle provocatively in front of his eyes,” said Sophia, “while my body undulated to the throbbing music.” Mastroianni’s unscripted reaction was to howl. Perhaps your guy will do the same.
Author Ellen T. White (www.ellentwhite.com) is a cultural writer and editor based in New York City and East Hampton. Her life as a siren began at age 17, when two men were jailed after publicly brawling while competing for her attention. From the book Simply Irresistible by Ellen T. White. Reprinted by arrangement with Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2007.