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Advertise for a male co-owner of a boat -

The magazine doesn't specify whether it's important that you actually have a boat or not, but any man willing to be co-owner of your boat is surely ready to set sail with you in a relationship, right?

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Get a job demonstrating fishing tackle in a sporting goods store -

Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and he'll marry you!

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On the first date, tell him you aren't thinking of getting married -

A little reverse psychology goes a long way. Another piece of advice the magazine gives later on is: "Point out to him that the death rate of single men is twice that of married men."

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Make and sell toupees—bald men are easy catches! -

Thankfully, bald men these days tend to wear their baldness with a little more pride and self-esteem.

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Stand in a corner and cry softly… -

… "Chances are good that he'll come over to find out what's wrong." Nothing like a damsel in distress—but you have to be quite the actress to pull off fake tears!

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Make a lot of money -

This one is a rather surprising tip for its time, especially since even these days there is much discourse about how fragile masculinity views high-earning women as unattractive. Another piece of advice later in the list is: "Buy a convertible. Men like to ride in them."

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Stow away on a battleship -

This piece of advice seems to have a myriad of overlooked consequences associated with it, but perhaps that's just how dire the pursuit for a husband really was back then...

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Don't be afraid to associate with more attractive girls… -

…"They may have some leftovers." Because when we think about husband material, we certainly think of beautiful women's leftovers!

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Go back to your home town for a visit -

The article adds: "The wild kid next door may have become a very eligible bachelor while you were away."

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Paint your name and number on the roof… -

…"And say, 'Give me a buzz, pilots." When the men on land aren't calling, you've got to set your sights a little higher!

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Learn to paint -

This one sounds like it could be a nice way to meet people with similar interests or to develop your own personality and hobbies, but it's followed by a crucial second step: "Set up easel outside engineering school." To be fair, most agree that opposites attract.

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Go to all the reunions of your high school or college class -

This could actually be a good piece of advice in today's age if you enjoyed your class, but the magazine adds a slightly darker tone: "There may be widowers there."

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Stumble when you walk into a room he's in -

Clumsy seems to be quite the attractive trait, as the guide also advises: "Wear a Band-Aid. People always ask what happened."

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Ask his advice on what kind of perfume you should wear -

This is hilariously preceded by the statement: "Men like to think they're authorities on perfume." Essentially, you want to fool him into thinking he has influence.

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Carry a camera and ask strange, handsome men if they would mind snapping your picture -

The magazine does indeed specify "strange, handsome men." It sounds bizarre but if you think about it, you're forcing them to take a moment to admire you through a lens. There are worse ways of trying to get someone to look at you!

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Get lost at football games -

Set yourself up for a totally unplanned, candid meet-cute where he'll also think you're into sports! (Because how else could you get lost at a game?)

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'Accidentally' have your purse fly open, scattering its contents on the street -

Most women these days wouldn't dare risk losing the contents of their purse on the street to attract the attention of a man.

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Take good care of your health -

This one almost sounds empowering, but then it's followed up with: "Men don't like girls who are ill." Another piece of advice later in the list is also, "Get a sunburn," so health is obviously not the real priority here...

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Ride the airport bus back and forth from the airport -

This wild tip is likely suggesting the airport bus so that you can find someone who is well-traveled or has an important job, which is something they'll also likely think about you—until of course their first question is where you're going or coming from.

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If you look good in sweaters, wear one on every third date -

The numbers on this one are still a little fuzzy, but obviously you can't go wrong wearing a sweater if you look good in them.

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When you are with him, order your steak rare -

Vegetarianism hadn't gripped the masses back then, but food choices were and still remain to this day a part of the courtship ritual. As for why the steak must be rare, however, is another question. Another piece of concerning advice the magazine gives is, "Don't tell him about your allergies."

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Let it be known in your office that you have a button box… -

… "And will sew on bachelors' loose buttons." Be an entrepreneur in the business of courtship by offering a service to those poor unmarried men who don't have a lady at home to sew their buttons for them.

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Talk to his father about business and agree that taxes are too high! -

Because fathers only want to talk about business and complain about taxes and have people agree with them.

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Learn to sew and wear something you have made yourself -

This is a fantastic example of skills that were once seen as essential in a wife and now are dying rapidly. You would be hard-pressed to find many women who could (or would even attempt to) pull this off today.

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Never let him know he's the only one… -

"Even if you have to stay home one or two nights a week!" Just as it remains today, courtship in the '50s was a careful game of playing hard to get.

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If he's rich, tell him you like his money... -

"The honesty will intrigue him!" Certainly one of the riskier pieces of advice from the 1950s, this comment might not be so intriguing these days.

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Stand on a busy street corner with a lasso -

There are so many questions to be asked about this concerning piece of advice. It's probably best left to the real cowgirls looking for their cow-husbands.

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Start a whispering campaign on how sought-after you are -

Create an elaborate rumor about yourself, perhaps by paying someone off, so that the object of your desire is fooled into finding you attractive. What could go wrong?

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Bribe a Ferris-wheel operator to get you stuck at the top -

This is how you construct a perfect movie moment that is sure to snag a partner.

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If your mother is fat, tell him you take after your father... -

"If he's fat too, tell him you're adopted!" There's loads of terrible fat-shaming laden in the advice, but this one advising you to edit your genetics takes the cake.

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Ask your mother to take in male boarders -

If you can't go out and find eligible bachelors, bring them to your home. This is one of the more burdensome pieces of advice, but also reveals that in the '50s unmarried women were assumed to be living with their parents.

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Stop being a mama's girl -

"Don't let him think he'll have in-law trouble, even if you know he will!" Hide all potential turnoffs until that ring is securely on your finger.

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Be friendly to ugly men—handsome is as handsome does -

If you're finding it hard to land a man, you must simply lower your standards! In all seriousness, though, this is one of the purer pieces of advice since looks will fade but behavior will remain. 

Sources: (McCall's Magazine, 1958)

See more: Who were the most beautiful women of the 1950s?

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