Put a frame on it; The Power of Ugly

Models are the worst. 

No, really. 
 

After watching the TED talk by Cameron Russel, I'm fully convinced that life is not fair. (though the C I received on my math quiz in Mrs. Clark's 6th grade math class gave me a pretty good head start on that discovery).

Models have the ability to change the way that they're perceived in an instant. 

It's pretty widely accepted that a good looking woman can get her way in manifold circumstances simply by revealing her looks. 

But it gets a little more interesting when you consider what she can actually get by covering them up.

 

If you're anything like me, you'll see that Cameron begins her speech in a short, tight dress - and immediately think - 

"how inappropriate for that 'smart' model to dress so stupidly". 

Within moments, though, she reads our minds, awkwardly changes clothes, and explains this ability to instantly alter our expectations.

We didn't respect her, 

but now we do. 

Now, instead of the woman who flaunts her beauty, she is the woman who denies it. 

By putting on a black midi skirt and a drab black cardigan, she has gained an ounce more of our respect. She refuses to let her looks be her selling point - her crutch. 

But what happens when this denial starts making you unhappy?

Why can't we women have both?: The form-fitting, self-confidence boosting/aesthetically-pleasing attire and the respect of others?

Why are makeup, high-heeled shoes, tank-tops, bare legs, etc etc, so detrimental to our professional image? You'd think that if it's OK to park a Ferrari in your reserved office spot, you could also park an equally beautiful figure in your office chair. 

Not the case. 

Instead, I'm learning the hard way that negating my personal style is the only way to gain a semblance of respect from a whole host of individuals. Black slacks garner a much more positive response than my favorite pencil skirts, and flats engender more smiles than pumps. 

The only piece I've yet found that simultaneously pleases both my aesthetic and my critical colleagues, happens to be 

my glasses. 

It's amazing the difference I see in day-to-day interactions when I'm wearing them versus when I'm not. 

Which leads me to believe that the stigma surrounding the fashion industry could very easily be remedied with a simple universal vision prescription for Karlie, Carla, Klum and friends.

Because obviously we're all 20 times smarter, more down to earth, and selfless when we're covering our eyes with oval-shaped glass. 

And obviously we deserve to be treated poorly when we're not. 

Ohhhh society.

You will never cease to annoy me. 

Cheers.

Full disclosure: these glasses have fake frames, intended to be filled. Hence the "ray-ban" text. I'm trend-setting. (read: cheap)