While being baby faced may pay off when you’re older and look younger than you are, it can be a hindrance in the corporate world when you’re younger. This article describes tips and tricks to help women with baby faces get ahead in the corporate world.
Avoid infantilizing styles
When you already have a baby face, frills and pastels are your enemy. Instead, stick to simple silhouettes, neutrals and jewel tones, and well-fitted garments.
Resist the urge to trend-chase
Chasing the latest trends is very high school — and if you have a baby face, it’s a behavior you want to avoid. This is especially true if the current trends aren’t flattering on your body type or are overly casual for office environments.
Rather than chasing the latest trends, stick to wardrobe classics for work. These tried-and-true looks that professional women have refined over the years will make you look more mature and polished.
Choose your jewelry wisely
While a well-thought out piece or two will tie an outfit together, wearing too much jewelry looks tacky and young. Focus on picking one statement piece that’ll tie your entire look together.
Sit and stand up straight
Good posture will help boost your confidence and assertiveness, both of which will make you seem older. If you’re on the more petite side, standing straight will also maximize every inch of your height.
If you struggle with maintaining good posture, basic yoga classes will help you improve your posture.
Make eye contact
Keeping eye contact with people when you’re talking to them will help them perceive you as more competent and confident. This will in turn make them see you as more mature.
Wear heels if they’re comfortable for you
If you’re comfortable in heels and your feet can handle them, the additional height you’ll get from heels will also mitigate your baby faced appearance. If you commute to work, keep a comfortable pair (or two) of heels at your desk and change once you get to work.
If you’re a New Yorker, check out these ideal heels for NYC streets.
Wear appropriate makeup
Applied properly, makeup will sharpen your features and make you look a little older. However, this is a place where less is more. A light brow fill, tinted moisturizer or foundation, light eyeliner, mascara, and lip balm or neutral lipstick is just enough to accentuate your features.
Consider a bob
Blunt bobs or lobs are a great way to slim your baby face and make you look a little older. A little movement via waves will also add some interest to this look.
Avoid too-high ponytails
Although every girl loves.a good ponytail for busy days out and about, baby faced women should remember that high ponies (like you usually wear for working out) will make you look younger.
If you want to rock a ponytail with your baby face, try a sleek, low ponytail with a side or middle part. This will give off a more mature vibe.
Keep track of your workplace accomplishments
When you’re baby faced, others will sometimes fail to recognize your hard work and efforts. To combat this, keep a detailed list of your work achievements so you can always prove your competence and abilities. This way, you’ll be sure that people don’t underestimate you because of your baby face.
Avoid speaking with vocal fry
Vocal fry — a speech pattern generally associated with young women — will make you sound younger. Some people also find it annoying.
Don’t talk like a valley girl
Like vocal fry, valley girl talk (also referred to as “valleyspeak”) is associated with young women. Again, as with vocal fry, this speech pattern is associated with young women.
Although, as with vocal fry, some argue that this speech pattern is secretly powerful, it’s also inarguably annoying to some. Additionally, given its association with young California teens, it’ll also make you sound younger.
Embrace your baby face
While it’s important to dress and act in ways that make you look mature and professional, you should also bear in mind that a baby faced look can also be beneficial in the office.
Studies have shown that baby faced people are perceived to be more innocent, and consequently more trustworthy, than mature-faced people. They’ve also shown that because baby faced people are perceived to be non-threatening, they can ask tough questions more easily than people with more mature faces.
Additionally, a Brandeis University study of over 500 small-claims court cases found that baby faced people were much less likely than mature-faced people to be found guilty of causing intentional harm. However, the baby faced people were more likely to be found guilty of causing negligent harm.
