Hairstyles for Business Women
Many young women today focus a great deal of attention on their appearance. They will spend hours getting their hair cut, colored, curled, straightened and myriad other things all in the name of looking good. Yet, a surprising number don’t consider their jobs when choosing these hairstyle options and the fact is that your hairstyle can say more about you to an employer (or a potential employer) than you may realize. And this may not be the impression you want to give.
Common Hairstyles and their Impressions
We’ll look at some of the categories of hairstyles and the general impressions they give in the workplace. Particularly when combined with different fashion looks, these styles can present unfortunate impressions.
Big Hair
The Big Hair look gets its name from the rural pageant circuit where most contestants (of ANY age) have their hair curled and styled to have as much volume as possible. Such hairstyles may include the use of hairpieces and other accessories, and always take a considerable amount of time. Of course, this isn’t always “pageant hair”. The ‘Big Hair’ type includes any hairstyle that looks to take a great deal of grooming effort to achieve.Big Hair styles usually fall into two groups: those who are maintained and created on a daily basis, and those that are created and then “reworked” on subsequent days until they must be redone.
Impressions:
The general impression created by the ‘Big Hair’ look depends on which of the two groups an individual falls into. The impression of a Big Hair style that is recreated daily is of someone who takes a lot of time focusing on the appearance. It could give the impression that you are more concerned with how you look than how well you do your job.
On the flip side, the Big Hair style that is “reworked” can present a more significant negative. When your appearance seems to deteriorate day after day until you decide you need to make an effort to restore it, you leave an employer wondering whether you can present a consistently good impression to clients. No employer wants to have to think of what state an employee’s hair will be in when planning meetings.
Even when not dealing with clients, the Big Hair styles can have a negative impact on the way you are perceived. When it is obvious that you spend a great deal of time on your hair each day, any time that you might be late for work (yet still appear groomed normally) gives the idea that you simply didn’t manage your time wisely.
And the style that doesn’t get done daily can have an effect on how your coworkers feel about working with you. How comfortable would you be in working closely with someone whose appearance declines day by day?
{First Hand Account: I used to work in a small shop where the manager was an older woman who followed the traditions of her generation and went to her beauty shop once each week to have her hair done. She wore a beehive style that featured a Lucille Ball red rinse. She looked wonderful each Wednesday after her appointment, but on the Monday and Tuesday before her ‘beauty shop’ day, she looked completely unkempt. Customers would comment on the appearance and actually tried to time their visits until after she had gone for the day on the days when she looked her worst.}
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Super Trendy
The ‘Super Trendy’ looks are the ones that follow the most current hairstyles in fashion and entertainment magazines, OR the iconic styles of a particular group. These looks can include a wide range of styles, from severe, angled bobs, to super-short spiky cuts and even dramatic color techniques.The key characteristic of these looks is that they are usually changing. As soon as the next big look hits, the ‘Super Trendy’ individual will change her hair to match the new look, whether that means a whole new cut, a bold new color, or the latest technique.
Impressions:
While the ‘Super Trendy’ individual fits right in with her social circle, she may not give the best impression in a professional setting. The general preference in the professional field for more conservative esthetics notwithstanding, the ‘Super Trendy’ individual can give the impression of being flighty or inconsistent, since the appearance is prone to changing without warning.
The ‘Super Trendy’ individual can fit in very well in a creative field and in industries where the target market demographic matches the ‘Super Trendy’ esthetic. Yet, in the majority of professional environments, the impression is of someone who will be non-conformist and likely to cause unwanted contention in many situations.
Minimalist
The ‘Minimalist’ looks are those whose wearers put forth only the minimum of effort to groom themselves. The hair may be shampooed and conditioned, but is generally not treated much beyond these actions. The styling may consist of some means of pulling the hair back from the face, but will not include any additional techniques. The look also includes those cuts that are simple and utilitarian – simple bobs, pixie cuts, even wedge cuts – that often are treated as “wash and wear” styles with no additional grooming.Impressions:
The ‘Minimalist’ can give the impression of being ‘no-fuss’ and ‘professional’ since the hairstyles are often conservative and not likely to offend anyone’s professional sensibilities. However, it can also present a “lackadaisical” image in an office setting, especially if combined with minimalist looks in make-up and dress as well.
The ‘minimalist’ look can be suitable for some professional environments, but in settings where you deal with others (even if it’s just coworkers) you want to present the impression that you make SOME effort. It becomes even more critical in certain environments and jobs.
{First Hand Account: In my 20s, I worked with an advertising publication and we had a team of salespersons who sold advertising space to local businesses. One of the young women on the team had been a stay-at-home mom who got her start selling advertising over the phone. As her child got older and started school, she decided to expand her efforts and try to increase her sales by making calls in person to businesses. But having been at home for so long and with so many other demands on her time, she had adopted a minimalist look out of necessity. She was clean, and neat, but made no more than the minimum effort in her grooming.
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She faced a great deal of difficulty in making in-person sales, until a manager of a local salon spoke with her candidly and offered to show her some simple tips to “spruce up” her looks without a lot of additional effort. She admitted that an extra 15 minutes with a curling iron and some hairspray made a world of difference in her reception.}
Of course, the idea that our appearance can make such a dramatic difference in the impression people have of us certain offends our sensibilities on some levels. We would like to believe that our skills and talents would outweigh our looks. In some cases, it clearly does. But even in cases where two individuals perform equally well at a job, it comes down to secondary considerations when the time comes to choose the recipients of promotion or other opportunities. If performances are equivalent, then the impressions presented by the individual’s appearance WILL have a bearing on a situation.What should you know about hairstyles for a professional environment? Let’s look at some Dos and Don’ts for hairstyles for business women:
• DO select hairstyles that are flattering to your face. Avoid making your decision based on what your favorite celebrity is doing with her hair, unless you have similar features. If you are unsure whether a look will work for you, talk to your stylist and ask for a candid opinion. A GOOD hairdresser will find a tactful way to explain why your choice may not work for you.
• DON’T choose a style that requires maintenance throughout the day. If your hairstyle is one that needs you to “touch it up” periodically to keep it looking perfect, you’re likely to look as though you spend all day “primping”.
• DO pay attention to the environment you are working in, (or learn about the environment where you WANT to work) so that you can style your hair appropriately. You won’t see many bank tellers with purple Mohawks, but a video game design studio will probably see this and even wilder.
• DON’T overlook hygiene, regardless of the style you choose. Your hair should look CLEAN, NEAT and CARED FOR. If it doesn’t, someone will notice, and it may not be someone you want to have thinking of you in a negative light.
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