Yes, I said the dirty word we PF’ers are never supposed to say when we talk about looks and clothes: INVEST.
To be clear, I don’t believe in investing in a good handbag or a pair of shoes because frankly, those shoes will never get you an actual, monetary return on investment (which is the point of an investment in the first place).
To put it this way: You won’t be waking up to $20 bills beside your expensive so-called ‘investment’ shoes every morning.
So if you buy a really good pair of shoes, you just walk better and feel better. Period.
What I am focusing on is less about this crazy talk of ‘investing’ in your work wardrobe, and more about making sure you invest in YOURSELF.
What’s that I hear? You want to know actual numbers?
Investing in your appearance can grab you between 10-12 percent more than your dowdier colleagues for both men and women.
This is what Catherine Hakim of Erotic Capital, calls the ‘beauty premium’.
I know.
You read the word ‘beauty’ and snorted at it because like me, you’re imagining supermodels with brains fit for NASA achieving such results, however I have read the book and she says you don’t need to have been born beautiful, just to take the time to try to look attractive.
The very act of making sure you are well-groomed enough (haircut, a little makeup, clothes) to be considered “attractive markers of beauty”, meaning people will see all of those things together as a whole and find you more attractive.
As if you ever needed any more proof, you only have to flip to TLC and watch ‘What Not to Wear’, to see the transformations made to women who may have looked average and dowdy before, look absolutely stunning after a little wardrobe change to make them embrace their true shape and size, hair and makeup lesson.
Here are a few amazing transformations:
And my favourite one of all because I thought after they were done, she looked like a model. She was just.. heartbreakingly gorgeous.
Every one of these women above look better in the After photo, there is no denying this.
All it took was a little work in getting them to wear what fit them, in the colours that flattered. They didn’t need to lose weight or do anything extreme, they just need a little repackaging.
Almost everyone who goes through this on TV says they feel so much better now. Sexier, and more confident which also helps in the workplace and how you present yourself to others.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Exercise and stay fit: It gives your skin a healthy glow and society sees health as a major marker of ‘beauty’.
- Get a haircut. No need to spend $500 on some designer hairdo, just a simple but modern haircut is good.
- Have neat nails; but there’s no need to paint them or get fake nails (the worst are those super long, airbrushed painted ones).
- Wear clothes that flatter and fit. Again, no need to go into debt for this, just make sure you wear your true size. Fitted, not tight.
- Be aware of your posture. Hunchbacks don’t look attractive. If you are tall and trying to look shorter, don’t do it. Own your height.
- [Women] Makeup: Try wearing just a smidge of makeup. Nothing crazy, but eyeliner, mascara & concealer go a long way.*
- [Women] Don’t wear heels you can’t walk in: Nothing ruins a look more than a cave woman stomp.
You do NOT need to spend a fortune on any of the above. You just need to spend the time and use your money wisely to get fewer pieces of higher quality, not to buy in quantity.
Some consignment stores and thrift stores have some amazing pieces, so don’t discount secondhand goods either.
*I don’t wear makeup daily, but I do to go to work and other events.
It makes a big difference for me to even slap on just some concealer under my eyes and be out the door in 10 seconds. So unless you were born with perfect, porcelain skin, just CONSIDER the idea of a little, natural-looking makeup.
So. Do you invest in your appearance?
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.
I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year.
Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about 
I recently hired a professional organizer to do some work around my house. The first person who came to me had a great resume and experience, but looked kind of disheveled. The second person was just getting into the business, so had less experience and lower prices, bu was pulled together and tidy. Neither were fashionable or designer, as one needs to be physical when do that type of job. In the end I hired the second person, I like to think because we connected better but I couldn’t help but notice the difference in the “tidiness’ of their appearance (esp considering the type of job they were hired for!)
Hey, I’d do the same thing.
If someone is coming by to help me organize my life, I want to know that they have their life together too, so I can trust them!
I completely agree. I do consulting and when I have to meet with clients, I go out of my way to make sure I am well-groomed. I think it leads to better meetings and people feel comfortable and are more trusting. It’s just a feeling. That’s not to say your new suit is insurance you’ll bag that new client but it won’t hurt to have it in the closet for later use.
The way you dress and carry yourself absolutely makes a difference.
I invest in classic quality clothing which will last several seasons. I shop sales and always check out thrift stores esp. in rich areas.
I have yet to explore TO rich areas. It is always too far/cold, etc….
Maybe we should check out a thrift store in Forest Hill together over the break! 😉
Yes!!
I don’t think appearance should matter. As long as you are clean and presentable I don’t think that spending an hour or more on your appearance, or resorting to plastic surgery should be necessary when it won’t improve your job performance.
I invest in my health through regular exercise (5 or 6 days a week) and eating healthily, and it has benefits in terms of staying slim and having a good complexion. Other than that I have a low maintenance hairstyle, short clean nails, get my eyebrows waxed and my hair dyed close to it’s natural shade to cover the grey that is starting to come through, but I don’t bother with make-up at all.. I dress fairly casually for work. I used to wear a suit when I started but the environment is too casual for that so it looked out of place, and I hate ironing. I could probably do with some plastic surgery to fix some ‘defects’ and make me more conventionally pretty, but I object to the idea of going through costly and potentially dangerous surgery for something superficial.
Well my definition of ‘appearance’ is yours 🙂 Clean and presentable. The clothes can’t have holes or be so raggedy it’s embarrassing (no need to wear designer, just wear hole-free clothes) and so on.
Clean nails work, no need for a manicure.. etc! 🙂
You have never seen a bunch more frumpy than teachers. Seriously, a coworker of mine came to work the other day in glorified sweatpants and a pair of those Adidas shower shoes that NO ONE wears in public. I really think that one of the reasons my students tend to respect me more on-sight is because I dress professionally.
Appearance matters, people!
My mom is a teacher and she tells me: I WILL NEVER wear frumpy, weird clothing like a teacher! I’m a PROFESSIONAL! 😛
She says they show up with different coloured socks, mismatched shoes and they call it being artistic & creative to dress like a bum.
I totally agree with everything that you wrote! 🙂
By taking pride in our appearance, we are telling the world something before we even say anything. Even though I work in an industry where the office is pretty casual, I do notice that the people who are at the top are well-groomed and look more put together. That must mean something, right?
And I don’t think us girls need to cake on make-up. Just a little bit of touching up to look more polished and more professional. I also like to err on the side of conservative when dressing for the work place. Believe it or not, I’ve seen sweats in the work place. It’s not pretty… I question whether that individual should have even come in at all – if they are sick, they should stay home.
I think I know why I see sweats sometimes, I knew with my friend it was because she was overweight and felt really uncomfortable and didn’t have the money to buy pants that would fit, so as she got bigger, she could only fall back on black sweatpants…
I’m working on it. I think that it’s true though, a more polished appearance says, “I care enough to spruce it up a bit to be here.”
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Exactly.
Yes, this is so true. Appearances matter, and they can affect your income. I’ve experienced the difference myself, having grown up without this advice and having to learn it on my own. Even people who have known you all your life will treat you differently (i.e., nicer) when you look better. Perhaps a little sad, but true.
But maybe it’s just that they think you’re showing respect for yourself? 🙂
Your timing is excellent! I just bought two new cashmere sweaters for work to try to look a little more stylish. My sister advised me to spend my money on things I’d wear every day rather than some party frock that spends 99% of its time in the back of the wardrobe…
I completely agree, and know that from my own experience, people respect me more when I look sharp. It’s sad that it’s the case, but it is, and I’ve long been a proponent of the idea that in some areas, we just need to suck it up and play “the game” instead of whine about it or try and defy it. We’re the only ones who suffer when we refuse to do so, not anyone else, so why not use every tool you can to your advantage? I work with doctors, and dressing nicely is expected and appreciated. Even when I’m dressing casually at work, I still insist on looking professional. It’s not that hard to do so, and you don’t need to break the bank for it.
I have a friend who works with doctors and tried to get away with wearing super low cut or sheer tops until a doctor pulled her aside and said it was too revealing and unprofessional.
I totally agreed with the doctor when she complained to me!!!!
Now I go shopping with her and it horrifies me to hear what she considers work approriate…. She is up for some promo and now she thinks she won’t get it.
I am still in college, and will probably be in school for another 5-6 years until my PhD is done. However, I’ve taken your advice and have started buying clothes that aren’t t-shirts and jeans and sweatshirts. I believe that slowly replacing my wardrobe will be good, even if I’m slightly overdressed for a college student at times.
For the record, the grad students and postdocs on campus generally dress better than the undergrads, and the professors (unless they’re very accomplished – then they go back to wearing t-shirts and jeans) dress better than the grad students and the postdocs. I hope that it pays off when the time comes.
I wholeheartedly support that!
During college, I didn’t really wear sweatpants or sweatshirts.. which is probably why when I started working, all I needed were work pants.. 🙂 It’ll save $$ in the long-run especially if you start buying the pieces now for your future job.
I absolutely invest in my appearance. Maybe not so much money wise, but in time and effort, yes. I have some nice staples in my wardrobe and in my makeup arsenal, and some great tools for hairstyling, but those are more like uncommon expenses, as I have stopped adding to this collection on a regular basis. The only things I reguarly spend on are my haircuts and colour, and sometimes, facial hair waxing.
Time and effort wise, I take half an hour each morning to shower and get ready. I always make sure that my clothes are clean and wrinkle-free, my nails are clean, and my hair is tidy. It’s an ongoing and regular effort on my part. I don’t work in a place where projecting a certain kind of image is part of the job (i.e. sales, investment banking etc), but I do it because it makes me feel good and more professional, and that I’m “at work”. Socially I think it’s also a good idea to look like I took the time prepare for my apearance before work and in general, look like someone who is put together and takes pride in being properly groomed.
It never really means money to me, when you invest in your appearance.
One eyeliner is all you need, and a little lip gloss to look a bit more polished. (I go all out on the concealer under my eyes though)..
Being clean, well-groomed and neat is more than enough for most employers. I’d rather have someone clean and neat who may not splash on a ton of makeup than someone who cakes it on and wears tight outfits.
I definitely think you should invest in your appearance. I’m low on the totem pole at work, but I dress well and the bossman notices. Yes, it would be nice to work while wearing my pajamas (and I know I get the same amount of work, if not more, done while dressed casually), but I know it’s important to dress well in the working world.
Having clothes that fit well makes a huge difference in both your confidence and how you appear to others. It’s funny to hear people defiantly state they don’t care what other people think. Well, it’s pretty rare to find a job where your presentation doesn’t matter at least a little bit. After all, how you present yourself is the first impression of your attitude.
I saw a co-worker wear leggings and a long top with a belt to work once. She looked like Peggy Bundy.
This is similar to the “dress for the job you want” argument. I totally agree. Right now, as a contract employee extremely low on the totem pole, I am more dressed up than 80% of the people in my workplace. Yet I know from various conversations that there are a few people in the office who know who I am because I “dress up” or “have neat clothes” (it’s an artsy business, so interesting is prized). I really think that has helped me stand out and get further contracts. Just dressing up and putting on makeup sends the signal that I got up early and spent time and energy getting ready for work because I want to be here.
Just like my friend who says wearing a suit makes him feel like he is at work, not at home lounging and eating chips.
When I was in high school, I got made fun of my looks a lot. It was a very dehumanizing experience. After high school, with the financial help of my parents, I spent a lot of time and money improving myself. Deep down in my heart I thought that if i didn’t have a makeover then I would have the same experience in the real world that I did in h.s.
I got a nose job ( I had a very wide nose and didn’t like it, much wider than most people had), got dental veneers, learned to wax my eyebrows, got LASIK. It made a huge difference in how I was treated by others. Appearance does matter. They have done studies in the past two years of how good looking people earn more, and that looks impacts women more. You don’t have to spend a lot on your appearance but it helps to look presentable.
I think its ridiculous when people deny that appearances matter. No one likes to think that they matter so much but they do. They’re the first thing that people see about you. After that its more about personality, character, ethics, and friendship.
I don’t think people have to spend money on designer labels and expensive beauty/makeup products, but it helps to spend some money on it. These days there are many great beauty and makeup at the drug store, and there are many clothes on sale all the time even at discount stores like Ross and TJ Maxx. Thrift stores and consignment stores are getting trendy clothes all the time.
Anyway society needs to stop pretending that looks don’t matter because they do. A lot. I learned that lesson the hard way.
I absolutely agree. I do not think people should go into massive debt to look good, but appearances and your attitude (usually linked to how you feel about your looks) make a difference.