Our favourite tips from the OG Cosmo girl—Helen Gurley Brown

As the legendary editor of Cosmo from 1965 to 1997, Helen Gurley Brown paved the way for fun, fearless females everywhere. She passed away in 2012 at the age of 90, but her message of living big is one that will always be on our pages. Here are our favourite tips from the original Cosmo girl...

1. Have sex...and love it! 

At a time when women were expected to be married before getting busy, Helen challenged that idea in her book Sex and the Single Girl. “Theoretically, a ‘nice’ single woman has no sex life,” she wrote. “What nonsense!”

 

2. Rock your career 

She stressed that “a job can be your love, your happy pill, your means to finding out who you are, and what you can do.” 

3. Make yourself irresistible 

In an interview with the late Nora Ephron, self-help champion HGB said, “You cannot sit around like a cupcake asking other people to come and eat you up and discover your great sweetness and charm. You’ve got to make yourself more ‘cupcakable’ all the time.”

4. Speak your mind unapologetically 

When critics said Helen’s pro-sexy message wasn’t feminist, she shot back: “How could any woman not be a feminist? The girl I’m editing for wants to be known for herself. If that’s not a feminist message, I don’t know what is.”

5. Love your body 

A huge advocate of loving and flaunting what you’ve got, she made plunging necklines Cosmo’s signature and encouraged women to be proud of their vaginas.

6. Find a guy who will return the favour 

Helen’s mantra: You should please men. And men should please you.

7. Own the room 

 

She used to throw down at parties—until well into her 80s. Former colleagues recall her always being first on the dance floor in her miniskirt and fishnets, busting a move among a sea of men. 

8. Hold good friends high 

How to spot one: “They are supportive in times of trouble, happy for you in times of achievement.”

 9. Define your style 

You won’t see a photo of HGB looking less than fabulous. As she says in Sex and the Single Girl, “You must develop style. Every girl has one. It’s just a case of getting it out in the open.” 

10. Have it all 

Sex, money, career, kids, shoes...whatever you want. You just have to work for it. “There is no substitute for brains plus charm and hard work,” she said.

Lead image credit: Getty Images

This article first appeared in Cosmopolitan India, September-October 2024, print edition.

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