Third of women who return to office post-birth ‘envious of single colleagues’

LONDON - A new study has revealed that mothers, who return to work after giving birth, feel ‘dowdy’ and ‘undervalued’ in comparison to their single counterparts.

Researchers found more than half of working mothers feel intimidated by fashionable younger colleagues and over a third of working mothers said they were really envious of their single colleagues who are often more stylish and get further in their careers as a result

A quarter believe they are overlooked in favour of more trendy workmates, and 44 per cent believe they have missed out on a promotion because of the way they looked.

The poll by Persil, a brand of laundry detergent, also revealed that 44 per cent of women feel self-conscious in the clothes they wear to the office and feel completely stuck in a rut when it comes to fashion.

However, award winning personal stylist Lisa Talbot noted that it doesn’t have to be this way.

“Despite the pressures of time and money, working mums should not feel that they don’t have the confidence to experiment with different looks and accessories. My advice would be to invest a little and create a simple capsule ‘working wardrobe’ of basics, suitable for helping you dress the part in any kind of workplace,” the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

Twenty-three per cent of women said they never get their figure back after having children, which has impacted on the clothes they wear to work.

29 per cent of them never have the chance to go clothes shopping on their own.

Nearly half (48 per cent) said it takes too much time and effort to go clothes shopping and they are usually too exhausted to attempt it.

And it’s got so extreme that 37 per cent of career mums have turned down an invitation to a work do because they felt they had nothing to wear. (ANI)