It is no secret to girls that we spend more money and time on our appearance than boys do. Girls are trapped in a never-ending cycle of spending money. Whether this means getting your nails done, hair dyed, spray tans or buying new clothes and jewelry to keep up with ever-changing trends, there is constant money being spent on keeping up a good appearance.
To boys, this can generally be perceived as girls being high maintenance or not knowing how to spend money. However, girls are pressured to meet a certain standard to “look presentable.” Showing up to a school dance in a dress that you have already worn or having grown-out highlights in your hair is looked down upon by other girls.
Boys do not face this same problem. They can wear the same suit to every school dance, get their haircut once a month for significantly less money than girls and simply maintain good hygiene to appear put together. So, how do boys view the cost of being a girl?
“Yes, I’d say once it gets to a certain point, especially clothes, where your wardrobe is overflowing and there’s no point in buying new clothes when you already have the clothes that you need… I feel like you just need a couple of things and that’s it, that’s what boys do,” said Serra sophomore PJ Bordin.
However, girls face a stronger pressure to keep up with trends, while boys appear to feel differently about this.
“I would say that boys don’t really tend to care as much as girls about how they appear and what they look like or think about themselves. I would say girls spend a lot more money on themselves to appear either flashy or possibly attractive, because that’s modern day culture,” said Bordin.
There are many obvious differences between girls and boys. Girls tend to use makeup and wear lots of jewelry, while boys will generally stick to a simple skin and hair routine and possibly wear a chain around their neck. This leads to girls having to spend a lot more money on products needed to upkeep their appearance that boys do not really use.
“They definitely spend more money on makeup and hair products because you have to like to maintain your hair. It’s not just like shampoo and conditioner in the shower. And definitely makeup, like it’s not necessary, but it is preferred by a lot of people,” said Serra senior Will Bordin.
There are varying views from boys about the amount of money that girls spend on things related to their appearance. They understand the need to maintain things such as hair and skin routines, but see past the desire to keep up with trends and constantly purchase new clothes.
