Hi all! Happy Monday! Here's a great article from Diversity, Inc. on perming your hair for the workplace (sent by What Women Really Think reader Teka -- Thanks!). Click here for article.
We all know that dreads, afros, and braids are less common in corporate America than straight hair. Some people think that any hairstyle is fine for the workplace, but in my experience in corporate America, women who have "alternative" hairstyles are the exception, not the norm. This is because as a Black woman, we have to blend in order to be taken as a serious professional. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying what my experience has been. Take this quote from the article:
"I've gone out of my way to make sure my hair is not representative of a stereotypical image," says Cantlo. "If a white girl came to work with a Mohawk, you would think she is not professional. So [wearing straight hair] is not a standard of beauty, it's a standard of professionalism."
Is it less professional to wear braids, twists, or dreads at work?
Do you straighten your hair to seem more professional or do you do it for beauty?
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3 comments:
I personally relax my hair for ease. My hair is tough to do naturally...although, on 2nd thought, I've never had it natural...not since I was too young to remember.
I guess that to some extent, I like my hair relaxed because it gives me the ability to do more things with it and it's something I've always done.
The images we see in the media do influence our style to some extent. That may have something to do with it. I wish I could wear braids, dreads, etc., but I'm afraid of changing my look that drastically. And to some extent, I do think that corporate America has the expectation of high-level executive women to look conservative.
But can we change that by feeling freer to do what we like with our hair? Does this really matter to other folks, or is it all in our heads? I dunno...I think sterotypes still exist...it's just real.
hahaha....funny!
Well, I went natural before it was "cool"! It was A LOT of maintenance and the whole gammet of natural styles that we all know. When my hair was extremely curly (nappy), I found myself wanting to wear straight styles. I went to the ceramic iron and then had to break it back down to perm for several reasons.
To address the subject, in many respects, braids and such are seen as unprofessional and many times women aren't treated the same with them. Times change though. People used to laugh at weaves, but we know what a good weave or a wig could do for a sister in the crunch even in a professional environment. However, the profiles of really successful women in Corporate America tend to have the more assimilated look. I do believe that C.A. promotes those with that look; thus defines the expectation.
On the social side, I've found that guys like to run their hands through straight-to-the-root hair; therefore, weaves and kink don't fit the bill. So ultimately, neither the workplace nor the woman decides, but the man decides.
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