“Some say that DC is like Hollywood for Ugly People (since the smart people are successful here), but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number of exceptions.”
I have not. I was only in DC for 16 months, mind you, but it was exactly the step down I expected it to be. Perhaps that’s why so many of the men out there are content to wear pastel Easter colors all year round. Pink, salmon, orange, violet, yellow. For business casual. Christ.

Try Northern California for the frump look. Berkeley is a classic, dirty blue jeans, hair that looks like it has been cut with a lawnmower, no make up, pointed sharp teeth, angry stare. Polar opposite of LA.

I’m over 65 but my memory is good. I spent 8+ years at an Ivy. Worst experience in “objective beauty” was at a Law School mixer there circa 1966. The guys I was with that night ( none of us were in the Law School ) talked about the experience for years. I am convinced the term “butt ugly” stemmed from that group of girls.

A dentist friend of mine ( now long retired ) told me of his experience as a young dentist in the 1950s. He worked at a cosmetic dentistry clinic that serviced the Studios in Hollywood. The young “starlets” would be sent to the clinic for capping of their teeth so that their smiles would be perfect. He said that to a one they were breathtaking. However, there were three qualities that the Moguls of the studios wanted: Physical beauty, a grand voice and talent ( brains ). They all had the beauty, some the voice but talent was rare, most were dumb as posts. Alas. The studio system is also long gone and with their demise the Hollywood beauties are also few and far between compared with half a century ago.

Dan