As a general rule, I do not like it when other people feel they “own” me and can make my personal decisions for me. I’ll groom myself, thank you very much — and if it’s a big deal, I guess I’ll go look for a different job.
But, having said that, my bigger concern is that the world today seems to have no standards, no manners, no etiquette, and no respect for oneself or for others. There is no humility. No sense that “others exist, and perhaps I ought to put them ahead of myself”. Instead, so many people seem to think that they are the star of a Broadway show and the spotlight needs to be on them all the time, because they are perfect.
So, in that light, I think that grooming standards are actually good. I think we need a sweeping movement to get people to turn the clock back to something like the 1940s. Be a grown man. Be a grown woman. Look good. Behave yourself. Have some respect.
Small steps make the world better. It’s so much bigger than grooming, but you have to start somewhere.