Long hair and professionalism

[gregh]

I guess this is more directed at the other guys, but all opinions are definitely welcome. As a guy I've been wearing my hair tied back at work in part because I feel that is how a longhaired man looks professional especially after looking the opposite in the awkward phase. As it has gotten longer I have slowly started to bun instead of ponytail more and more, though I definitely feel more than comfortable with either of those. The real question I have is whether or not others wear their hair loose in professional situations and the general opinion on that with regards to what is professional in the workplace. In my experience I have not seen any men with shoulder length or longer hair with it loose at work, but that is probably a small sample size. Plus I am sure that it varies some based on the individual and the circumstances, but I'd be curious to hear others opinions.

Edit: I was a bit unclear I believe.

[Silverbleed]

I know quite a few young men who rock the hipster man bun every day at school. I also know a few older men with long hair who work there and I have one teacher with long hair. But outside my school, they are very rare.
Real opinion? Love it.
But it's sad how rare this is, and because of that long hair for men may be considered 'unusual' and therefore 'not professional'. I was hoping the hipster bun would bring it back :cool: Because I like it.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

In my opinion, loose long hair on a man or a woman is less professional than hair which is bunned or braided.

[yogagirl]

I think it depends a lot on your workplace/industry. I have never seen a man wear their shoulder+ long hair down in the office environments I have worked in.

[EdG]

I wore my hair loose in the office for over two decades. Then, I switched to buns.

My conclusion is that appearance doesn't matter. What one does matters. :)
Ed

[endlessly]

A few of the men I work work have longer hair, but I've never seen it worn loose. One has roughly shoulder-length that is always worn in a ponytail and another wears a "man bun" on top of his head (his nape is shaved, so only the top 1/3 is long). We have a very loose and relaxed dress code, so I'm sure it's probably always worn up just because they want to keep it out of the way versus what management thinks.

[gregh]

I appreciate the opinions. I have only recently started wearing mine loose any significant amount at home and that got me thinking about whether I was self imposing my ponytail/bun at work rule or if wearing it down was actually an option to consider.

[maskedrose]

I think it's definitely an option to consider. As long as it's tidy and clean, I'd say go for it. Many women with MBL hair wear it down in professional office situations, and I think it's perfectly okay for you to do the same.

[trolleypup]

I guess this is more directed at the other guys, but all opinions are definitely welcome. As a guy I've been wearing my hair tied back at work in part because I feel that is how a longhaired man looks professional especially after looking the opposite in the awkward phase. As it has gotten longer I have slowly started to bun instead of ponytail more and more, though I definitely feel more than comfortable with either of those. The real question I have is whether or not others wear their hair loose in professional situations and the general opinion on that with regards to what is professional in the workplace. In my experience I have not seen any men with shoulder length or longer hair with it loose at work, but that is probably a small sample size. Plus I am sure that it varies some based on the individual and the circumstances, but I'd be curious to hear others opinions.
"Looking Professional" Depending on your workplace, this can vary from the proverbial short haired office drone to someone who is prepared to do the work at hand. I'm glad that my work, like EdG's cares more about what you can DO than about what you LOOK like.

My hair is usually up and bunned, but not always. If I am in the office, sometimes it is down...as it was most of the day today. When I am out with students or on the equipment, it is almost always up because long hair and mechanical equipment is generally not a good mix. But, if I am only operating with or without passengers, sometimes it is down...when I brought the Mayor and dignitaries down on the Boat to inaugurate a new streetcar line, my hair was down (part of the time), can't get much more public facing than that.

Me, after work:
http://www.trolleypup.info/lhc/longhairmale-in-uniform.jpg

Personally, I don't give a damn what you look like, so long as you Do Your Job. Style without substance gets you nothing from me.

[yahirwaO.o]

Well even in classic corporate places, women need to cope with those professional code looks (which implies, hair needs to be out of face) so of course if you are guy it would need to be as severe and slicked back as posible.

Myself, I'm in a pretty relax enviroment and my hair can be whatever I want (for now) but for certain things it needs to be out of my face. In my culture still there is a lot of criticism to anything that is different out of normativity, so my struggle is real here. I hate updos on me and I just feel better with it down and hope I can in the future continue with this sense of freedom going on.

The thing is when hair is down it has a very impractical annoying ability to interfere in your work or might be perceived as if you want attention in your beauty as opposed to your knowledge. If you can, then go with a nice half up, you can rock a down look while still having the focus on your dutty like an updo would give!

.... and there is this guy in youtube with about past APL and he wears his hair down at job with no problem!

https://www.youtube.com/user/xingcat

[gregh]

Thanks for the comments. Sounds like it would be feasible given my work environment. I guess I will have to put it on my to do list and give it a try at some point.

[starfire]

I would suggest asking at work as this is highly dependent on your workplace. Getting opinions here is fine of course, but ultimately it's what your boss(es) and peers consider professional that matters. Sure, there are amazing bosses that value your work ethic and productivity more than whether your hair is contained or not. But sadly, there are plenty of people who will care if your hair does not meet their standards of what "professional" is, arbitrary or otherwise.

But since you asked for our input: I have not seen a single male with long hair at this office building. There are females with long hair, some worn up and some worn loose. I keep mine up when I know I am meeting clients. At other times, I might wear it loose.

[yahirwaO.o]

I would suggest asking at work as this is highly dependent on your workplace. Getting opinions here is fine of course, but ultimately it's what your boss(es) and peers consider professional that matters. Sure, there are amazing bosses that value your work ethic and productivity more than whether your hair is contained or not. But sadly, there are plenty of people who will care if your hair does not meet their standards of what "professional" is, arbitrary or otherwise.



Yes ask first!!!!. In my own personal fantasy when I go to the outlands world to see what's going on, I love to be the outgreatous hippie gal that does not fit the "etiquette formal situation". I have no problem now because any person who deals with me (even for job) knows the very nice man Im a man though my free locks!!!

But dont be fool, it took me years to gain this confidence and definitely not all guys can get away with it. And while I have almost virtual frizz free straight hair I can look a bit caveman (without pomade and holding product), so a little bit of brushing before hand and some hair out of face helps tremendously. So ask first and if they dont seem to have a problem suggest a nice sleek half up from there its likely to go all free without any problem.

[gregh]

starfire and yahirwaO.o good advice. Fortunately I am sort of my boss to some degree, but best to run it by the powers that be.

[truepeacenik]

Greg, what's your industry and general location.
A creative in say, Wichita, will have different mores to challenge than the Bay Area.

In my first pro career, journalism, I needed to look professional. Most of the time I did, but I knew when to relax that.
Interviews, my hair was under tight control. Sadly, that was braids, as I didn't have any bun-fu in my world yet.
Meetings with VIPs, I looked polished, but not severe.
Second career and third both need hair restrained for safety reasons.
I was a sound tech/ venue Jill of all trades, and now I'm a massage therapist.
I worked with long haired men at all three jobs, although the higher placement at newspapers, the shorter the hair. Shoulder at most.

I suspect, that since you already have the job, and the hair, just being tidy will suffice.

[gregh]

I work at a university on the east coast doing research, no teaching. Not the most conservative environment but then again there is some protocol to be respected in some situations. I don't think i would ever wear it down for presentations or for certain meetings regardless though.

[WannabeViking]

I wore my hair bunned at a professional conference in Washington, D.C. earlier this year. Got nothing but compliments. Then again, I'm a technical person and not a "suit". Sad to say but men likely won't be able to get away with long hair at all in "suit" type job settings (like finance, government, etc).

[maborosi]

It'll depend a lot on where you work.

For me, speaking as a woman, so it's more socially acceptable for me to have long hair, I personally find buns/braided buns more professional-looking than loose hair.

[Arctic]

In academic circles (I mean employees/personnel of some sort, not students), longer hair on men isn't uncommon here. Perhaps not "LHC long" though, but at the continuum over grown-shoulder-APLish region. Many wear it loose, especially if it's a shag-like style. Ponytail is common too, but I have never seen bun yet (which is a shame, buns are genderless IMO). Last week I saw male dissertation defender in full suit and neat, waist length ponytail.

What's important, I think, that hair is not on one's face, and one does not need to touch it or fix it or push it back all the time.

That goes for women too. Professional hair needs to stay put, and I almost never see women with longer hair (in academic circles, again I mean among the personnel/employees of some sort, and not students) fixing or playing with it.

Surprisingly many female university employees/personnel, who have longer hair, seem to mostly wear it loose.

I am starting my internship next week, and will be bunning a lot, because my hair would otherwise be on my face AND I would be unconsciously swirling or touching it, which I consider a no-no for professional image. (I'm female myself.)

[Nini]

Sounds like you can carve out your own niché as it were:)

Although we're mostly a lot more casual at all levels here in Norway, so I come at it with a different frame of mind. (Well, unless it needs to be out of the way for safety reason or health codes that is)