new thread
Hi Hairy People,
I've been thinking about posting a thread on this topic for awhile now; but, up until just today, found it hard to find the time. In any case, I just wanted to share my experience about the different types of jobs that I've had during my 17-18 years of having long hair (grand total, including going through 2 awkward stages; both during my first growing out period starting in '91, then again after my horrible Y2K short haircut). I have mostly a "blue collar" perspective; but, I also know other longhairs who have worked in office settings and other similar type of "white collar" jobs.
My perspective is only my own, --- so, if you disagree with my opinions, no problem: just go ahead and state your own perspective then. I'm speaking from first-hand experience, though; so, to me, theoretic comments from anyone who has not yet experienced at least hardcore "awkward stage" hair do not impress me much (LOL)!!
This first pic here was taken by my good friend and fellow dance bud, Christopher, --- who also just so happens to have worked with me in many of my gardening jobs. This pic was taken I think in '05 (so my hair is actually quite a bit longer now), taken on the street just a few steps away from a neighborhood garden that I took acre of for many years.
- Ken in San Francisco
I can't believe I misspelled "Long Hair!" In addition, I misspelled the word "care", typing instead the word "acre" (LOL)!! Oh, well...
In any case, I meant to comment that whenever I was first meeting a potential gardening client, my personal preference for coming over to their house and introducing myself was to wear my hair in a braid. As other people have mentioned here in past posts, interviewing for a job is really a "2-way street": it's just as much YOUR opportunity to find out whether or not you really want to work for this person, as it is *their* opportunity to decide whether or not they want to hire you. I never once remember hearing a negative comment about my hair during a job interview with a potential gardening client. But, then again, anybody that chose not to hire me maybe just decided to keep their mouth shut on that subject (lol).... Since I just so happen to live in liberal-minded Northern California, though, long hair is usually not a very "hot issue" here (especially compared to more conservative-thinking parts of the USA or similarly narrow-minded parts of the world).
- Ken in San Francisco
PS - This pic was also taken by my friend Christopher, inside my truck just outside of the same garden I previously mentioned. You can barely make out my braid here; but in the middle of the lower edge of the photo you can just make out my hair-tie. Notice that I prefer hairties that are subtle and/or neutral in color (they usually come close to matching my natural hair color). I also sometimes like wearing black hairties... In either case, I try my best to "understate" my appearance (meaning, I avoid flashy or showy hair-ties whenever trying to make a professional "first impression").
This pic was taken sometime in '04, taken indoors w/ my Monet shower curtain in the background; but, this is my most typical way that I wear my hair at work, --- whether I'm at my cooking job, or working in a garden. At my cooking job, by law I have to wear a hair net or a hat. Whenever doing landscaping, sometimes I choose to wear a hat; sometimes not. If I'm pruning a lot branches under a trees, for example, or worried about rose thorns snagging my hair, to protect my mane, I'll tuck my hair under a hat unter those conditions.
This is how it looks from the left side of my "bee butt bun" (to quote Gollan, a MLHH member here from a long time ago)....
- Ken
And here's a pic of the same bun as in "Exhibit A", only looking at it from the back/right side of my head. Notice again how I prefer using a hair-tie that is subtle in color and/or choose a hairtie that is close to the color of my own hair. I try as much as possible to "understate" the fact that I have long hair. Just to clarify what I mean by that statement: I fully realize that it's OBVIOUS to anyone who has 2 seeing eyeballs that my hair is indeed looooong. But, to appear "professional", I don't want to elaborate or decorate my hair in any sort of flashy or show-off sort of manner (like, if I wore sparkly pink ribbons, for example - LOL)....
A favorite comment that I occasionally get to hear from people who have only seen my hair up in a bun, who get their first glimpse of my hair down in a ponytail, will often say the following: "WOW, I dindn't realize your hair was THAT long!!!" In other words, they previously understood that I had long hair; but were surprised (or SHOCKED - lol) that my hair reaches to belt-length now.
I recommend understating one's long hair in a work setting. To me, it's equivalent to, "rolling up one's sleeves", --- meaning, it looks like I'm ready and willing to go to work in a serious manner by having my hair at least tied back and out of the way. This is my own personal "blue collar perspective, at least.
- Ken
For those guys with hair longer than their shoulder blades, I recommend a segmented ponytail if you don't know how to braid your own hair (or don't have a wife or partner who will braid it for you - LOL).
Besides looking more "professional" on the job than just a loose ponytail, it helps protect very long hair from getting a lot of tangles by the end of the day. This is my own personal "blue collar" opinon, I realize; but, it is based on a lot of years of experience of having long hair.
This pic was taken back in '04; so, my hair is a bit longer now than this photo illustrates (including the multiple hair-ties going further on down my back). Scott (Absalom) is a perfect example of having an AMAZINGLY long segmented ponytail!!
- Ken
Great set of pictures Ken, you do have a fabulous head of hair!
I agree with all your observations, spot on! I'll often use two hair ties to keep my ponytail from migrating forward over my shoulders. A braid is a great choice but it would prevent me from going to my relax mode (I'll often just pop the hair ties off for a few minutes during the day).
Thanks for the informative post.
Bruce
Hi Ken,Cool Thread!!
Very cool pics of your various hairstyles for work or play:)I feel maintaining my hair in the workplace should be kept as discrete as possible as I certainly don't want to attract unwanted attention to myself.However in my field I do it mainly for safety being I'm in the HVAC industry and work around such machinery which would LOVE to munch on my hair!YIKES!!LOL.Of course if your work in a creative type of work environment then loose longhair is probably very well received:)I guess you adapt to your situation as really I'd love to flaunt my hair just to say... HEY,look at my hair and isn't it lovely!Well beauty is in the eye of the beholder.LOL.Anyway Ken you ARE the cats meow my friend:)As you've said...Long Lox Forever!
Mark
I agree with you 100%, Mark! Especially the part about wishing I could find a job that allowed me to flaunt my mane (LOL), --- "in my dreams", anyway (lol)!!
Take care, my friend. And thanks also for the nice e-mail, --- and your brother is correct about his advise re. the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival out here in October: the gridlock traffic is HORRIBLE!!!!!
- Ken
Great pictures Ken!
I just love Urban Cowboy "action shots".
- Oren
Hi Oren,
Thanks! Here's a good example of a "hair in action" pic. Talk about AWKWARD phase... I hope I never look like this if seriously applying for a job, --- I should at least attempt to tie it back or put gel or hairspray on it!
- Ken
Hey Ken, great thread. I agree with you blue collar observations. I always choose a black hair tie for myself because it appears to get lost (visually) in my hair, like you, not bring any extra attention to my hair. As far as work goes, I'm convinced that the braid (or braids depending on your perspective) is the blue collar workers best friend. The segmented tail is a good second best. At my current line of work it really doesn't matter how I wear my hair, but I still usually have my hair braided or at the very least in a segmented tail. Creature of habit I guess.
Daniel
Thanks for your comments, Daniel! Yes, a braid (or 2 braids) is a wonderful way to start off a good work day. I love the ritual of braiding in the morning, knowing that if I do it right, it will last the whole day. Similarly, I find that a low bun can also last the whole length of a workday, so long as I hair-tie it securely in place after twisting the hair well in the very beginning.
Back when I cut my hair short in Y2K, that "creature of habit" ritual was one of the things that I greatly missed, --- which of course is one of the reasons why I grew my hair back... I can't believe that haircut was 9 years ago now!!
- Ken
I agree wholeheartedly with all you've said.
I usually wear mine in a plait, although I'll occasionally put it up in a bun to keep it out of the way - however, I haven't quite got the knack of getting it to stay that way for any great length of time if I'm doing something energetic. I suppose I could try multiple ties...
Don't you just love the reaction when someone sees your hair loose for the first time? My plait reaches down to about the level with my lower ribs these days, but loose or in a tail, my hair's about belt length, or longer when wet, so it can come as a surprise to people who don't know how much length a plait hides.
Back in my student days, one of our lab demonstrators had tail-bone length hair, which she wore loose, or at best tucked behind her ears. I must admit I was suprised the department let her get away with it, given that we were working with live bacteria and the lab isn't really the friendliest environment for loose long hair at the best of times.
Yes, absolutely!! On several occasions I've gotten the comment, "WOW, i didn't know your hair was THAT long!", --- in other words, they previously fully understood that I had long hair; just that they had only seen my "professional" hair (lol)....
Thanks also for your other comments, including the one about what to do with your hair whenever doing something energetic. The solution that's always worked best for me personally re. that kind of situation has always been to tuck my hair up under a baseball cap or another hat of some kind. Even if the hat accidentally falls off my head, that's only a golden opportunity to hear the gasps from people who are shocked to see that much hair suddenly spill out!!
- Ken