At initial glance, the concept of making yourself look good in order to be respected in society seems like a sham.

While it is true that my self-worth is not determined by how good I am at doing makeup or wearing expensive clothes, the more people I meet and the more real-life experiences I gain, I have begun to realise that the way we present ourselves to the world plays a dominating role in how we are perceived and treated by others.

Even though we may not want to feel this way, there still exists a preconceived notion in our subconscious that is formed from the outward appearance of a person. When we’re meeting new people, one of the first things we notice is how they have carried themselves. This can include things like choice of outfit, how well-groomed they are, and how much effort they have put into making themselves look nice.

Not only that, we must also recognise the many benefits that dressing up can bring.

Dressing up is an excellent form of self-care. When you know you look good, you get an instant boost of confidence that you wouldn’t be able to get anyway else. For me, looking good will inevitably come when you feel good. This works in a cycle. On days I’ve let myself go I automatically feel gloomy and much less productive.

However, there seems to exist a harrowing idea that continues to plague our society where people who go the extra mile to make themselves look good are seen as superficial, or fickle. This is especially true for women. “She cares too much about how she looks”, “she wears too much makeup” and “smart girls shouldn’t be worried about their appearance” are heard too often by girls growing up in South Asian families. The very existence of the phrase “beauty with…