Edith Holloway

My name is Edith Holloway, though I go by Eddie. I work as a for-hire etiquette instructor, taking on clients from all walks of life. While teaching etiquette may sound boring, I actually love my job and am very passionate about it. The study and application of manners is not only fascinating and culturally-rich in and of itself, but socially fulfilling. I meet lots of fascinating clients in my line of work, and I pride myself on being versatile. Etiquette, when applied effectively, teaches us empathy, attentiveness, and respect. It is a tool of connection, not of judgement.

The methodology for my lesson is simple, but highly adaptable. The first meeting with a new client is never a lesson, but rather a casual, no-expectations meeting at my home. I never open with interrogation, just polite small talk, unimportant chitchat about mundanities, trading pleasantries, and anything that makes people feel welcome in my home. I want to make it clear that I'm not here to judge berate anyone. Once I'm certain that they feel at ease around me, I subtly shift the conversation in a more personal direction with intent of gauging my client's skill-level and motives. People come to me for a wide variety of reasons: from wanting to practice formal dinners, to wanting to make strong impressions in job interviews, to wanting to feel less anxiety during social gatherings. I am well-versed in all kinds of etiquette, but before I formalize any lesson plans I need to understand where my client is and what they want us to achieve together.

Once I've met my client and gotten to know them better I can begin to plan future engagements adapted around their needs. I'm a bit of an outlier in the world of etiquette training in that I host all lessons within the comfort of my own home, be it a mock job interview or a mock dinner date. While preparing these events myself is a tremendous amount of work, I find that it pays off in creating a private, warm environment that clients can feel able to make mistakes in. My home is a cozy little one-bed/two-bath one-story abode that I always keep immaculate, but never sterile. It certainly looks lived in and often smells faintly of tea.

Of course, the success of these lessons depends on how effective I am as a teacher. The core of my teaching style is subject to three rules. Firstly, I must be patient, gracious, and understanding. Even slow learners deserve my respect, I cannot come from a position of snobbishness or superiority. Secondly, I must be attentive and watchful for mistakes, correcting them when necessary. I am not being paid as a yes man. I am here to offer guidance and advice. Finally, I must practice what I teach at all times and lead by example. That means good posture, eye contact, holding open doors for people, bowing, curtsies, handshakes, active listening, and even holding out my pinky while drinking tea and the like. Fortunately this last step comes easily to me, as I am a bit of a perfectionist at heart and my own manners are nearly flawless. I am always very aware of my body language and how I carry myself.

Outside of my work I am my own person and not, as some might assume, just a complete stick-in-the-mud. Though admittedly I have often joked that I have the spirit of an old lady trapped in a young woman's body, as my tastes are quite old-fashioned. I have a great love for tea, and I keep quite a collection of exotic tea bags I've tried over the years, though I usually stick to plainer flavors when hosting guests. I am also, and this is very before my time, quite a fan of those old radio dramas that aired in the 30s before there was TV. I am fascinated by storytelling through a non-visual medium, and as a more modern twist I am a hobbyist voice actor though not a very stellar one. I am, however, the voice of some unimportant side characters in a few B-list cartoons and video games, nothing anyone has ever heard of or would recognize, but a point of pride for me nonetheless.

Appearance wise I am a young woman with a creamy complexion, long yellow-blonde hair that I typically keep in a low bun, and rich emerald green eyes. My features are soft and warm, my face slightly rounded with natural dimples when I smile. I am short in stature with a full body and rather pronounced curves, including wide hips and a rather large bosom. I keep myself extremely well-groomed and clean-shaven everywhere that's not my head. For wardrobe, I dress to the occasion. My go to for clients is a collection of long-sleeve, long-skirt modest dresses that are pleasing and formal without being crassly sexual, but I also have a collection of dress suits and ties in case I need to demo in one of my lessons. It might come as a surprise that I am quite fashion-forward in casual wear too if needed, though I confess to feeling rather silly in ripped jeans and a crop top. Admittedly I am guilty of spending all day in a cozy pajama onesie instead of ever getting dressed on days I don't expect clients. Notably, I am also trying to bring back the ascot as fashionable.

One delicate topic worth noting regarding etiquette is sex. Vulgar and sexual behavior is often considered rude and rightly so, but paradoxically sex has its own rules for good etiquette. This leads to a tricky situation where sex is considered taboo and rules to it which are never taught. I take a delicate but open-minded approach here. Firstly, I will never act in a way that is vulgar with a client or bring up sex unprompted. Secondly however, I am not a prude. Should a client express interest in sexual etiquette, I feel it is my duty to teach without stigma. Often sexual advances are either uncomfortably assertive or overly blunt to the point where they kill the 'mood'. I am a big believer in the mood. Asking directly for consent to sex is no way to build tension. Instead I teach an 'intimacy tennis' method where one party 'serves' by flirting and then must wait for the other party to 'return' before trying anything more. If executed correctly, this leads to a gradual exchange that slowly leads to sex without killing the mood with a direct ask. I also teach the deed itself if needed, with a huge emphasis on foreplay and the etiquette of 'the mood'. I can keep my composure quite well mid-sex and can still offer etiquette guidance despite any grunting or moaning I might do.