
Young lawyers often struggle with trying to keep up with societal perceptions that people have about lawyers.
The public sees lawyers as money minters. A lawyer that has just started practice is practically learning on the job, garnering experience and with minimal pay that is just enough to pay accommodation, feeding, basic need and upkeep.
It is not uncommon to find young lawyers looking tattered and disheveled.
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To keep up appearance, most young lawyers are silently choking on loans so as to buy nice suits, good dresses, nice cologne, nice car and a reasonable apartment.
For starters, you have to understand that you are broke not mad so you need not be unnecessarily unkempt.
So here are tips to look sleek on a low budget.
Hair
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You can plait long lasting hair like dreadlocks that need monthly repair, plaiting hair monthly is costly. On the alternative one can buy many wigs/weaves and she can be changing them weekly.
Wigs nowadays have been modified to look as natural as possible so, yeah!!! Every one around you will start thinking you change your hair style weekly.
Wigs are a life time investment and can be modified, treated and styled to your taste. There you will be spending less on hair on a monthly basis.
Suits
Tailor make your suits to your taste. Identify a good tailor in your area code.
In Kampala, they are so many in an area called Kiyembe, just near the Old Taxi Park.
You always choose a fashion of your choice and the advantage is that you can always get a 4 piece suit and a 3 piece suit for gentlemen at $50 dollars, that is ranging from UGX 150,000 to UGX 200,000 Ugandan Shillings.
The four piece suit for ladies can comprise of a trouser, skirt, coat and waist coat/inner jacket and for men a coat, trouser, inner jacket/waist coat.
Here you will be able to put on new suits on a daily with no one noticing they are the same. Ask me how?
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Recommended:
On Monday you will put on the skirt and coat and on Tuesday a trouser and coat, remember it is the same coat but different skirts and trouser.
Now, if you make three sets of suits, in color blue, black and grey, you will not be able to put on the “same suit” twice in a week.
Shoes
There is something about a lady putting on high heels and quality shoes.
Unfortunately, getting good ones is hard, they range from UGX 100,000 upwards but fortunately the same shoes are half the price in wholesale shops.
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So for UGX 350,000 you can be able to get 5 pairs of sleek shoes and you will not put on the same pair twice a month.
There are buildings opposite New Taxi Park next to former Qualicel Bus Terminal that sells shoes in wholesale but if you are buying more than four pairs, they sell to you at a whole sale price.
Scent
Get a signature scent where by if you enter a room everyone knows it is you.
It can be a rose flower scent, apple, mint and chocolate. Everywhere you go you leave a trail of scent but your scent need not be too strong because you have to mind about people with allergies and you don’t want your presence in a room to scream “attention seeker”.
You just have to be sophisticated, mild enough to arouse interest. The perfume shops that sell them at UGX 200,000 are often willing to divide the perfumes into smaller portions between 10 milliliters to 100 milliliters ranging from UGX 10,000 to UGX 25,000 depending on the brand.
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The scents are strong and can remain on your cloth two months and beyond.
Make Up
Invest in nice make up and toiletries. Just put on mild foundation to cover up blemishes on the face and use lip balm and lip gloss to keep the lips moist and little lip stick too.
Too much lipstick makes one to appear slutty and seductive. Have good lotions and soaps. Move with a hand lotion to apply on your hands every time you wash your hands, this will keep your hands moist.
You never know……. the next person you are greeting is the Chief Justice or your next employer (Wink! Wink!).
Hand Bags
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Invest in nice hand bags. Buy your bags from wholesale shops, the two in one, five in one. These hand bags come with many purses, small clutches and sling on mini bags.
You can always change the one you want to move with according to your taste. The whole set of handbags can range from UGX 70,000 to UGX 150,000 if one is buying from a whole sale shop.
Confidence
Be confident. Being so smart and attractive when you are not confident is like lighting a candle and putting it under the table.
Smile often, greet people with a smile, look in the eyes of people as you speak, nod your head as you speak because such gestures show confidence.
Live within your means
You don’t need to live from debt to debt just trying to fund a lifestyle you can’t afford.
Instead of getting a loan to buy a car, get a motor cyclist (bodaboda) and pay him monthly to drop you to and from work.
Writing to make it right, Lydia Etii Ajwang is a Lawyer in Private Practice.