Comments on: Investing in Yourself: Personal Appearance and Hygiene

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:34:48 +0000

Hi Trent, I’ve just started reading your posts and this is the first yet that I’m urged to put in my two cents.

I like this post.

I do shower. I am a clean person. My house is clean and all that.

However, I must admit that lately I have not been taking care of myself. I get up, quickly shower and throw on jeans (usually) and a blouse/shirt. Not really caring about my appearance.

This gave me pause. I certainly deserve better so I should invest more time in me.

And the antibacterial soap thing was a good one. I didn’t think about that until you.

Very good post.

It just perks me up to.. duh! care more about me.

By: L

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:18:08 +0000

Trent, you said: However, I figured that the 80-90% would understand that this article would have a lot of value for the 10-20% that really needed the advice.

I just wanted to say(a year later?) this IS a common problem. I have a coworker who doesn’t bathe regularly, and even in a casual work environment, it can be a really tough situation.

But also, so what if it doesn’t apply to all of us? Probably 70% of articles on personal finance don’t apply to me, but I still love reading them. It’s good for you to read things that may not apply – they may apply later, or may help you in another situation. Or they can help you at least see a different point of view. Not sure where I read we can challenge ourselves by reading books by authors with completely different ideals and POV’s, but I think it’s a good idea. If we can see the world thru other people, we can become more well-rounded, compassionate, and kind. :)

By: Ruth

Ruth — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:57:27 +0000

Hi All,
Trent I praise what you have done here!
As an employer, trainer, and person who has to deal with volunteer workers, and with students in an educational area, your article is beyond what I could have hoped for in making a course of “Revealing your full potential”.
I have employees who don’t know how to dress for success either, let alone use personal hygene at all. Hopefully with your permission I can add your article for them to read, so that they truly can learn how to get that job they really want!
Thanks Trent… I appreciate you!

By: KarenFLA

KarenFLA — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:46:52 +0000

Those who think that there are not professional people who come to work smelling and/or unkempt are pretty lucky not to have encountered it in the workplace. Years ago my manager assigned me as the supervisor the task of explaining to a professional with a master’s degree that she would have to bathe, brush her teeth, use deodorant and iron her clothing. She stank and looked like a demented person. I was kind, but persistent and it took a number of sessions to get her to bathe, but the clothes remained unkempt, and she finally resigned because other employees started making comments to her. The other professionals in the office had complained to me and to the manager. They were trying to maintain a professional atmosphere and the customers were asking about the “smelly crazy woman” who was always there, which is why he asked me to speak to her. There were other people who did not practice hygiene as Trent describes who were not anywhere as bad as her and people shied away from them. I spoke to one woman I was very friendly with who sweated profusely in meetings in the conference room and smelled and she changed her deodorant. They also were not promoted as you did not want your customers thinking the company was like them.
I agree with those who brought up the hand washing. I wash my hands whenever I return to the office or my home and make an effort not to touch my face or eyes after shaking hands with someone. As a result I get far fewer colds than other people.
Those who think tattoos do not affect their ability to get promotions in a field other than the creative arts are naive. The bosses do not say anything, but they give each other looks and the result is to pass them over for promotion.
There are also some Europeans who do not bathe often as Americans who are used to two bathroom homes and they sometimes are avoided in the American work situation and have no idea why.

By: NP

NP — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:22:06 +0000

I teach middle school students a career prep. I quoted Trent in the past about the importance of hygiene. I love that article about getting along with no money and scrounging for food. When you are broke, at least be personally presentable so people won’t mind your mooching. All of the topics on this blog are not going to apply to the lives of every reader. I think one should take what you like and leave the rest.

Personally, I think it’s ok to bathe every other day if you didn’t get sweaty and dirty, and bathe more frequently in the summer. That’s what I have always done and I don’t perceive that I have body odor. I think my hair actually looks better on the unwashed days. I do think you should wear fresh underwear and clothes daily though. I will wear clothes a second time on the weekends occasionally or when I travel, especially jeans or sweaters worn over other shirts.

By: daydreamr

daydreamr — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:14:04 +0000

I am surprised at the amount of negativity concerning this article! The reality is this: Some people have never been taught how to perform basic hygene. Others DON’T have common sense.

Of course there are some who just don’t care. If they do work, it’s not a requirement and it may be the reason for why they don’t ever get anywhere in life.

The fact of the matter is that Americans, in general, place much value on good personal hygene. It’s not fair or even right to judge a book by it’s cover but, our appearance says a lot about us. They say that when you meet someone, that person has formulated an opinion of you within 30 seconds.

As Trent pointed out, some people need to bathe more than others. I also have very oily skin and would not even think about going to school, an interveiw, or to the doctor without being freshly bathed. I also dress fairly well. I have noticed that when I dress down for certain occasions where I should be dressed up, I am treated differently. It really does matter.

Although there are some people in Trent’s audience who think this is condescending, preachy, or just plain rediculous, there are those who could benefit from it. It is extremely relevant to PF and the series of investing in yourself. How many people thought Trent was being rediculous when he talked about healthy eating, exercise, drinking water, etc.?

We live in a dirty world. We come into contact with germs all the time. I read things all the time about how regular bathing and hand washing helps in preventing colds, flu’s etc. What do you suppose that gunk under your fingernails is? It certainly isn’t sanitary. And since it is customary to shake hands with people, wouldn’t you hope that the person you shook hands with washed his hands after his/her last trip to the rest room? I certainly wouldn’t want to even think about the possibility of that person scratching in bum…Anyway, there might be a group of people out there who think this post is totally rediculous. I think those people are totally rediculous and wonder why they are being so critical and defensive. Do they struggle in the hygene department?

By: sylrayj

sylrayj — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:10:39 +0000

I appreciated this article. My son has Aspergers syndrome, and doesn’t think of things like these. I like that everything is spelled out plain, because now I can make use of this article to make ‘how to do it’ sheets for my boy.

Many people will know how to do this. Not everyone does.

By: Zeca

Zeca — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:44:08 +0000

@Harm
Depending on the weather, once a day is not even enough.

By: Zeca

Zeca — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:38:39 +0000

Trent,
Since you realized it was a mistake, why don’t you just delete this post?
Or you will still get bad reactions from people who come in from google.

By: Talitha

Talitha — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:52:38 +0000

Wow! I really don’t understand why those that do not like this post are so hostile about their dislike. Personally, I thought it was very relevant. I assume that folks such as Margo and Jae were raised in the upper-middle class and have no idea how rarely “common sense” or “basic knowledge” things are taught in lower class and poverty level households. I have seen highly intelligent and capable individuals completely miss basic principles due to this very thing. I will admit to being one who really did not know that I needed to scrub vigorously in the shower. I was taught that a good long rinse was all I needed. (I had a very alternative childhood in many ways.)

My advice to the critics? Read and take from this blog what is helpful to you, and leave the rest. But stop complaining because every post doesn’t apply to you. Trent’s blog is way too broad for every post to apply to every person.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:07:44 +0000

Guinness416,
Actually, most Asian cultures don’t use deodorant. I lived in Japan for 3 years and they don’t even sell anything like it (yeah, there are a few perfumy-spray things, but totally ineffective). In fact, among the foreigners, deodorant was a prized possession – whenever someone traveled to the US, we’d all “order” deodorant and toothpaste (Japanese is too sweet & doesn’t alway have flouride).

On the other hand, most of the Japanese honestly don’t need it – most.

Trent,
Also not a fan of this post, but think it may be needed. I have to say I was never taught some of these things, and had to learn them as an adult. I’m a grad student, I dress up a few times a week for work, but not the other days – and I can *feel* the difference.

By: Louise

Louise — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 12:21:22 +0000

Having needed deodorant since I hit puberty, I am keenly aware of the need for good hygeine. I have worked with people who didn’t realise they smelled, and I have quietly taken them aside and pointed it out. Occasionally I got a really bad response, but most of the time they were thankful someone had told them. Normally if someone smells bad, no one wants to be the one to tell them. I have also been in the position of hiring casual staff. When they have dressed inappropriately, I have let them know that the reason I would not rehire them for future casual work is because their clothing was inappropriate for our particular work environment (too tight cartoon character t-shirts, hipster jeans and underwear as outerwear in a law firm). Once again, in most cases people don’t say these things, just like when you go to a restaurant and get a surly waiter, you don’t complain, you just never go back to that restaurant. At least if you tell people they are dressing inappropriately for the job, or stink to high heaven, they have a chance to change it before it impacts too heavily on their career prospects.

I can understand why people took offence at this article – it seems to imply that most of us don’t know the basics – but quite a few people don’t know the basics. They don’t realise they stink or that they dress inappropriately, or they don’t realise how seriously this undermines other peoples confidence in them. 90% of Trents audience may know this, but the other 10% may not realise that slap dash hygiene makes them look bad at their work to their co-workers or someone thinking of hiring them. I do however agree with the other readers who are saying post a “how to establish a routine” idea. As for the readers who are complaining that it costs too much money – come on – toothpaste, dental floss, a basic toothbrush and a bar of soap are all available at extremely cheap prices. If you don’t want to waste water, by all means use a washcloth and a basin of water, just remember to use the deodorant afterwards.

By: Sabrina

Sabrina — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:29:34 +0000

I second the “how to establish a routine” idea – it’s a principle that applies to personal finance and to self-improvement overall, and is a hard technique for many to master.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:08:37 +0000

Trent, maybe a good idea for a future post would be “how to establish a routine.” Most of us have things that we know we should be doing, but try as we might, we just can’t work them into our daily lives. Me, I know I should keep my apartment cleaner than I do, but it never gets done. Other people say they wish they could bring packed lunches to work more often, but just can’t work that into their daily routine. And I guess there are people who feel the same way about showering, shaving, or whatever.

You seem to have made lots of big changes in your life in a short amount of time – how do you turn something that feels unnatural into second nature?

By: Lenore

Lenore — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:55:17 +0000

Until I became clinically depressed, I showered daily and wore jewelry and makeup most of the time. I have a bachelor’s degree and worked in a business casual setting, wearing suits for meetings or special events. As my energy waned and the apathy of hopelessness took over, I paid less attention to how I looked or even smelled. Now that I’m on disability for bipolar disorder, I bathe only once or twice a week, partly to save money on hygiene products but mostly from lack of motivation and concern about how I look. Since I don’t have a career to maintain or much hope of re-entering the work world, my priorities have shifted. I’ll admit my hair gets greasy by the fourth or fifth day, and I probably rely on spritzing my underwear with cologne more than I should. Cleanliness just doesn’t seem as important as it did before, but I realize this disregard stems from my disease. I think most healthy adults are keenly aware of the grooming expectations in professional settings. My standards have slipped because they can and because there are many days when I don’t care about much of anything. It occurs to me that I could have spent the time writing this taking a shower, but for some reason I’m compelled to respond to things on the internet. Seriously, I waste too much time sharing my opinions about Britney Spears or whatever, even though I know no one cares or may even read my posts. Too bad I’m not compulsive about cleaning instead.

By: Trent

Trent — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:37:32 +0000

“However, if I tell stories/allegories, I get my point across without sounding “holier than thou.””

Most of the post does consist of stories… and most of them are of personal detriment to me.

I’m beginning to think the problem isn’t with the article itself, but with the headlines.

By: Harm

Harm — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:18:10 +0000

I’ll add my 2 cents, and say I don’t think
most people need to shower every day…..one
probably can’t go a week without a shower
(though lots of people in the world go longer)
but I don’t think I’m going to develop b.o.
in 48 hours. You should probably shower at least
every other day if you work out….but I don’t
believe anyone’s health will be compromised by
not bathing every day, and think of the energy
savings! (and less soap in the water supply)

By: Jae

Jae — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 02:33:20 +0000

Trent, as I read the responses and think, I come up with this question. Who is your audience? Do you want to reach the 80-90 percent you admit “gets it”, or do you want to reach what you say is the 10-20 percent who “doesn’t understand it?” Or, do you want to reach everyone? If you want to reach everyone, how can you do it without alienating the majority?

I agree with you that it’s important that people need this information. But,even people who may need this information (or other sensitive topic info), do not like to be preached at. I teach in a high poverty school. I live with stink, bad breath daily. If I preached to the entire class, I would alienate all of them. However, if I tell stories/allegories, I get my point across without sounding “holier than thou.”

Your use of the word “backlash” is defensive. You are receiving constructive criticism from your future customers. Do not talk down/back to them.

By: guinness416

guinness416 — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 02:28:52 +0000

What cultures don’t use deodorant (says the Irish woman married to the Bangladeshi guy)?

By: Trent

Trent — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 02:14:49 +0000

“Can you actually imagine someone reading this post and thinking “Eureka! So THAT’S what deodorant is for!”…?”

No, but I can easily imagine someone who was raised in a different culture or with a different set of social mores who never even considered the point of applying deodorant because it wasn’t something that was a natural part of their life.