DMV Beauty Reality Check

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people are around average-looking. Beauty is more or less normally distributed. Don't let grooming fool you.

But shouldn’t it count for something- doing the best with what you have?

I will admit OP’s sentiments came into my head because of the recent post on How Would Men Rate You (or something like that). There were a lot of high scores but then looking at the real world, everyone looks fine, normal, average. I’ve been going to NYC for work lately and have ended up with the same impression. When I started work in my 20s, I couldn’t believe the difference in how NYC womenpresented themselves and I presented myself. Now at 50, it’s all kind of mushed in the middle.

It's 2024. We are in the middle of an overweight/obesity epidemic. Taking care of yourself matters a great deal. And PP's "don't let grooming fool you" only takes the position that perfect grooming can't make up for a lack of genetics and fails to consider the negative consequences of average or less grooming, when others make an effort.

I think perhaps you are seeing less effort in NYC because culture has changed post-pandemic. Years of sitting in the house in pajamas and no makeup changed us.

I WFH in leggings and no makeup most days. I'm also normal weight and I lift more than casually, so I'm "taking care of myself" in that sense. I clean up when I have professional or social obligations that require cleaning up. What exactly are the negative consequences of me being ungroomed most of the time? Who am I trying to impress at the grocery store?

You are kind of proving my point here...

[Anonymous]

As is the case with most things, socioeconomics matter.

Too affluent to need to work? Those ladies are fit and attractive. They have hired help and invest time in exercising, facials, styling their hair, etc.

Familiar with the east coast moneyed set? They know how to look put together in an understated yet fabulous way.

I know these women. I envy these women. And many of them live in DC, NY, the mainline outside Philly, Boston, CT, etc. Some live in the md and va burbs.

It’s different in the south. Charleston and Beaufort are very comparable to the east coast/New England aesthetics, but the rest of the south puts a sexier spin on it.

But if you’re just looking at the people commuting to dc because they must work, not surprising that they look frazzled and frumpy.

ICYMI: DC has probably the best educated workforce that prioritizes brains over beauty, so we don’t care what the op thinks about our wrinkles or fluffy thighs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people are around average-looking. Beauty is more or less normally distributed. Don't let grooming fool you.

But shouldn’t it count for something- doing the best with what you have?

I will admit OP’s sentiments came into my head because of the recent post on How Would Men Rate You (or something like that). There were a lot of high scores but then looking at the real world, everyone looks fine, normal, average. I’ve been going to NYC for work lately and have ended up with the same impression. When I started work in my 20s, I couldn’t believe the difference in how NYC womenpresented themselves and I presented myself. Now at 50, it’s all kind of mushed in the middle.

It's 2024. We are in the middle of an overweight/obesity epidemic. Taking care of yourself matters a great deal. And PP's "don't let grooming fool you" only takes the position that perfect grooming can't make up for a lack of genetics and fails to consider the negative consequences of average or less grooming, when others make an effort.

I think perhaps you are seeing less effort in NYC because culture has changed post-pandemic. Years of sitting in the house in pajamas and no makeup changed us.

I WFH in leggings and no makeup most days. I'm also normal weight and I lift more than casually, so I'm "taking care of myself" in that sense. I clean up when I have professional or social obligations that require cleaning up. What exactly are the negative consequences of me being ungroomed most of the time? Who am I trying to impress at the grocery store?

You are kind of proving my point here...

If your point was that I'm supposed to GAF about you judging me in the grocery store, I wasn't. You think I should wear makeup, I think you should deadlift. Neither of these opinions matters.

[Anonymous]

Didn’t this topic get raised here at least once a year?! Get over it, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people are around average-looking. Beauty is more or less normally distributed. Don't let grooming fool you.

But shouldn’t it count for something- doing the best with what you have?

I will admit OP’s sentiments came into my head because of the recent post on How Would Men Rate You (or something like that). There were a lot of high scores but then looking at the real world, everyone looks fine, normal, average. I’ve been going to NYC for work lately and have ended up with the same impression. When I started work in my 20s, I couldn’t believe the difference in how NYC womenpresented themselves and I presented myself. Now at 50, it’s all kind of mushed in the middle.

It's 2024. We are in the middle of an overweight/obesity epidemic. Taking care of yourself matters a great deal. And PP's "don't let grooming fool you" only takes the position that perfect grooming can't make up for a lack of genetics and fails to consider the negative consequences of average or less grooming, when others make an effort.

I think perhaps you are seeing less effort in NYC because culture has changed post-pandemic. Years of sitting in the house in pajamas and no makeup changed us.

I WFH in leggings and no makeup most days. I'm also normal weight and I lift more than casually, so I'm "taking care of myself" in that sense. I clean up when I have professional or social obligations that require cleaning up. What exactly are the negative consequences of me being ungroomed most of the time? Who am I trying to impress at the grocery store?

You are kind of proving my point here...

If your point was that I'm supposed to GAF about you judging me in the grocery store, I wasn't. You think I should wear makeup, I think you should deadlift. Neither of these opinions matters.

Only on DCUM is this an either/or option.

[Anonymous]

No one cares but you OP. Please move somewhere where everyone is more attractive.

[Anonymous]

I just attended a prestigious national panel discussion in DC. The three women on the panel were think tankers and academics. None of them had done a thing with their hair and had no makeup on. Yet, they were so badass, so brilliant, so warm yet in complete command of the subject matter and the discussion. I was in awe. They were not unattractive either.

[Anonymous]

I think many in the DC area are stressed out, anxious and generally miserable. This translates as unattractive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t this topic get raised here at least once a year?! Get over it, OP.

Yeah. This is DCUM’s annual reality check.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP could be talking about men, too, but it’s interesting that everyone automatically assumed this was about women.

I assumed it was women because on this board they are ones to discussing ratings. I rarely hear men on this board boast about their looks.

I absolutely agree with OP - and I’m talking about the men of DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people are around average-looking. Beauty is more or less normally distributed. Don't let grooming fool you.

But shouldn’t it count for something- doing the best with what you have?

I will admit OP’s sentiments came into my head because of the recent post on How Would Men Rate You (or something like that). There were a lot of high scores but then looking at the real world, everyone looks fine, normal, average. I’ve been going to NYC for work lately and have ended up with the same impression. When I started work in my 20s, I couldn’t believe the difference in how NYC womenpresented themselves and I presented myself. Now at 50, it’s all kind of mushed in the middle.

It's 2024. We are in the middle of an overweight/obesity epidemic. Taking care of yourself matters a great deal. And PP's "don't let grooming fool you" only takes the position that perfect grooming can't make up for a lack of genetics and fails to consider the negative consequences of average or less grooming, when others make an effort.

I think perhaps you are seeing less effort in NYC because culture has changed post-pandemic. Years of sitting in the house in pajamas and no makeup changed us.

I WFH in leggings and no makeup most days. I'm also normal weight and I lift more than casually, so I'm "taking care of myself" in that sense. I clean up when I have professional or social obligations that require cleaning up. What exactly are the negative consequences of me being ungroomed most of the time? Who am I trying to impress at the grocery store?

You are kind of proving my point here...

If your point was that I'm supposed to GAF about you judging me in the grocery store, I wasn't. You think I should wear makeup, I think you should deadlift. Neither of these opinions matters.

Only on DCUM is this an either/or option.

DP. Agreed. Plus the person you responded to sounds completely unhinged. They clearly missed the point and then angrily projected onto the original “the culture has changed” PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people are around average-looking. Beauty is more or less normally distributed. Don't let grooming fool you.

But shouldn’t it count for something- doing the best with what you have?

I will admit OP’s sentiments came into my head because of the recent post on How Would Men Rate You (or something like that). There were a lot of high scores but then looking at the real world, everyone looks fine, normal, average. I’ve been going to NYC for work lately and have ended up with the same impression. When I started work in my 20s, I couldn’t believe the difference in how NYC womenpresented themselves and I presented myself. Now at 50, it’s all kind of mushed in the middle.

It's 2024. We are in the middle of an overweight/obesity epidemic. Taking care of yourself matters a great deal. And PP's "don't let grooming fool you" only takes the position that perfect grooming can't make up for a lack of genetics and fails to consider the negative consequences of average or less grooming, when others make an effort.

I think perhaps you are seeing less effort in NYC because culture has changed post-pandemic. Years of sitting in the house in pajamas and no makeup changed us.

I WFH in leggings and no makeup most days. I'm also normal weight and I lift more than casually, so I'm "taking care of myself" in that sense. I clean up when I have professional or social obligations that require cleaning up. What exactly are the negative consequences of me being ungroomed most of the time? Who am I trying to impress at the grocery store?

You are kind of proving my point here...

If your point was that I'm supposed to GAF about you judging me in the grocery store, I wasn't. You think I should wear makeup, I think you should deadlift. Neither of these opinions matters.

Only on DCUM is this an either/or option.

DP. Agreed. Plus the person you responded to sounds completely unhinged. They clearly missed the point and then angrily projected onto the original “the culture has changed” PP.

I think judging other people in the grocery store for not being made up is angry and unhinged, as is thinking anyone should care that you find a whole city unattractive, but you do you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As is the case with most things, socioeconomics matter.

Too affluent to need to work? Those ladies are fit and attractive. They have hired help and invest time in exercising, facials, styling their hair, etc.

Familiar with the east coast moneyed set? They know how to look put together in an understated yet fabulous way.

I know these women. I envy these women. And many of them live in DC, NY, the mainline outside Philly, Boston, CT, etc. Some live in the md and va burbs.

It’s different in the south. Charleston and Beaufort are very comparable to the east coast/New England aesthetics, but the rest of the south puts a sexier spin on it.

But if you’re just looking at the people commuting to dc because they must work, not surprising that they look frazzled and frumpy.

ICYMI: DC has probably the best educated workforce that prioritizes brains over beauty, so we don’t care what the op thinks about our wrinkles or fluffy thighs.

But why must it be either or? Is yes, and never an option?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people are around average-looking. Beauty is more or less normally distributed. Don't let grooming fool you.

But shouldn’t it count for something- doing the best with what you have?

I will admit OP’s sentiments came into my head because of the recent post on How Would Men Rate You (or something like that). There were a lot of high scores but then looking at the real world, everyone looks fine, normal, average. I’ve been going to NYC for work lately and have ended up with the same impression. When I started work in my 20s, I couldn’t believe the difference in how NYC womenpresented themselves and I presented myself. Now at 50, it’s all kind of mushed in the middle.

It's 2024. We are in the middle of an overweight/obesity epidemic. Taking care of yourself matters a great deal. And PP's "don't let grooming fool you" only takes the position that perfect grooming can't make up for a lack of genetics and fails to consider the negative consequences of average or less grooming, when others make an effort.

I think perhaps you are seeing less effort in NYC because culture has changed post-pandemic. Years of sitting in the house in pajamas and no makeup changed us.

I WFH in leggings and no makeup most days. I'm also normal weight and I lift more than casually, so I'm "taking care of myself" in that sense. I clean up when I have professional or social obligations that require cleaning up. What exactly are the negative consequences of me being ungroomed most of the time? Who am I trying to impress at the grocery store?

You are kind of proving my point here...

If your point was that I'm supposed to GAF about you judging me in the grocery store, I wasn't. You think I should wear makeup, I think you should deadlift. Neither of these opinions matters.

Only on DCUM is this an either/or option.

DP. Agreed. Plus the person you responded to sounds completely unhinged. They clearly missed the point and then angrily projected onto the original “the culture has changed” PP.

I think judging other people in the grocery store for not being made up is angry and unhinged, as is thinking anyone should care that you find a whole city unattractive, but you do you.

People judge people for all kinds of things, including appearance and grooming. As long as PP is treating people respectfully, why does it bother you so much that she is judging them? (Welcome to the human race!)

I think you want to dictate HOW you should be judged and are throwing a bit of a tantrum that other people might find you unattractive
/disheveled/ slovenly at the grocery store when YOU know that’s NOT how you REALLY look. If you were actually confident and secure, nothing that has been said in this thread would have you so triggered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just attended a prestigious national panel discussion in DC. The three women on the panel were think tankers and academics. None of them had done a thing with their hair and had no makeup on. Yet, they were so badass, so brilliant, so warm yet in complete command of the subject matter and the discussion. I was in awe. They were not unattractive either.

No one except other nerd women are impressed