Long hair, Age and Walmart/Grocery store
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: Long Hair Happenings
Forum Name: Long Hair Support
Forum Description: Growing it long takes commitment and support.
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=773
Printed Date: October 31 2025 at 3:18am
Topic: Long hair, Age and Walmart/Grocery store
Posted By: Erinlynn
Subject: Long hair, Age and Walmart/Grocery store
Date Posted: August 31 2003 at 9:31am
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Okay, yesterday I was at Public, a grocery store and there was a woman with just longer than classic lenght hair. She had it braided and the braid at the top was super thick while at the bottom it was exceedingly thin, like a pencil. Anyways i wonder what that looks like out of the braid... She was older and the long hair suited her. It was a pretty steel grey/dusty brown, So seeing her made me think. You know what? I can go into any walmart or Grocery Store and find a very long haired older woman. Its like they all work there. I can go to the movies or a mall or other shopping venues and rarely see a very long haired person. but at walmart and the groceries (and Target/KMart) I see one every time! No matter what time of day either! And more often than not they work there! Why is this? It doesnt matter what state im in either. NY, Ohio, SC, FL. Doesnt matter. They are there! i remember the first super super long girl i saw in a Kmart way back when. Her hair was draggin on the floor and colecting dust (not a pretty sight). But other than the dust it was pretty...but still she was in the Kmart. Anyways its just an observation. I need to visit walmart today...Ill be looking for the long haired worker =) |
Replies:
Posted By: princessmonica
Date Posted: August 31 2003 at 5:11pm
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it's odd every time i go to walmart i see a couple of women with long hair. the other day at target i saw women with long hair. ------------- http://www.msnusers.com/monicasanders - http://www.msnusers.com/monicasanders |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: August 31 2003 at 7:11pm
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Hi Erinlynn, My observations (in FL) are much the same as yours. I often see women with long hair at Publix, Kmart, or Walmart... and rarely at Department Stores in malls. It can make one wonder why that is, yes. Speculation is the best I can do. Might anybody like to hear such random musings? If you (or anybody) is still reading, I guess the answer must be "yes."  So then, read on...Could it be that, on average, women with long hair tend to have less "disposable" income and by necessity either need to procure goods at the lowest possible price and/or not have sufficient funds remaining for department store shopping? Could it be that, on average, women with long hair are more prudent and judicious with their funds? Could it be that, on average, women with long hair are less interested in the wares sold in department stores? Mind you, I have absolutely no idea, or theory on "why"... these were just random possibilities that pop to mind. So who knows? Survey takers, sharpen your pencils.  ------------- |
Posted By: princessmonica
Date Posted: August 31 2003 at 10:56pm
maybe because you can get high dosage of biotin at walmart for only 2 bucks? just a thought  ------------- http://www.msnusers.com/monicasanders - http://www.msnusers.com/monicasanders |
Posted By: Erinlynn
Date Posted: September 01 2003 at 12:36am
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So its not just me whos noticed this occurance... so why would they work there too? Are long haired people less apt to work at a department store or in the mall thanks to their appearance? or why not in buisnesses or other random places of employment (even those that do not require "professional appearances". Like even at the museum I dont see the very long haired gals. i do see longer haired men in every place...generaly. But I see more long bearded men in walmart etc. ------------- |
Posted By: 3katz
Date Posted: September 01 2003 at 9:45am
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Oh, Dave, and here I thought I wouldn't have to do any critical thinking this weekend! I thought the K-mart, etc. phenomenon was just an Indiana thing! Hope you are all having a lovely, relaxing weekend! I am, even though it's been raining for two days straight! (I would hate to waste all the picnic food!)  Jean ------------- 3katz |
Posted By: Unregistered Guest
Date Posted: September 01 2003 at 1:28pm
| I have long beautiful hair, I'm tan, slim & look very good for 47 years old. I shop at Wal-mart and Macys, Thrift shops and malls. Maybe the reason you see more long haired older women at Wal-Mart is because a discount store such as Wal-mart has more people in it than say a Macys. Anyway I was just wondering what that has to do with long hair support. |
Posted By: Erinlynn
Date Posted: September 02 2003 at 6:49am
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I dont know why I cant seem to log in today...anyways, its not just that they shop there but rather that they WORK there! At least thats how it seems to me. Plus places like the movies and the mall do have a high concentration of people and yet I see fewer very long haired people. And this has nothing to do with support, its just an observation, but it has to do with long hair. So there! Sorry, Im in a weird mood today. |
Posted By: Erinlynn
Date Posted: September 02 2003 at 6:54am
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And who was talking about Macys anyways? By departments stores I was thinking of Pennys and Sears or the like. How many people here even have access to places like Macys? Or can afford it? Personaly i get all my most complimented clothes from thrift stores... Oh, but i didnt include thrift stores in the long hair sightings...I dont notice long haired people working there or shopping there very often . Just the grocery, walmarts, targets and K marts. I guess my login worked. |
Posted By: SuperGrover
Date Posted: September 02 2003 at 12:52pm
LOL! Erinlynn, I always get compliments on my consignment and thrift store clothes, too! I always tell people where I bought them. I should probably keep my mouth shut! |
princessmonica wrote:Posted By: Erinlynn
Date Posted: September 02 2003 at 2:24pm
| Yeah I tell them too! i dont know if its good to be thrify or it makes you look cheap, but it sure does make them look disapointed that they cant go and buy one for themselves! |
Posted By: Viktoria
Date Posted: September 02 2003 at 7:16pm
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Hm, Iīm thinking about this, beeing a long way from any of the american states. Iīm also a thrift shopper... And I shop at Willyīs, a best-price food chain. I live for my books and my art. I once had a friend studying at a university in southern Sweden saying that you can tell from the way students dress and wear their hair, what subjects they major in. Well, here, every student wears goretex, to keep warm! But maybe hair, as well as other aspects of the way we look is somehow slightly class related. For example, in Piteå, the neighbouring town, there are a lot more pricy clothing stores, because itīs a more "bourgoise" town, where people have worked in trade, rather than at the steel plant, like us in Luleå. Maybe one could say something about different hair fashions as well, maybe hairdressers have a theory on this. ------------- The more you complain, the longer God lets you live. |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: September 02 2003 at 8:48pm
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More random thoughts on the matter... Erinlynn, when I go to museums, malls and movie theaters, I see lots of long-haired people... maybe it's because I'm in Florida...? Oh but wait, you say you are also in Florida. Jacqui, a.k.a. hairalways (Hi Jacqui!) lives in the same town that I do, yet our impressions on "how many people here have long hair" are quite different. I guess she's hanging out in the "wrong" parts of town. No "critical thinking" required, Jean. But I did think about my response after posting it, and came up with a thought similar to that posted by Leona (hello!), that the Wal-mart is always bustling while department stores are not always so busy. Also, department store customers tend to be older (and maybe have more $). Technically, Leona, you are correct, this topic has nothing to do with long hair support... but it encouraged you to post, so it wasn't such a bad topic after all, was it? I don't see any reason why the scope of this board couldn't be expanded beyond just support. It could include any range of topics related to long hair, including "Long Hair Care," "Long Hair Styling Tricks and Techniques," "The Politics of Long Hair," and so on. Any discussion related to long hair (so long as it is respectful of the hair) is welcome here. Agree? ------------- |
Posted By: Viktoria
Date Posted: September 02 2003 at 10:19pm
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Yes, I agree. I think this subject is very well chosen. Iīm as obsessed with split ends and conditioner as the next guy on this sight, but sometimes itīs interesting to look beyond the actual hair and reflect on the long hair in society. Fact is, in the western world, long hair is a very rare thing. As society is becoming more commercial, secular and people move around more, money becomes more important as the means to "buy oneself into" a tribe of ones choice. Itīs all about looks and trends and manners. Long hair will never be a trend, it cannot be sold or bought or accuired in the short time that a trend lasts these days. Therefore, really long hair will often be percieved, even if not intended, as an upturned finger on group values and codes. And, as many participants on this forum and others relating to long hair have testified, there is hair related abuse going on in families, workplaces and elsewhere. Like in Simsons days, if your strength seems to be in your hair (beauty, confidence), thatīs what controlling, power-needy people will try to take away from you. I believe that "long hair sightings" and reflections on long haired people is us, in a way, looking for our "lost tribe". One must always try to figure out oneīs place in the world and oneīs place depends on where everybody else is. Long haired people will check out long haired people as much as Chevrolet lovers will check out each otherīs cars. In a spiritual sense, we may even be looking for ourselves. Or maybe itīs just support. |
Posted By: Kateyez37
Date Posted: September 02 2003 at 10:26pm
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I frequent WalMart (I LOVE the deals I get there, in every department) and have seen nice looking women with very long hair, but never really thought about it before. I also noticed that they look like they don't do the blowdrying/curling type styling, because their hair seems to be healthy -- the things you notice when you're trying to grow long hair.  I only wish I could grow that type of hair someday. Kris ------------- |
Posted By: dianefromcanada
Date Posted: September 02 2003 at 11:21pm
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WEll this is a very funny thread because guess what! Over here we have some at Kmart, IGA grocery store doing demos and Costco. ------------- dianefromcanada |
Posted By: Erinlynn
Date Posted: September 03 2003 at 6:27am
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I just know that I will be sure to not work at walmart when my hair is really long...lol...okay im being silly =) But really i dont want to wok at walmart long or shorter haired. Going with the whole "you can tell a persons major by thier hair" I wonder if you can tell a persons job. maybe the Walmart workers can have whatever style they want so the long haired gals dont feel pressure to cut it and are not discriminated in the hireing process. Where as in other professions and carreers people with "styles" are prefered. Or people feel the need to be styled. Its like the trailer look. Most of the women Ive met who live in a trailer (and Ive met quite a few with my job, they all seem to want to fill in wetlands) have dyed/bleached blond hair, are very tan and have a hair style from the 80s. Farah Fawcett (sp). Biologists. What would you picture them looking like? Certainly not long long hair... So I was the atypical biologist. BUT! Im also an artist (painter and drawer), singer and dancer. Sooo, my hair can be explained by that! Ive noticed that artists tend to have longer hair. Singers maybe not so much, and dancers sometimes. But artists quite often! |
Posted By: hairalways
Date Posted: September 03 2003 at 7:27am
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Dave - You are right...I am in the wrong part of town! I too notice this phenomenon of hair "districts" within certain stores in town. The Walmart is chock full of long haired women, while the Mall is more "trendy" and short. I attribute it to the money. I am making an observation here, not an opinion....I have noticed that the more affluent, the shorter the hair. This is, of course, in women of 30+...I am not sure why though....ANyone?jacqui ------------- |
Posted By: Kateyez37
Date Posted: September 03 2003 at 12:58pm
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I worked for a Petrochemical Consulting firm as a pricing analyst for years, and I would say over half of the women who worked there had long hair (almost to the middle part of their back). Many of them pulled their hair back with a long french braid, or a chignon twist. I also have colored, blonde hair and hope that I'm not trying to duplicate a "Farrah Fawcett" look, as that was more a 70's/80's thing (didn't notice it being any more than that). I think we all go for a look we feel comfortable with and that suits our hair type, lifestyle demands, etc.. Also, wash and go hair for people with busy, corporate positions would seem to be practical because of the amount of hours dedicated to your job. I have a good friend who is a wonderful artist (very talented) and she has short hair. I've been to several art exhibits, and didn't notice that there were any more people with longer hair than short. Kris ------------- |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: September 03 2003 at 9:08pm
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Very insightful comments, Viktoria. Kris, not only can grow "that type of hair" someday, you will grow that type of hair someday. Good question, Jacqui. The money or the short haircuts, which begets which? Sort of like trying to answer the question, "which came first -- the chicken or the egg?" We could guess that possession of the money enabled the "purchase" of the haircuts, but basic haircuts are extremely inexpensive (in other words, lack of funds don't preclude people from getting short haircuts). I think the hairstyles/lengths are more a matter of choices. Why these choices pan out as you notice, I still don't know. ------------- |
Posted By: tina m
Date Posted: September 04 2003 at 3:08am
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You do notice many women with short hairstyles in upscale areas but there are some with long hair too. As far as working class areas, well that is how I grew up and I live a little more upscale now in a standard middle class suburb. To be honest I really didn't notice there being more long haired women in the working class areas I have been in than the middle class suburbs. It seems to me to be a mix of women with different lengths of hair in both types of neighborhoods. As far as men go though, you do notice more long haired guys and guys with beards in the working class or blue collar areas. The white collar men who work at offices almost always have fairly short hair and usually don't have beards. The exception to that might be guys who work with computers. They seem to be allowed more flexibility with their hair and beards and some of them wear long hair and/or beards. But I live in the north, in Wisconsin. Maybe it is different in other parts of the country. This is an interesting topic. ------------- tina |
Posted By: Kuroneko
Date Posted: September 04 2003 at 4:38am
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*was actually at the Wal-mart today, so might as well answer despite being on the wrong side of the tracks* *laughs* Yes, I do notice an unusual number of people with very long hair at the Wal-mart and other discount stores. I just kind of assumed it was a money thing-- they don't have a lot of money to spend on their hair, so they forgo haircuts and go where the shampoo and other hair products are cheap, to save money. But it also might be a "cultural" thing, since I live in a very conservative, "Bible-Belt" area, where a lot of people have really old-fashioned views. Maybe they're just stuck on that bit in the bible about long hair being a woman's glory, so they're less likely to go for cuts than people in more liberal areas. ------------- More awesome than a manatee! |
Posted By: Erinlynn
Date Posted: September 04 2003 at 7:10am
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Art exhibits...often are trendy things and trendy well to do people often go to them (ive been to many myself. So that would explain the shorter hair. Besides i didnt say that every person in such and such profession has such and such hair. And from your pictures your hair is NOT the trailor bleached blond style i was thinking of at all. |
Posted By: Erinlynn
Date Posted: September 04 2003 at 7:13am
| In fact you hair is very pretty =) |
Posted By: DaveDecker
Date Posted: September 04 2003 at 7:06pm
It's easy to think that Wal-mart customers can't "afford" haircuts, but that simply can't be the case. Inexpensive haircuts can be had most anywhere. Perhaps the short hairstyles that stylists promote are more costly to maintain (products & tools) and the Wal-mart customers (in general) want to avoid high-maintenance hairstyles. Certainly your style, Kuroneko, doesn't fit the "high-maintenance" category.
I never thought I would find myself "defending" religious conservatives... but... while I respect your opinion... it may well be that those who you describe as "stuck" on "that bit in the bible" are merely living their faith; naturally, they won't see the issue the same way you do, thus, the different hair length choices. That said, there are hair-length "exceptions" among the faithful and the non-believing, the conservative and the liberal... sweeping generalizations being difficult if not impossible to prove. ------------- |
Posted By: Kateyez37
Date Posted: September 06 2003 at 10:31pm
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Thanks, Erinlynn. You have really beautiful hair, I noticed. :) Kris ------------- |
Posted By: Karrinne
Date Posted: September 09 2003 at 10:24am
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And many of the super Walmarts have cheap hairstyling salons in them! And of course as other posters have said, alot of Walmarts are in the deep south and midwest, the Bible belt. I shop at Walmart, it's cheap! And I don't cut my hair, but I wouldn't if I had a zillion dollars to spend every week. I'm not sure what the connection is, but I do know it's there. ------------- hair today/hair tomorrow/hair always ??/37/52 See my hair at http://karrinne1960.tripod.com - http://karrinne1960.tripod.com |
Posted By: laststar
Date Posted: April 22 2005 at 6:17pm
| I agree you do see a lot of long haired ladies at Wallmart, I was at Disney with my sister, her husband and the 3 kids and saw a lady in the gift shop with hair down to her calfs. That is something you don't see everyday, just thought it was interesting. |
Posted By: goddess_mels
Date Posted: April 23 2005 at 12:53am
I haven't noticed more long-haired people specifically in Wal-Mart, but I have noticed that since I moved to Southern California, there are A LOT of women with long hair. It's usually layered or has long side bangs, though. I see women with long hair all over the place out here...much more so than I did when I lived in New Jersey. (And no, east-coasters do NOT all have big hair.  )------------- Mels |
Posted By: chgurlsng
Date Posted: April 23 2005 at 8:16am
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I have seen many women in wal-mart/ grocer's w/ long hair. Here are my thoughts: I think that when people go to the mall, they generally want to look nice. They know that they will be doing a lot of walking and they prepare their hair in a bun, twist it up, tuck it up in a french braid or wear a hat. If they have long hair, they don't want it to get caught on racks, hangers or dressing room hooks. People normally go to malls to buy clothing. I think that women/men w/ long hair would not want to get it tangled when pulling sweaters over their heads or get it stuck in zippers. When my hair is pulled up, no one can really tell how long it is, so I think this is the same for others, too. When people go to Wal-mart/grocer, they go up and down the aisles for food, mostly. They won't be there too long, and if they will be, they won't be trying to impress. This is why they probably wear hair down. I think that grocery shopping can be strenuous because most women try to resist the temptations of buying unhealthy foods and such. This is why they probably want to be comfortable when they shop. BTW, I think this is a good hair topic, because it is encouraging to see women w/ hair like I want. It gives me the strength not to cut. Thanks for sharing insight on where to find more long haired buddies. I will keep my eyes out the next time I go to the store! -Char |
Posted By: eKatherine
Date Posted: April 23 2005 at 2:59pm
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The reason you see fashionably shorthaired women shopping in upscale stores is that women who have the money to devote to expensive hairstyles are also looking for trendy clothes and accessories. They are the target market of this type of store.
Long hair is never fashionably trendy. Therefore, women who have long hair may see themselves as outside of the fashion treadmill, in which case there's very little reason to sink lots of money into clothes that will be out of style next season. Women who don't have the money to be fashionable may just give up on it and find a look that they and their husband like, which may very well be long hair. People without much money often shop at Walmart, so you'll see longhaired women there. Getting back to the original topic, the reason you see older longhaired women working at Walmart but not at the upscale mall stores is that the mall stores discriminate against older women. Age is not considered fashionable or trendy. |