Is This a Professional Hairstyle?

[Klearli]

Wonder what a "hard" hair style would look like? LOL!


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What's funny to me is that when she said a 'soft' hair style, I nodded to myself and knew what she meant. Then when you said wonder what a "hard" style would be, it made me laugh! Then I was like..hmm....hard like...too much gel? Stiff? Hard like a hardened criminal? Idk why that tickled me.

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[SelahOco]

I work at a chamber of commerce that I would feel totally comfortable with that hairstyle. *** white people . That should have been a poll choice.

 

[SimJam]

It all depends even here in Jamaica some banks/corporate offices frown on cornrowed styles (even though you can wear neat twists or braids)

you have to knw the culture of the office your going to.

if you dont, then I personally would not wear corn rows (especially to an interview) if you already ahve the job then go ahead

 

[iri9109]

i like it and think its professional, but depending on the length and thickness of your hair, it might look better with extensions.

 

[chebaby]

as an AA why should i give a fug what WP think about my hair? seriously. i dont care what they think. IMO if you are black than braids, afros, twists should be the norm. yea we can wear straight too but our hair grows out of our scalps in a curly to kinky manner. am i supposed to change that to make them feel more comfortable???
so yea, the style is great for the work place.

ETA: even if i were relaxed, i have to constantly have a fresh perm so it doesnt distract anyone? chile cheese

 

[ATLcutey20]

I think those cornrows are done elegantly & professional enough to wear in the workplace. When you said "cornrows", my first thought was Cleo's braids in 'Set it Off'. That type of cornrows aren't professional to me.

 

[LadyRaider]

Cleo up there looks like that is how she goes to bed.

The one's in OP's post are highly professional to me. One thing the braider mentioned to me when I had cornrows for about 2 days (long story)... you can have them braided so they show less scalp. I think less scalp would make them even more "okay" but what is there is fine as well.

I'm in higher education. It'd be acceptable around the university easy... even a small conservative one.

 

[greenandchic]

Wonder what a "hard" hair style would look like? LOL!


Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

What's funny to me is that when she said a 'soft' hair style, I nodded to myself and knew what she meant. Then when you said wonder what a "hard" style would be, it made me laugh! Then I was like..hmm....hard like...too much gel? Stiff? Hard like a hardened criminal? Idk why that tickled me.

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My first thought was "soft" = not too "ethnic". Examples of "soft" natural hair styles would be updos, French rolls, buns, "controlled" hair if its out (twist outs, etc).

 

[CarefreeinChicago]

The style looks nice, but I would never wear my hair like that to corporate America. I the last place I worked two black people, me and a clean shaving guy. I wore it in a curly puff. It would cause to much attention and people would be asking me to many questions.

 

[summerof1990]

I'm not a fan of cr.no matter what u look like,who u r,or race cornrolls always look overboard to me.

 

[beans4reezy]

I was just thinking that! I thought about the choices in the question again, and wonder why do we need to care about what WP think? In my experience, as long as your hair is clean, not full of unnatural colors (yellow, purple, etc) and in line with what's professional (no BAAAA), they could care less about our curl/kink pattern, braids, etc - we usually do though.

Not necessarily true. I had my hair braided in a similar hair style a few years
back and I was conversing with an Asian chick who told me to my face, "your

hair looks nice." when I left to go back to my department, word got back to me that the very SAME chick mentioned to another coworker, "have you seen Bean's hair? I'm sorry, but I personally feel that braids are not appropriate for the workplace....."

Putting aside her obvious cowardice for not saying what she really felt to my
face, other races do have their hang ups about the way we style our hair. At the end of the day, I could have cared less about what she thought, because
she was a known slob who was notorious for coming into work with morning gunk in her eyes and caked up drool on her cheeks, but let's stop giving other races a pass-those chicks are giving us side eyes too....

BTW, I think it looks fine.

 

[greenandchic]

Not necessarily true. I had my hair braided in a similar hair style a few years
back and I was conversing with an Asian chick who told me to my face, "your

hair looks nice." when I left to go back to my department, word got back to me that the very SAME chick mentioned to another coworker, "have you seen Bean's hair? I'm sorry, but I personally feel that braids are not appropriate for the workplace....."

Putting aside her obvious cowardice for not saying what she really felt to my
face, other races do have their hang ups about the way we style our hair. At the end of the day, I could have cared less about what she thought, because
she was a known slob who was notorious for coming into work with morning gunk in her eyes and caked up drool on her cheeks, but let's stop giving other races a pass-those chicks are giving us side eyes too....

BTW, I think it looks fine.

I would consider the source (bolded) . Usually the ones giving side eyes are the one who should be doing that the least. -Matthew 7:5

In my experience it was "my" folks that gave me the biggest side eyes; usually (but not always) the older generation (Patti Labelle) folks. Not giving free passes to other folks, but speaking from experience.

Like someone else pointed out, part of it is regional. I've always lived in super liberal areas where many WP were too afraid (or smart) to say anything snide about the appearance about someone of a different race.

 

[Nonie]

Interesting responses. OP, I think the style is very elegant and way better than loose braids, and better than braid-outs or twist-outs which can look like unkempt (read: uncombed) hair if not done in a neat and orderly (even sized sections) way.

As I've said before, I have never had to apologize for a hairstyle. I've worn loose braids when I worked as a teller and they were appreciated. IMO they looked just like relaxed hair with the ends turned under, so if it were a matter of blending in with what everyone else was doing (most were relaxed), I worked it.

As for cornrows, I have gotten the most compliments on my natural hair when I've worn it cornrows. In fact, the CEO of our company (white guy) complimented me in the hallway on my do and then in mid-sentence during a company-wide meeting where he was the speaker stopped to once again announce how beautiful he thought my hair looked. (This was the style he absolutely loved.) I've only worn cornrows in the front puff in the back, coz I can't see the back to part straight and don't want to bother anyone nor do I trust anyone to do my hair. If I could part all the way back, and practice cornrowing till I was as good at it as @westNDNbeauty is, no one would be able to tell me nuffin, and I'd get y'all in trouble coz it'd become the accepted style for black folks in corporate America who don't want to wear their hair straight. That's how much confidence I have in cornrows. I'd show the world what a becoming do it is so that all these places that you say will accept chunky afros but not cornrows will have a change of pace.

Seriously I do think it's how you work a style that can make it acceptable or not acceptable. As long as it looks neat, which OP's style is to me, then I say it should pass. I do not see the difference between that and a bun. Big chunky cornrows might not be that neat to look at but c'mon nah! OP's pic looks so tidy I can't see how loose hair can beat that in tidiness. I guess I should count my blessings coz I haven't encountered the madness some of you have had to.

 

[Ivonnovi]

For me it's not the style that bothers me, it's those who wear it too long and/or don't keep the look up. I'm speaking of those who act like "maintenace free" styles dont require any "maintenance".

Keep it neat and fresh looking and you'll be fine.

 

[greenandchic]

Nonie - I love that braided style in your last post! Did you do it yourself?

 

[Afrobuttafly]

That style is neat, polished and professional.

 

[belldandy]

it looks fine

 

[Nonie]

@Nonie - I love that braided style in your last post! Did you do it yourself?

greenandchic Thank you! Yes, I did it myself which is why the lines only go halfway back. I don't have a 360 degree mirror and so could not see the back to continue the straight line parts.

Now comes the funny part, the back is a homemade puff (first time ever!). I didn't have a phony puff and Sally Beauty Supply ladies misled me by convincing me weave tracks that were packaged in a way I couldn't tell were a partial wig. So I took the tracks home. I had a bald patch in the back and had taken out extensions so there was no way I could go to work w/o something to cover my back. So I came up with the idea of using pantyhose, cutting legs off, sewing the holes up and then sewing tracks on. Then putting on a net so it looked like a puff. LOL And y'all thought "Necessity is the mother of invention" was just a saying.

 

[lesedi]

I think it is.I think any cornrowed style where there are no beads and no zig zags (hate those!!!) is professional.

 

[dladie42]

I think the look if fine, but I dont like braids (personal preference).

 

[GraceV]

I think it looks professional. My opinion aside, I think you should look at the hairstyle based on the environment you work in. If you have a mentor at your workplace you could ask him/her if the hair fits with the culture of your workplace. Professional for one company may be unprofessional for another.

Also while I personally don't care what different races think about our hair, I 'professionally care.' If the higher ups who decide who gets promoted e.t.c have a standard for the company, and I wish to get up there in leadership, I'm not going to let my hair get in the way all in the name of defying authority or making a statement. When I get up there and become VP, President or CEO, or a major decision maker in the company I can institute changes, until then, their opinions and company policy matter. If I don't like it, I (can) move to a company more conducive to my tastes.

 

[caltron]

That absolutely is a professional style. If your workplace doesn't like it, then they probably won't be o.k. with any unstraightened 4a/4b hair period.

I don't think I would even ask anyone in your workplace whether you think it's professional or not because if your workplace is racist enough to have a problem with it, then they can use the fact that you had initial doubts about it against you. If they're that conservative, then you probably already know that already.

I would just go with it. The style is professional and if they have a problem with it then they will probably just have to keep it to themselves. There is nothing about this style that is unobjectionable by any stretch and they will know this.

 

[andromeda]

I think it looks professional. My opinion aside, I think you should look at the hairstyle based on the environment you work in. If you have a mentor at your workplace you could ask him/her if the hair fits with the culture of your workplace. Professional for one company may be unprofessional for another.

Also while I personally don't care what different races think about our hair, I 'professionally care.' If the higher ups who decide who gets promoted e.t.c have a standard for the company, and I wish to get up there in leadership, I'm not going to let my hair get in the way all in the name of defying authority or making a statement. When I get up there and become VP, President or CEO, or a major decision maker in the company I can institute changes, until then, their opinions and company policy matter. If I don't like it, I (can) move to a company more conducive to my tastes.

most reasonable response in this thread. thanks

 

[kandake]

I work in public policy and government affairs. I often meet with elected officials from the local, state and federal level. Although I am sure no one would say out loud that it is not professional, I was just mentored to wear a soft hair style, pearl earrings, closed toed shoes and pantyhose.

That's interesting.

I work in the same environment and I don't see anything wrong with it. If you're professionally dressed and carry yourself appropriately it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

sure, why not.

 

[diadall]

That's interesting.

I work in the same environment and I don't see anything wrong with it. If you're professionally dressed and carry yourself appropriately it shouldn't be a problem.

I see similar hairstyles on some legislative/congressional staff and (maybe Cynthia McKinney) but behind closed doors I have had conversations with black female elected officials and other lobbyists about what to wear, how to style your hair and what to read...

Not saying its right or wrong it just how I was mentored.

 

[Imani]

I've worked in places where this would not be considered professional and I've worked in places where no one would give a second glance. You just have to be able to feel out the vibe of where you work.

And I agree with a previous poster. In my experience, its usually other black people who are waaaaay more pressed about our hair than the others.

I love the hairstyle on her and it looks very elegant to me.

 

[mscocoface]

I work in public policy and government affairs. I often meet with elected officials from the local, state and federal level. Although I am sure no one would say out loud that it is not professional, I was just mentored to wear a soft hair style, pearl earrings, closed toed shoes and pantyhose.

I thought the military was the only place still making those mandatory besides some churches. Wow.

 

[diadall]

mscocoface

I thought the military was the only place still making those mandatory besides some churches. Wow.

I haven't worn them in a couple of years but I still wear them to some sorority functions and meetings. I just have to use my judgement but I don't were them regularly. I usually wear the thigh highs which my ex loved.

 

[Jetblackhair]

I say this style on a person who has always carried their self in a professional manner, will still be seen as professional.