From what I can see from the outside as a man, even successful female professionals are expected to _look_ like a successful female professional, which is thin

From what I can see from the outside as a man, even successful female professionals are expected to _look_ like a successful female professional, which is thin, elegant, classy, with a good amount of make-up. A huge part of the perception of how successful female professionals are comes from their looks. I notice that this beauty standard is mostly kept alive by women themselves. Men care a lot less about the appearances of professionals, especially if they're women. It also depends on the industry. Women in engineering seem only really to be judged by other women outside of engineering. Maybe this is why you haven't noticed it?