Curly Hair is Unprofessional

[aminata]

I feel for you girl. I usually wear my natural hair (all big curly, and out) to my new office job, but recently I've been experimenting with the dryer and straight options so I rocked my hair straight. You wouldn't believe the comments I received. These crackers absolutely it "OMG you look like a completely different person, blah, blah, blah." I even heard some people ask "who the new girl was?" Even some of the men in the office were more "attentive" to me. I am a very observant person and I have always noticed that people have treated me differently according to what my hairstyle is. Personally I think it is disgusting. I really don't understand why hair is such a big damn deal.

I had my hair flat ironed last week--and the same old same old comments. Now that I'm back to 'curly' people seem disappointed and/or confused. This white guy asked me if I used 'product' later to find out that this white girl told him I had chemically straightened it. Well now that my hair is back (to it's natural state)--I guess they got their answer.

 

[NapturalGlory]

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[pookeylou]

Why does this only apply to Black women? White and Hispanic women wear their hair naturally curly/wavy all the time and no one blinks. And why is it that no one questions the person who says ethnic hair is not all right, not professional in the workplace? Says who---who made that rule---someone with straight hair? Even if your hair was as big as could be, what makes that unprofessional? It's hair, and it is your texture; it's not like you were wearing a bright red Bozo the clown wig. Saying your hair/texture is unprofessional is like saying that your nose, or skin color is unprofessional. I understand where this viewpoint is coming from, but it's not right, and it implies that straight hair is superior and more favored to textured/naturally ethnic hair. I won't even elaborate on what that implies.

THAT'S what's real!! In many work places being OF COLOR is "unprofessional"!!!

The logic that what is naturally YOU cannot be accepted in the workplace is a crock of bovine EXCREMENT!!! Should the issue go further into HARRASSMENT...it can be ILLEGAL!

This really boils my buns to hear this. But the best way to combat it is....DONT CHANGE! What makes you professional is how you do your work. How you handle your business. Your skin color, your eye color, your nose width, YOUR HAIR TEXTURE ...is not an issue in your job performance. Dont let them make it an issue.

Wear your hair proudly.

 

[balisi]

I work in an ad agency so this doesn't seem to be an issue amid the belly tops, flip flops, t-shirts and shorts that are the norm around here. I almost wish someone WOULD dare make an offbeat comment about my puffs, twists and whatnot.

 

[Lovelylocs]

Joan on "Girlfriends" wears her hair curly and she is a lawyer.

 

[aileendq]

Pookeylou:

While I am the first person to say that you should be able to embrace your natural texture while at work (and this is coming from a person who works in the area of civil rights in employment) I can't agree that anyone (White, Black, Asian, or Latino) can "let it all hang out" and not have an eye towards how conservative your place of employment is.
I think that natural hair is beautiful, but too "wild" hair (for us curlies) or too "lank" hair (for those with straight hair) may not be as professional, as, say a bun or an off the face style. It's a simple matter of dressing and appearing appropriate for the situation that you are in. I know women who are either African American or Afro-Latinas that wear their hair in its natural state but still don't look "wild". That means hair, makeup, the amount of perfume you wear, and how you dress.

Aquarian: It's not my intent to go off topic too much here, but I wonder how it is that you can object to what you percieve to be discriminatory treatment and still use a word like "cracker"?

A.

 

[firecracker]

I am the only black person at my job. I've gone to work with braids, cornrows, twists (and they were not even long or hanging down nice and cute like say AFashionSlave's might), afro puffs...you name it. And each time, I've held my head high and acted like I'm now the ruling trendsetter in town. You carry yourself with that attitude and even if people don't like it at first soon start to appreciate it; it grows on them because the confidence you exude makes them question their own sense of style. The pigtail do pic did not make anyone question their own sense of style. I like your attitude though

And just so you get an idea as to how you can get away with anything if you carry yourself like you are the ish, I'ma share sth with you: Remember the twists I mentioned? Well, I usually curled them into a nice do that I got compliments on. But one day, I didn't have time to, went to sleep and woke up with twists going every which way. Didn't feel like tying one of my elaborate headdress dos, so I wet my twists to get them "mobile" then stretched them into two pony tails. Don't forget we're not talking long dangling twists; I had to stretch them to get them into ponies for crying out loud! And while they initially dangled a little while wet, they didn't move much by the time they dried and whether they lay nice and hanging down in the end is a whole other TBD issue. And even when I was called Pippy Longstocking, I beamed and said, "I wondered who'd be the first to get it" as if that was the idea behind my look. By the end of the day, everyone agreed it was a cute look. (They might've been lying but I made it an acceptable office do, crazy as it was. So if I feel like rocking it, no one will even give it a second thought.) Wanna see how wild it was? Click here to see what I'm talking about. Yeah I was laughing ! I rocked that with a nice suit and matching accessories. LOL You're welcome to laugh coz I did and still do.
Do the dang thang gurl! Mr Mine and I call that look "the Crazy Pigtail Woman do".

Sorry I ain't mad at cha. If I felt like going out and into work looking like Ronald McDonald or Mr T I would not give a hoot what anyone thought or said. I would laugh at my damn self first also. You know you wrong with the pigtail though Kizzy!

 

[Enchantmt]

Actually white women and other ethnics have been told the same, but its a bunch of bunk... how about a curly updo? I definitely think curly can be classic and professional

I've noticed that I get different treatment curly vs straight but I'm not trying to wear straight hair right now. The book "Curly Girl" touches on this subject, its not just directed at women of color, but curly girls from all different racial backgrounds.

 

[rai]

Ok, I think it depends on how much time it appears to have taken, and whether it is at all "distracting" to clients, or other professionals. I DON'T think it's a racial thing at all. I DO think it's a gender thing, however.
There are certain styles that are not acceptable in a very conservative work atmosphere. (You wouldn't want your attorney sporting a purple mohwak in court, would you?)



A

What about if I wore an afro to work? Would that be "distracting" to clients? I think we all know the answer to that....YES. It would be distracting because most black women do not wear their natural hair texture and if we do, we don't wear the BAA. However, this situation is different from the "purple mohwak". The difference is that the wearer of the purple mohawk is actually doing this to change their hair (dyes, shaving, alot of gel) whereas the afro wearer is just wearing his/her hair in its natural state (okay maybe some picking and some sheen). So I don't agree with the statement we don't want to be "distracting". The true question is why do you think its distracting? WHy is wearing curly/kinky hair distracting? Secret diamone hit it in the nail with her words:

Saying your hair/texture is unprofessional is like saying that your nose, or skin color is unprofessional. I understand where this viewpoint is coming from, but it's not right, and it implies that straight hair is superior and more favored to textured/naturally ethnic hair. I won't even elaborate on what that implies

 

[Lucia]

I've noticed that I get different treatment curly vs straight but I'm not trying to wear straight hair right now. The book "Curly Girl" touches on this subject, its not just directed at women of color, but curly girls from all different racial backgrounds.

ITA this is straight hair obsessesion everybody must have straight hair or your hair has a problem. that's the mentality. I believe it. Otherwise why would the Japanese have to create a hair straightening system,theres that stuff @ the pharmacy curl free relaxer, flat irons, I'm not saying I dont like wearing my hair straight but why should we be looked down on b/c were curlyheads.

 

[aileendq]

Rai:
It's a simple matter of not letting what you look like overwhelm your abilities. Hair is a statement of personality: it speaks to who we are as a person. However, in businesses with very conservative clientele, it is a disadvantage to let that personality be the first impression (as opposed to your abilites). That's the disctracting part. Like I said, I know quite a few African American and Afro-Latinas that are naturals that look highly professional in my very conservative workplace. I also know quite a few Caucasian women who have wildy curly hair that have to do some work to curb it in order to tame it a bit for work.


Don't get me wrong, I don't agree that curly hair (natural or not) is unprofessional, I'm merely pointing out that the entire package has to be in line with how conservative or how 'artsy' your place of employment is. It would be nice if we could wear what we wanted to work and could style our hair however we wanted, but that simply isn't the case.

And I will reiterate that it's not a racial thing, but perhaps more a gender thing. I know a few "lank haired ladies" that could stand to do something. (On lady looked like a Jan Brady wannabe...Her hair was to her knees. It was distracting!)

Maybe I'm channeling my grandma, but I really do think to everything there is a place.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

We need more black employers.

This actually gets to the heart of the issue. I don't agree with the system that we currently work with, but as long as Corporate America is largely 'white America', then curly hair, especially kinky curly hair is going to be frowned upon in the workplace.

If you don't like it start your own business where you can walk in anyway that you feel inclined. I'm working in a corporate enviornment to pay the bills and I'm also working a couple of entrepreneurial ventures on the side. Hopefully they blow up so I can be self employed.

But for right now, I'm not willing to compromise my paycheck in the name of my hair. They sign the check so it's their rules. When I sign my own check then it's my rules.

 

[aileendq]

But for right now, I'm not willing to compromise my paycheck in the name of my hair. They sign the check so it's their rules. When I sign my own check then it's my rules.

Well said.

 

[firecracker]

I have been with my employer for so many years that I witnessed the dress code fly out the window. It isn't a good thing because everyone doesn't know what is appropriate without solid rules and guidelines. I remember when you could only wear jeans on Friday, stockings were mandatory, no shorts, no low cut shirts, open toe shoes etc. If your personal style is really important seek employers with a lax dress code. I think its all in how your rock that natural style that allows you to pull off any look. I cannot wait to sport my BAA all over the world when I finally get it.