Absolutely agree with your statements except I would argue the articles came to the same conclusion ie. if you’re a 20-year-old Caucasian woman don’t worry about make-up yet, but it will probably help your career if you’re older/of colour/trans/etc.

As a non make-up wearer I’ve had my share of negative experiences and I’ve never understood the corresponding negativity that make-up wearers face. Good on you for embracing make-up at work and thanks for sharing your thoughts and research.

And these 2 studies seemed to be the most linked in these “women who ____ makeup make higher salaries” click-bait articles. One study clearly states it’s only focusing on Caucasian women, so not only do studies not factor in job-type (such as bar tending or nursing) it also lacks intersectionality. However this doesn’t stop sites from writing up articles telling you should/shouldn’t wear makeup and basing it on a singular study despite similar studies finding opposing outcomes.

I absolutely agree with you that we’re conditioned to take responsibility for distracting male coworkers (and female coworkers with internalized misogyny who feel the need to tell other women what they’re doing wrong) and quite honestly fuck that altogether and all the articles convincing people who want to or don’t want to wear makeup that their choices have an impact on their careers because it’s not truly a choice they have at all to begin with.

At the workplace, make-up matters less than attractiveness, which matters less than a nice body, which are objective standards and, in my opinion, highlights sexism at the workplace. For example, bright lipstick is something you can remove to avoid the objectification you described, but an employee with big breasts can’t help but exude ‘femininity’; we’re conditioned to take responsibility for distracting our male colleagues (whether with make-up, our bodies, or whatever).

I work at a bar so my experience of objectification and the contrast to how my male colleagues are treated is probably more stark than an office environment. Thanks for this thought-provoking post.

Wearing business attire is overrated (and expensive.) Plus you can enjoy dressing up when you go out more! I’m constantly enjoying dressing down b/c all I do is dress up.

Thanks for the website suggestion. I wasn’t familiar with it!

I often wonder if the stress over work attire isn’t something linked to dress code fiascos that many girls experience during their school years? There was a lot of stress on girls dress codes in my school and who’s to say that doesn’t then bleed over into your adult life? Not to mention the countless articles about how to “properly” dress for work.