The main question of the article is, why do women wear make up to work? There are positive elements to make up at work; people who are perceived as 'more-attractive' often can advance further in their career, as appearance-based judgements in their favor will open up opportunities. Additionally, it gives women a sense of confidence having a 'professional' and 'polished' appearance in the workplace. There are downsides as well; women often find they are not taken seriously by male coworkers when displaying a feminine appearance. Additionally, if a woman chooses not to wear makeup her femininity and sexuality are questioned, and regardless of her ability to complete a job she'll be judged on appearance.
Dellinger discusses the theories of a few feminist writers, and their worry that women are duped by the misconception that makeup (and cosmetic surgery) are empowering, when in reality women are still placating to a male conception of beauty.
The study used to complete this article included twenty women, from a variety of ethnic, economic, and sexual backgrounds. They were asked a variety of questions, mainly on their feelings regarding makeup in of itself, dress code and appearance in the workplace, the responses they've gotten from their coworkers about their appearance (with or without makeup), and if they've experienced any negative outcomes from makeup in the workplace.
During the interviews for the study, it was made clear there was no dress code requiring makeup at any of the locations where the women worked. For some women, the process of putting on makeup was habit, a process that they underwent each morning before work without much thought. Some only chose to wear makeup when it suited them, and then others did not wear makeup at all. What most of the women experienced, regardless of their makeup practices, was the women who wore makeup to work were viewed as having a healthy appearance, were heterosexual/feminine, and were 'credible'.
One of the women who chose makeup occasionally, said she received remarks about her appearance when she would arrive at work without makeup. Comments about how she looked ill or tired, and in turn the comments would make her self-conscious about her appearance. A similar experience happened with an older woman who was interviewed. Because of the comments about her appearance when not wearing eyeliner, she began to make a conscious choice to wear makeup everyday. Two other women, a DJ and a massage therapist, talked about how their appearance is what makes them convincing and authoritative in their professions. To not wear makeup would mean not being taken seriously.
Thus, women who regularly wear makeup to work and do not wear it for some reason on a particular day receive extremely positive comments about their appearance on occasions when they did wear it. (Dellinger and Williams, 157)
In that way, women are using makeup as a mask or a facade to appeal to the standards of the world once they are outside their homes. One of the women interviewed, who was a homemaker, felt the need to put on mascara and lipstick when running errands so she didn't appear homely when she went out. In this particular case, the homemaker was Taiwanese and she felt that the use of mascara give her more Caucasian features.
This brings us back to the standards of beauty that all the women who use makeup are trying to achieve. Dellinger points out that "Cultural images of healthy, energetic, and successful working women are, for the most part, young, white or Anglo-featured, thin, and made-up" (159).
Another cultural perception is that women are all (or should be heterosexual). Four of the twenty women identified themselves as lesbian, and there seemed to be a general idea that a tomboyish appearance was not feminine, thus if they did not appeal to the sexuality of their gender they were not considered professional.
One of the straight women earlier interviewed mentioned being present while her husband interacted with a new hire for his company, and regardless of her intelligence and capabilities, he was considering letting the new hire go for not 'taking care of her appearance'.
The first of the lesbian women, a social worker, did not wear makeup at work because her office environment was more lax. Still she received comments from her coworkers about improvements to her appearance, that way she may be taken more seriously. However, she's more concerned that her being single and less outwardly feminine in her style might peg her as a lesbian at work, and at the time she was not prepared to 'come out' to her office. (This was in the 1990's.) The other two women who were lesbian, a copywriter and a lawyer, both choose to wear makeup as they find it easier to interact with their male coworkers and blend in with the other women. Once again, their credibility as professionals isn't questioned because they conform to the standards.
So while they are not dressing a certain way and putting on makeup to appeal to men specifically, they have to conform to ideas of female sexuality that were instilled in the workplace by men. The social worker listed 2 other jobs she held/applied for, a waitress and a dance instructor, where her lack of makeup and feminine appearance cost her the position.
The last lesbian did not feel the need to wear makeup at work, because she worked at a print shop where the dress code was lax and she was 'out' to her coworkers. She suspected many of her male coworkers just assumed that her lack of makeup was apart of being 'lesbian' .
In the section of the article that discusses credibility, it seems that women are faced with the idea that if you are not pleasing to look at you are not valid. A beautician that was interviewed said a nice hairstyle and makeup is essential to convince her clientele she is legitimate as a beauty consultant. The lesbian lawyer noticed that women in court who do not wear makeup are not received very well, so she took to wearing makeup to maintain being competitive in a male-dominated field.
Race and age are also considered, the sexual objectification of a young white woman is still the beauty standard in the United States, but only applicable to certain kinds of professions. Youth can also connote inexperience, so some teachers and lawyers interviewed explained that to appear too young will also jeopardize their credibility.
When it comes to youthful appearance and status, women must negotiate societal standards of beauty, the demands of their particular workplace and occupation, and the difficult task of trying not to look like they are trying to look too young. (Dellinger and Williams, 167)
The last portion of 'Makeup and the Workplace' is how women try to make the use of makeup their own choice and iconic of being a woman, despite the male-based demands in the work environment. Many of the women discussed makeup and cosmetics with their female coworkers, that they often go shopping for makeup with friends, and that such conversations form bonds with other women. Other women in the study disagreed, that discussing makeup or suggesting beauty tips could also be detrimental to one's self confidence, much like the remarks about their appearance at work.
For some of the women, makeup was a personalized beauty regiment that was pampering when they were alone. Other wore makeup to work, and then simply did not think about it the rest of the time. During the study, it seemed the majority of women wore makeup for pleasure and not to undermine the gender roles imposed in the workplace.
In closing it seems that most of the reasons women whose to wear makeup were sociological, economical, and psychological. In order to advance economically, they had to conform to society's beauty standards. However, it is the beauty standards themselves that made women feel inadequate and require makeup in the first place.
I've definitely felt pressure to wear makeup at work before. When I was a waitress, and did not have time to put on makeup before my shift, I noticed people were quicker to dismiss me conversationally and would be less warm during interactions. The same is when I've worked at retail jobs, customers - men in particular, are less inclined to interact with you. However, when I've been wearing a full face of makeup, they're much more relaxed about being assisted.
My sister and I once experimented with this idea when we went out ourselves. One of us would wear no makeup while the other would wear the whole 9-yards, most often the made up individual would receive more attention. We even experimented with glasses, and we found that women wearing glasses often were ignored in a similar way.
Works cited:
Makeup at Work: Negotiating Appearance Rules in the Workplace
Kirsten Dellinger, Christine L. Williams
Gender and Society
Vol. 11, No. 2 (Apr., 1997), pp. 151-177
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/190541
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