Hair rules at work

I did a year at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy before deciding that the military was not for me. The male swabs (first-year cadets) have their heads shaved almost to their scalp. The female swabs are forced to wear ear-length bobs.

After Swab Summer, the men can grow their hair /slightly/ longer. The women can grow theirs as long as they wish, but it must be worn "off the collar" using a maximum of three barrettes. No unnatural colors or "faddish" styles are allowed. And no facial hair.

Ally

You see that is a perfect example of the "Hair double standard" and the freedom that women enjoy over men when it comes to appearance. The girls can grow their hair as long as they want but the guys have to stay with crew cuts. Why?

Well, their reasoning is that it's culturally unacceptable and startling for a woman to wear a buzz cut. She would be the object of humiliation instead of respect.

That same rationale applies to jewelry. Women can wear one earring of an approved type in each each ear. Men may wear none.

Ally

I am starting a course at an elite secondary school. We were told to dress business like and we were told that noone will be seen around the school with spike hair or any wild colors as the business sector will not hire such candidates. I joke and said " oh well I will have to cancel my appointment next week" and of course everyone thought it was funny. Of course the instructor knew I was joking as I have long hair.

Diane from Canada

Hello Bobbedguy:

When you enter that type of instituition you pay a lot of money for any of those programs. You are fully prepared. In that institution they transform the candidates into an idea person for the business market.
There is a range of ages. You can have a person that just graduated from highschool and has no idea what the business sector is like and you can have people who want to change their career and will be successful in finding a new career by going to that intitution.
In the classes it is very much employer-employee conduct so everyone has to dress up as they are going to work in that specialized field. In the area where I live it is very conservative so it makes sense that the institution would strongly encourage all candidates to dress to fit right in.
Yes Bobbedguy the hair issue was brought up. They are very serious about having all their candidates succeed in their career choice and going there is very expensive and their success rate of placing their students in the specilized fields is very high and their reputation is very good. People are proud that they went to that intituition so they must know what they are doing or advising for this territory. The only point that I am making is that they have researched this territory and they are working with it.