One expert, Catherine Hakim, a professor of sociology at the London School of Economics, and author of the book, Erotic Capital: The Power of Attraction in the Boardroom and the Bedroom even suggests that professional women should use their "erotic capital" - beauty, sex appeal, charm, dress sense, liveliness, and fitness - to get ahead at work. Hakim is an expert on women's employment and theories of female status in society.

According to Hakim, the ''beauty premium'' is an important economic factor in our careers, citing a U.S. survey that found good-looking lawyers earn between 10 and 12 per cent more than less good-looking colleagues. Moreover, she says, an attractive person is more likely to land a job in the first place, and then be promoted. "Meritocracies are supposed to champion intelligence, qualifications, and experience. But physical and social attractiveness deliver substantial benefits in all social interaction - making a person more persuasive, able to secure the co-operation of colleagues, attract customers and sell products," she writes in a column for a London newspaper.