Author Topic: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair  (Read 21990 times)

jim555

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Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« on: May 25, 2018, 04:59:44 PM »
I see this all over.  Does it have some hidden meaning?  Is it LGB related?  Feminism?

Personally I think it looks hideous, especially on an older woman.  Young girls get a pass because they do weird stuff naturally.  Nose rings, tattoos, NOOOooo!

Maybe I am just getting old?  How come the music today sucks compared to the 70s, 80s and even the 90s?  Now get off the lawn!




ixtap

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2018, 05:14:28 PM »
It is pretty and fun. Period. Which is why guys are also doing it.

sol

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2018, 05:17:31 PM »
A lot of my daughter's friends are doing this.  There doesn't appear to be any subtext or hidden meaning, it's just girls trying to be pretty and making fashion choices that the older generation doesn't approve of, just like you did when you were little and like every generation did before that.

Physicsteacher

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2018, 05:24:42 PM »
I had purple hair for a while when I was 17. I did it primarily because I thought it was pretty and had a friend with dye who offered to do it for me. I also felt that I had undergone some significant personal changes and liked the idea of changing my appearance to signify that. If I thought I could get away with it at work, I'd consider some blue streaks now. I'm not interested in whether you find me hideous.

Dollar Slice

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2018, 05:26:22 PM »
It is pretty and fun. Period.

Yup. That.

It's helpful to consider that women do not make all their choices based on whether it will attract men (or women). You thinking it's attractive or not makes no difference to their lives whatsoever. Some things are just for fun. I used to paint my toenails dark green because I like that color. It was not sexy and that's absolutely fine. My demon skull earrings weren't attractive, either. Didn't care then, don't care now.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2018, 05:32:08 PM »
You might think they looked hideous but you've just revealed yourself to be hideous.

[MOD NOTE:  Maybe not hideous, just crotchety, which the OP acknowledged with self-deprecating humour.]


Why judge someone for their appearance if they are happy with it? The meaning behind colored hair is "I like my hair this color".  Many older woman seem to be doing it because they weren't "allowed" before. Finally we are at a place where many schools and offices don't care what color your hair is
« Last Edit: May 26, 2018, 07:54:45 AM by FrugalToque »

DreamFIRE

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2018, 05:45:12 PM »
I see this all over.  Does it have some hidden meaning?  Is it LGB related?  Feminism?

Personally I think it looks hideous, especially on an older woman.  Young girls get a pass because they do weird stuff naturally.  Nose rings, tattoos, NOOOooo!

Maybe I am just getting old?  How come the music today sucks compared to the 70s, 80s and even the 90s?  Now get off the lawn!

I have rarely seen this in person, but I don't care for it.  I've never seen a guy do it.   It's just another one of those odd things that I don't get.  Fortunately, we don't have too many freaky people around here.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2018, 09:51:35 PM by DreamFIRE »

koshtra

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2018, 05:55:13 PM »
It's just fun. Yeah, males do it too. Sprucing up plumage. The more garish shades are jarring at first if you're not used to them.

goldensam

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2018, 05:55:26 PM »
I am in my 30s and have put hot pink streaks in my hair several times the past few years. One time I did lavender. I also have a nose stud. I'm a professional, working in an office environment, and it hasn't been a problem so far. I don't care if anyone finds it unattractive. I don't even care if my partner finds it unattractive. It's my hair, my body, my choice. I like it, so I did it.

OtherJen

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2018, 06:10:22 PM »
It is pretty and fun. Period.

Yup. That.

It's helpful to consider that women do not make all their choices based on whether it will attract men (or women). You thinking it's attractive or not makes no difference to their lives whatsoever. Some things are just for fun. I used to paint my toenails dark green because I like that color. It was not sexy and that's absolutely fine. My demon skull earrings weren't attractive, either. Didn't care then, don't care now.

This. I finally have enough gray hairs that a colored dye will actually show up against my base color of brown-black. I wasn’t allowed to dye my hair when I was a teenager (back then, my friends were dyeing their hair burgundy and purple), so maybe I’ll buy some blue dye to celebrate my 40th birthday next week. I really don’t care whether anyone, particularly some random dude, thinks it’s attractive or hideous, just like I don’t care what people think of my blue toenail polish, Teva sandals, and red lipstick.

wenchsenior

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2018, 07:42:36 PM »
It is pretty and fun. Period.

Yup. That.

It's helpful to consider that women do not make all their choices based on whether it will attract men (or women). You thinking it's attractive or not makes no difference to their lives whatsoever. Some things are just for fun. I used to paint my toenails dark green because I like that color. It was not sexy and that's absolutely fine. My demon skull earrings weren't attractive, either. Didn't care then, don't care now.

This. I finally have enough gray hairs that a colored dye will actually show up against my base color of brown-black. I wasn’t allowed to dye my hair when I was a teenager (back then, my friends were dyeing their hair burgundy and purple), so maybe I’ll buy some blue dye to celebrate my 40th birthday next week. I really don’t care whether anyone, particularly some random dude, thinks it’s attractive or hideous, just like I don’t care what people think of my blue toenail polish, Teva sandals, and red lipstick.

Same.   I actually am thinking of getting into wigs, and if I do I will likely get one bright colored one.  My youngest sister, who has pale, blue based skin, green eyes, and dark hair, used to dye hers dark burgandy/purple and it looked amazing!  I was so envious (I have pale yellow based skin, and cannot carry off any type of purple or violet hue).

shuffler

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2018, 08:01:21 PM »
Is it LGB related?
I think it's RGB related.

Kris

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #12 on: May 25, 2018, 08:44:22 PM »
Hair is unimportant. It grows out, it grow back. No reason not to have fun with it. Females, and males, do it because it is their prerogative, and because it is not their responsibility to style their hair in ways that appeal to older people who feel they shoud be waring it more conservatively.

Honestly, the older I get, the more befuddled I am that anyone actually gives a shit about other people’s fashion decisions. Much less thinks that their opinion matters.

DeepEllumStache

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #13 on: May 25, 2018, 08:46:25 PM »
It is pretty and fun. Period.

Yup. That.

It's helpful to consider that women do not make all their choices based on whether it will attract men (or women). You thinking it's attractive or not makes no difference to their lives whatsoever. Some things are just for fun. I used to paint my toenails dark green because I like that color. It was not sexy and that's absolutely fine. My demon skull earrings weren't attractive, either. Didn't care then, don't care now.

This. I finally have enough gray hairs that a colored dye will actually show up against my base color of brown-black. I wasn’t allowed to dye my hair when I was a teenager (back then, my friends were dyeing their hair burgundy and purple), so maybe I’ll buy some blue dye to celebrate my 40th birthday next week. I really don’t care whether anyone, particularly some random dude, thinks it’s attractive or hideous, just like I don’t care what people think of my blue toenail polish, Teva sandals, and red lipstick.

Same.   I actually am thinking of getting into wigs, and if I do I will likely get one bright colored one.  My youngest sister, who has pale, blue based skin, green eyes, and dark hair, used to dye hers dark burgandy/purple and it looked amazing!  I was so envious (I have pale yellow based skin, and cannot carry off any type of purple or violet hue).
What about jewel green or fuchsia against a warm toned skin?

I dyed the bottom third of my hair purple a month ago and have gone red/burgundy more times than I can count. I work in a corporate environment and it's part of a game that I'm playing, slowly migrate the color out of acceptable norms to see if anyone comments. It's fun, I love the look, and I don't care if it meets the approval of the general public.

HappierAtHome

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #14 on: May 25, 2018, 08:49:52 PM »
Is it LGB related?
I think it's RGB related.

I just need to acknowledge how excellent this is.

BookLoverL

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #15 on: May 26, 2018, 03:45:22 AM »
I used to have a blue streak for a bit when I was at uni, but I was too lazy to maintain it, so I don't any more. I think in the past unusual shades of hair might have been an indicator of one or more non-mainstream subcultures, but I think these days it's gotten too mainstream to really help in that regard. Even my mum started dying her hair pink, and she's definitely not any sort of alternative.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #16 on: May 26, 2018, 04:16:10 AM »
It is pretty and fun. Period.

Yup. That.

It's helpful to consider that women do not make all their choices based on whether it will attract men (or women). You thinking it's attractive or not makes no difference to their lives whatsoever. Some things are just for fun. I used to paint my toenails dark green because I like that color. It was not sexy and that's absolutely fine. My demon skull earrings weren't attractive, either. Didn't care then, don't care now.

 I had blue hair for a while as a teen.  As DS writes, amazing as this may seem to some, women/girls don't always make fashion choices in order to be attractive to men (or women). Fashion is a form of self expression.   I did it because it was fun and rebellious and I was 16.  Blue hair went with my heavy eyeliner, ripped clothes and doc martens (this was the 80s and my favorite band was the Cure) 

If I didn't have such a conservative job now, I'd probably experiment a bit more with hair dye and various styles now too in my 40s. I've also thought about getting a nose ring but that will have to wait for FIRE.  One of the great things about FIRE will be that I can dress however I want without having to care what others think.  In fact, that's also one of the great things about being in my 40s - I care even less than I did when I was younger whether others approve of the way I look or find me attractive.  My DH truly doesn't care.  Only problem is that, for now, I have a conservative work place where blue hair dye (or maybe I'd do purple this time) would be a huge no no.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2018, 04:17:57 AM by Hula Hoop »

runbikerun

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #17 on: May 26, 2018, 04:17:07 AM »
Not that my opinion of a woman's appearance matters a damn to that woman, but as a hetero male I tend to find those unusual shades of hair very attractive. Different strokes for different folks: just because you think it looks bad, doesn't mean all straight men think the same. Or that women make their decisions on their appearance based on what a hypothetical male might find sexy.

Even if a woman does dye her hair in order to look attractive to straight men, it can be a perfectly rational decision - if there's a consistent pattern to who finds it attractive and who finds it unattractive, then dyeing your hair bright purple is a very straightforward way of minimising the amount of time you spend interacting with the kind of man who finds it unattractive. If, say, a woman cannot stand Coldplay, and realises that Coldplay fans find dyed hair unsexy, then one bottle of purple dye makes her invisible to the men she isn't interested in. Conversely, if she loves watching Doctor Who and listening to Converge, then the same purple dye may well radically raise her profile with men who also love science fiction and deliberately brutal music - or, indeed, with women who share the same interests.

As already pointed out, though, the odds that a woman chooses green hair dye with an eye to pleasing the male gaze are long.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #18 on: May 26, 2018, 04:18:16 AM »
Is it LGB related?
I think it's RGB related.

I just need to acknowledge how excellent this is.

Me too!!

Barbaebigode

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #19 on: May 26, 2018, 06:32:59 AM »
Old man yells at wind.

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #20 on: May 26, 2018, 06:42:40 AM »
I find it best not to try to force other people to do things you like and/or to just ignore things other people do that you don't like. Especially if it's harmless stuff. It makes life much less stressful.

MrUpwardlyMobile

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #21 on: May 26, 2018, 06:59:51 AM »
I see this all over.  Does it have some hidden meaning?  Is it LGB related?  Feminism?

Personally I think it looks hideous, especially on an older woman.  Young girls get a pass because they do weird stuff naturally.  Nose rings, tattoos, NOOOooo!

Maybe I am just getting old?  How come the music today sucks compared to the 70s, 80s and even the 90s?  Now get off the lawn!

Harmless and fine.  Nose rings can be a bit much in the professional setting but even that can be harmless.  who cares what color someone’s hair is.  Seriously, it just doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t hurt you or anyone else.  It’s hair coloring. 

If you’re complaining because employees at a company you own do not appear professional, then you talk to an employment lawyer about how you can address that with a proper company policy.  However, aside from being an employer putting forth a company image and dress code, I cannot see any reason to care.

KBecks

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #22 on: May 26, 2018, 07:24:50 AM »
I don't mind different hair colors, some color jobs look great, others will look not so great, it just depends.

For me, I save a lot of money by not getting into hair color or body modifications or fashion and manicures and makeup and whatnot.  I am very, very low maintenance and going natural saves a ton of money.

FrugalToque

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #23 on: May 26, 2018, 07:53:02 AM »
We don't really need to complain about how other people dress and live their lives unless it actually affects us, but this is a really hard thing to do.

For instance, I have this inexplicable hate on for:
a) recumbent bicycles
b) crocs
c) this one woman in the caf who used to wear, like, 20 brown paper towels all down the front of her shirt and in her lap whenever she ate lunch.  WTF.

Toque.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #24 on: May 26, 2018, 08:11:37 AM »
FT - I dislike 99% of tattoos but I chose to try to not hate them or look at them much as nowadays pretty much everyone seems to have one.  I have no problem with tattoos as a moral issue but I just think they're almost always ugly.  I assume that I'm in the minority since everyone else seems to love them.

maizefolk

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sol

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #26 on: May 26, 2018, 09:43:26 AM »
who cares what color someone’s hair is.  Seriously, it just doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t hurt you or anyone else.  It’s hair coloring. 

Just as a counterpoint to this argument...

Why does hair color get a pass, but clothing color does not?  Why is acceptable to walk into your semi-conservative workplace with bright purple hair, but not a bright purple suit?

I suspect that brightly colored hair sends the same subliminal signal that a brightly colored suit does, specifically "I do not take this job seriously because I am not a serious individual."  Maybe that's fine if you're the Vice President, but if you're the new office temp?  Why is usually the office temps and not the vice presidents who roll a crazy dye job?

With that in mind, are women undermining their own professional advancement by dying their hair colors that may cause some people (particularly older people in management positions) to view them less seriously?

MrUpwardlyMobile

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #27 on: May 26, 2018, 09:47:55 AM »
who cares what color someone’s hair is.  Seriously, it just doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t hurt you or anyone else.  It’s hair coloring. 

Just as a counterpoint to this argument...

Why does hair color get a pass, but clothing color does not?  Why is acceptable to walk into your semi-conservative workplace with bright purple hair, but not a bright purple suit?

I suspect that brightly colored hair sends the same subliminal signal that a brightly colored suit does, specifically "I do not take this job seriously because I am not a serious individual."  Maybe that's fine if you're the Vice President, but if you're the new office temp?  Why is usually the office temps and not the vice presidents who roll a crazy dye job?

With that in mind, are women undermining their own professional advancement by dying their hair colors that may cause some people (particularly older people in management positions) to view them less seriously?

I don’t think that’s a counterpoint.  As a business owner, you have a right to control the image of your company within lawful limits.  The failure to adhere to dress code is likely to undermine your career.  That said, outside of being in charge of a business image, who cares? It’s irrelevant.

maizefolk

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #28 on: May 26, 2018, 09:59:35 AM »
Alternatively, an odd or non-conforming appearance can send the signal "I'm so good at my job I'm not worried about how people perceive the way I dress/look."

In my field, the guy who shows up to meetings in hawaiian shirts and sandals is going to start out with the advantage of being perceived to be much much better at his job than the one who shows up in a suit, or well ironed business causal attire.

TheWifeHalf

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #29 on: May 26, 2018, 10:05:52 AM »
My daughter had streaks of blue when she was in high school.
I think she did it as a way she could rebel, but stay within our, and societies, norms.

She was a very very smart girl, with an independent streak (like her mom), and was dealing with a lot (scoliosis, wore a brace for a few years and then needed titanium rods put next to her spine).

She skipped the 8th grade, was off school for 2 months, and still graduated 3rd in her class, so we were kind of glad to see her express her individualism.

She's now an RN, waiting for Pharmacy school to start. When she graduated from hs, her hair was coal black, also not her natural color.

For her, it was a safe way to rebel against what life threw at her.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #30 on: May 26, 2018, 10:25:17 AM »
This is why I had blue hair in high school but don't have blue hair now.  I now work in a conservative work place where that kind of thing would not fly.  In fact, we can't even wear jeans at our office.  My plan is to maybe go back to the multicolored hair if I FIRE.  I agree that women often shoot themselves in the foot style wise at work as we have more options.  I have a colleague who is super smart but wears mini skirts and too tight clothing.  People assume she is dumb because of her attire, which is a real shame.

SwordGuy

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #31 on: May 26, 2018, 10:56:42 AM »
Is it LGB related?
I think it's RGB related.

I just need to acknowledge how excellent this is.

Me too!!

RGB is for light-based color schemes.

Since hair color is based on pigment, it's actually CMY.  :)

I'm a red panda

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #32 on: May 26, 2018, 11:02:13 AM »
who cares what color someone’s hair is.  Seriously, it just doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t hurt you or anyone else.  It’s hair coloring. 

Just as a counterpoint to this argument...

Why does hair color get a pass, but clothing color does not?  Why is acceptable to walk into your semi-conservative workplace with bright purple hair, but not a bright purple suit?

I suspect that brightly colored hair sends the same subliminal signal that a brightly colored suit does, specifically "I do not take this job seriously because I am not a serious individual."  Maybe that's fine if you're the Vice President, but if you're the new office temp?  Why is usually the office temps and not the vice presidents who roll a crazy dye job?

With that in mind, are women undermining their own professional advancement by dying their hair colors that may cause some people (particularly older people in management positions) to view them less seriously?

You have to read the audience.
I now work somewhere that the majority of women don't wear makeup but have rainbow colored hair. It's identical work to my last job where I would have never dyed my hair and wasn't allowed to wear sleeveless shirts.

Because so mant of the women in the iowa office have multicolored hair our VP from New York actually out temporary streaks in his hair to "fit in" when he visited. It was pretty funny.

I don't work with clients. If I did sales I'd probably be more conservative.

When I had brown hair I never got a promotion. I changed jobs to get raises. I've had 2 with pink hair.

elliha

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #33 on: May 26, 2018, 11:09:27 AM »
At least in Sweden a lot of women will bleach their hair and get a light tint of a more unusual color, even older women and women in more professional jobs and it is not seen as that strange. Since it is a very weak color it doesn't look as bold and in your face as a bright green or hot pink. It is often pale pink, vanilla-ish white/yellow, pale turquoise or pale grey. A colleague of mine, close to 40 years old has pink hair and I have considered doing a vanilla tint myself (my hair is bleached blond and kind of brassy right now so it might be nice)

OtherJen

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #34 on: May 26, 2018, 11:53:31 AM »
who cares what color someone’s hair is.  Seriously, it just doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t hurt you or anyone else.  It’s hair coloring. 

Just as a counterpoint to this argument...

Why does hair color get a pass, but clothing color does not?  Why is acceptable to walk into your semi-conservative workplace with bright purple hair, but not a bright purple suit?

I suspect that brightly colored hair sends the same subliminal signal that a brightly colored suit does, specifically "I do not take this job seriously because I am not a serious individual."  Maybe that's fine if you're the Vice President, but if you're the new office temp?  Why is usually the office temps and not the vice presidents who roll a crazy dye job?

With that in mind, are women undermining their own professional advancement by dying their hair colors that may cause some people (particularly older people in management positions) to view them less seriously?

I'm self-employed. I wear what I want.

scantee

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #35 on: May 26, 2018, 12:21:25 PM »
Quote
Why does hair color get a pass, but clothing color does not?  Why is acceptable to walk into your semi-conservative workplace with bright purple hair, but not a bright purple suit?

I suspect that brightly colored hair sends the same subliminal signal that a brightly colored suit does, specifically "I do not take this job seriously because I am not a serious individual."  Maybe that's fine if you're the Vice President, but if you're the new office temp?  Why is usually the office temps

Because the office temps are usually younger and young people like to be wilder with their appearance. Older women who dye their hair have reached a place where they have the luxury to do what they want and they dgaf what others think of them.

Corporate norms for workplace attire have changed dramatically over the past ten to fifteen years. I think the tech culture of dressing down has pervaded many other corporate cultures as well. The multinational I work at is very lax when it comes to dress as long as you are neat and presentable. Bright hair, bright clothes. Jeans. Opened toes shoes. Bare legs. Visible tattoos. No one seems to care much about these things anymore, performance is what matters. Which, yay, that feels like a huge step forward to me.

Polaria

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #36 on: May 26, 2018, 12:34:06 PM »
At least in Sweden a lot of women will bleach their hair and get a light tint of a more unusual color, even older women and women in more professional jobs and it is not seen as that strange. Since it is a very weak color it doesn't look as bold and in your face as a bright green or hot pink. It is often pale pink, vanilla-ish white/yellow, pale turquoise or pale grey. A colleague of mine, close to 40 years old has pink hair and I have considered doing a vanilla tint myself (my hair is bleached blond and kind of brassy right now so it might be nice)

Mmmh, Sweden + blue hair... ;)

elliha

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #37 on: May 26, 2018, 12:51:52 PM »
At least in Sweden a lot of women will bleach their hair and get a light tint of a more unusual color, even older women and women in more professional jobs and it is not seen as that strange. Since it is a very weak color it doesn't look as bold and in your face as a bright green or hot pink. It is often pale pink, vanilla-ish white/yellow, pale turquoise or pale grey. A colleague of mine, close to 40 years old has pink hair and I have considered doing a vanilla tint myself (my hair is bleached blond and kind of brassy right now so it might be nice)

Mmmh, Sweden + blue hair... ;)

A friend had a very similar style but with green and black highlights.

sol

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #38 on: May 26, 2018, 01:41:57 PM »
I'm self-employed. I wear what I want.

Great!  What do you "want" to wear when you meet with new clients?

All I'm saying here is that some professions have certain expectations about what is an appropriate way to present yourself.  Artists aren't supposed to wear suits and ties.  Bankers aren't supposed to wear Hawaiian shirts.  Judges and police officers have specific uniforms, for a reason.  Maybe hair color is sometimes considered the same way.

maizefolk

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #39 on: May 26, 2018, 02:07:50 PM »
All I'm saying here is that some professions have certain expectations about what is an appropriate way to present yourself.  Artists aren't supposed to wear suits and ties.  Bankers aren't supposed to wear Hawaiian shirts.  Judges and police officers have specific uniforms, for a reason.  Maybe hair color is sometimes considered the same way.

Police wear specific uniforms for the same reason police cars are painted different from normal cars, because it's important to be able to identify them at a glance because they're both allowed to do things non-police members of our society aren't permitted to do, and your obligations when interacting with a police officer are different than with a non-police person. Most people will have a very different reaction if a police car tries to pull me over vs a random dude in a truck.

It seems a little disingenuous to bring up cases like that alongside your examples of bankers and artists, because in those cases -- and most others listed in this thread -- there isn't any particular urgent society need which means bankers need to dress one way and artists dressing another way. As such, those random expectations are a lot easier to circumvent, particularly if you put a little thought into how you do it and how you go about it.

For clothing style, I'm not sure why it would be worth the effort although others may have their own compelling reasons, but for things like dyeing ones hair unnatural colors or tattoos, a person is faced with the trade off between either not presenting an image that perfectly matching people's preconceptions while at work, or having the range image they are able to present in their off-work hours substantially constrained by their occupation.

I think that distinction (people can change their clothes at 5:15 pm every day if they like, but cannot adjust their hair color throughout the day yet) is probably the answer to your original question (reproduced below).

Why does hair color get a pass, but clothing color does not?  Why is acceptable to walk into your semi-conservative workplace with bright purple hair, but not a bright purple suit?

Laura33

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #40 on: May 26, 2018, 02:34:27 PM »
When I was young enough to do this, the only dye that was fashionable was to dye dark hair blond (either straight-up or highlights), because of course blondes are prettier and have more fun.  So I went the other way and was sort of adamantly anti-dye -- sort of "this is who I am, I am not going to change myself (literally) so you think I'm prettier, like me or not."

What I really like about the current trend is that it's just fun, pure and simple. There's no deeper meaning, there's no angsting about whether the boys would think fuschia or teal would be prettier -- it's just, I think this might look cool, so let's try it and see.  Of course, now I am in the middle of my corporate-ey career -- worse, I am now the senior expert, and my clients expect me to be the wise counselor.  So I think a wild color and funky cut would be counterproductive.  (Although every year I am more tempted to put that to the test)

But I do think that when I FIRE, I may go electric blue.  Or at least some stripes or chunks.  I mean, my hair is already pretty grey -- so if I'm going to be a blue-hair anyway, might as well be a BLUE-hair.

sol

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #41 on: May 26, 2018, 02:53:44 PM »
It seems a little disingenuous to bring up cases like that alongside your examples of bankers and artists

I don't think so.  We don't respect police officers because of the costume they wear, but the position they hold.  I put them next to judges for a reason.  The costume is certainly useful out on the streets, but it is not the source of their authority.  Plainclothes undercover cops are still cops.

Doctors wear white coats.  Why?  They certainly aren't a required part of the job, but they help put patients at ease because the costume conveys the authority of their position.  Looks matter, when you're dealing with the public.  Bankers are "supposed" to wear business suits.  Mechanics are "supposed" to wear coveralls.  These things are just subtle signals to your customers that you are qualified for you job, and in professions where interacting with customers (like doctors, bankers, and mechanics all do) matters, then you run the risk of subverting that expectation by breaking the dress code.  It's not illegal or anything, just personally harmful.  A doctor could totally meet with patients just as well while wearing coveralls, but none of them do. 

I suspect that typical office environments are more like the artist community, where attire is more often used to signal your position to your peers than to the public.  In that scenario, I would expect significantly more leeway because your success and profitability are not being instantly impacted based on the judgment of your appearance.

TheWifeHalf

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #42 on: May 26, 2018, 02:55:00 PM »
- sort of "this is who I am, I am not going to change myself (literally) so you think I'm prettier, like me or not."


That's why I have streaks in my hair - GRAY ones

maizefolk

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #43 on: May 26, 2018, 03:27:21 PM »
It seems a little disingenuous to bring up cases like that alongside your examples of bankers and artists

I don't think so.  We don't respect police officers because of the costume they wear, but the position they hold.  I put them next to judges for a reason.  The costume is certainly useful out on the streets, but it is not the source of their authority.  Plainclothes undercover cops are still cops.

Okay at this point I'm afraid not following you, sol. You're saying it doesn't matter whether cops on in plain clothes or in uniform, correct? And this is an argument that clothing style matters?

Or are you saying the reason police officers wear uniforms isn't because it is important to be able to recognize who they are?

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Doctors wear white coats.  Why?  They certainly aren't a required part of the job, but they help put patients at ease because the costume conveys the authority of their position.

Here again I have to disagree. From the few doctors I know who know well enough to talk about this stuff (N=2 so talk it with a grain of salt), they wear white coats because there are lots of people running around a hospital in scrubs, no one can keep track of everyone's name and face, and they feel it is important to immediately know who had an MD and who doesn't at a glance.

I don't know how much of that has to do with knowing who can be reliably be asked to do what in a medical emergency, and how much is about maintaining an social hierarchy among hospital employees but it doesn't seem like it is driven by the desire to create a certain impression in patients/customers. My guess that it's mostly about signaling to other hospital employees is also most consistent with there being lots of nuances that people outside of the hospital staff won't enough know to look for, like med students wearing shorter white lab coats that, depending on the school, won't even fully cover their butts.

Quote
Looks matter, when you're dealing with the public.  Bankers are "supposed" to wear business suits.  Mechanics are "supposed" to wear coveralls.  These things are just subtle signals to your customers that you are qualified for you job, and in professions where interacting with customers (like doctors, bankers, and mechanics all do) matters, then you run the risk of subverting that expectation by breaking the dress code.  It's not illegal or anything, just personally harmful.  A doctor could totally meet with patients just as well while wearing coveralls, but none of them do.

Indeed, but many doctors do meet with patients without wearing a lab coat, (for example in scrubs) depending on the circumstances. I agree it'd be surprising to see a doctor walking around the hospital in coveralls, even though coveralls and scrubs basically perform the same function.

I've dropped my car off with mechanics who were wearing a t-shirt and jeans and others who were coveralls. The fact that it didn't bother me one way or the other is anecdotal, but the fact that I see lots of mechanics not wearing coveralls and they don't seem to be going out of business would seem to indicate that if the clothes are a signaling mechanism to the general public in that particular profession, it's not a particularly strong or critical one. 

Look, I'm not trying to argue that the way people dress on the job has no impact on how they're going to be perceived and evaluated. I'm just saying that when you put aside outlier professions like police, there generally isn't an absolute reason we need people from profession X to look like Y. What is left is squishy matters of expectation and recognition, and that's stuff where a motivated individual can come up with other ways to handle the same job that would otherwise be handled by their physical appearance.

sol

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #44 on: May 26, 2018, 04:22:38 PM »
What is left is squishy matters of expectation and recognition, and that's stuff where a motivated individual can come up with other ways to handle the same job that would otherwise be handled by their physical appearance.

Fortunately we're not talking about cases where people are mandated to wear a certain uniform, but cases where people who choose to deviate from the expected uniform may be voluntarily bucking a system from which they require approval for career advancement.  Remember that this discussion started with the observation that in some cases, doing crazy shit with your hair can harm your career prospects.

It just struck me that it's primarily women embracing this type of behavioral appearance modification, in an environment where women's behavior and appearance have historically been under heightened scrutiny as part of a longstanding effort to discredit their contributions.  I'm pretty sure if I had shown up with rainbow hair on my first day at my new (office) job, my bosses would have been less willing to trust me to take on leadership roles of important new projects.  Maybe women suffer the same fate?  Maybe "because I thought it was pretty" is a silly reason to sabotage your career?  Maybe you think swastika forehead tattoos are pretty, too?

But I'm not against hair dye.  You can go bananas with your own head, as far as I'm concerned.  Just recognize that not everyone is so enlightened that they can withhold judgment of your crazy appearance, regardless of your motivations.  The way we present ourselves is a public signal to those around us, and I think there is value in putting some thought into exactly what you're trying to say.

maizefolk

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #45 on: May 26, 2018, 04:40:25 PM »
What is left is squishy matters of expectation and recognition, and that's stuff where a motivated individual can come up with other ways to handle the same job that would otherwise be handled by their physical appearance.

Fortunately we're not talking about cases where people are mandated to wear a certain uniform, but cases where people who choose to deviate from the expected uniform may be voluntarily bucking a system from which they require approval for career advancement.  Remember that this discussion started with the observation that in some cases, doing crazy shit with your hair can harm your career prospects.

Actually the conversation between you and me started out when you brought up the example of police who (in most cases) ARE mandated to wear a specific uniform.

Maybe you think swastika forehead tattoos are pretty, too?

Sol, I recognize that you seem to enjoy a much more no holds bared style when it comes to discussions than I do and I've always tried to be polite in my responses to you regardless of that.

But I would never have expected the requirements of Godwin's law to be satisfied in a discussion about hair dye .

scottish

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #46 on: May 26, 2018, 04:41:57 PM »
Which one is *your* favourite?  (Apparently this is the new trend - merman hair!)





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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #47 on: May 26, 2018, 06:18:23 PM »
Most of the doctor's I see DON'T wear white coats, as it supposedly makes them look more approachable .

I have seen A LOT of doctors the past 3 years. Mist hughky regarded specialists. Some in outfits I wouldn't have chosen to meet patients in, but they all have their own personal style.

And my primary care provider has purple hair.

MayDay

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #48 on: May 26, 2018, 08:18:42 PM »
I'm...... Confused. That anyone cares or thinks there is hidden meaning.

As a mid level professional (though engineer to be fair so our dress standards are lower) I had blue hair for awhile. Others have tattoos or piercings or whatever. No one seems to care and it certainly doesn't seem to affect how seriously people are taken.

If anything having something stand out a bit seems like a positive.  "You know, Cathy, the one with pink hair". Really I wouldn't want to work with people who are stick in the muds about appearance to the point of penalizing me professionally.

I live in a liberal place, but my friend group definitely would seek out a doctor or lawyer with purple hair or a nose ring.

I'm a 35 year old and I've never dyed my hair a normal color. Just blue.

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Re: Women / girls with blue, red, green hair
« Reply #49 on: May 26, 2018, 08:41:12 PM »
FT - I dislike 99% of tattoos but I chose to try to not hate them or look at them much as nowadays pretty much everyone seems to have one.  I have no problem with tattoos as a moral issue but I just think they're almost always ugly.  I assume that I'm in the minority since everyone else seems to love them.

This is pretty much my opinion of tattoos as well, so you are not alone.  I realize that it isn't really my business, its their body, but I don't find them attractive either. 

Re:  Hair color.  My mom owns a hair salon and always has her hair different colors.  I am used to it.  My issue with the girls who do the blue/green/pink/purple hair is that it seems like most of them can't even bother to wash and/or comb it.  I have no issue with non-standard hair colors, but if you go to that much trouble, at least comb it and style it so that it looks nice.  If you aren't going to take care of it, why bother???   It just seems like a waste.  Again, it isn't my business, but it still bugs me when I see it.  LOL