Don’t judge a book by its cover, look beyond beauty, vanity is ugly, it’s what’s on the inside that counts… We’ve heard all those lines before, haven’t we? They’ve been drummed into us by the time we reach puberty.
But let’s talk about what people don’t say, people don’t tell you that by waking up an extra 30-minutes earlier each day to groom yourself actually pays off. Of course, good presentation is usually required to a certain standard in all jobs. But some people go for the bare minimum and others go full-on. I think it’s safe to say the sweet spot is somewhere in between.
How we look matters. What we wear matters. Especially in our career. Like it or not that’s just how it is. You either play the game or you don’t.
Let’s think about that for a moment… throw away your preconceived ideas about looking after your appearance as vanity or being self-obsessed…
It’s not about comparing who is more attractive, it’s about a level of self-care and self-respect. When done in a way that doesn’t seem self-indulged and image-obsessed – it can actually help your career, your social life, and your love life.
Looking good and feeling good are synonymous with each other. I can’t think of a time in my life where I felt like looking good has made me feel worse. Looking good when it’s chaotic is empowering and always provides a sense of control when everything else feels unpredictable.
Why Looking Good Matters:
- It shows you care about yourself
- It garners trust and professionalism
- It shows you understand the ‘value of perception’
- It opens up opportunities
- Your personal grooming shows your understanding of personal branding
- Dressing appropriately shows you understand social decorum
- People judge it’s what they do – don’t give them a reason to get distracted by looking at things that like grubby nails.
Like it or not, grooming and dressing in a way that shows we care about ourselves, that we pay attention to the details sends a subliminal message to your boss, your date, or a potential client about how you are likely to present yourself in a social or business situation.
Being well dressed and taking care of your appearance isn’t to be confused with trying to be ‘good looking’ – because we all know beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Style is objective. But personal presentation is not. You can tell if someone cares about themselves, and you can tell if they do not.
Basic Self-care & Grooming:
- Take care of your teeth. A good smile is worth its weight in gold.
- Brush your barnet, unruly hair just screams I don’t care
- Clean under your nails (dirt, fluff, food, whatever it is wedged under there – it is never a welcomed look). Pay attention to your fingers and toes
- Remove chipped nail polish, don’t pick it off, take it off properly
- Iron out the creases in your clothes – nothing says lazy and poor planning more than a crumpled up shirt
- Clean dirty shoes and repair any visible signs of wear and tear
- Remove fluff and pet hair from your jackets and coats
- Remove toothpaste from your chin, your shirt and anywhere else it may have fallen
Now all of these things are simply about grooming and about presentation. If you love fashion and want to be more styled, that’s fine too.
Dress appropriately for your work environment, if you’re in an office environment – you will need to dress the part. If you’re an artist, model, actor or musician or even a stylist like me, the rules are different – you have ample opportunities to be creative and express your personality through your clothes.
Ultimately this blog post is to remind us when it comes to self-care it’s often the attention to detail that matters.
If you’d like to work on your personal style please do get in touch. I’d be happy to help.
