QOne of the male partners at my law firm always comments on my hair. He likes it some days, and other days he says, “I like it better when you wear it down.”
Does a woman’s hair have that big of an impact on her career at a law firm? I generally try to keep it pulled back and professional looking, but I get more attention from partners (and people in general) when I wear it down and make it look feminine by actually taking the time to style it.
Should I be making a bigger point of doing my hair nice and cute more often? Would I be taken more or less seriously as a lawyer? Or would putting obvious effort into something as random as my hair just make other women from the firm hate me?
AYou’re 100% right. There’s nothing more important than a woman’s hair. Especially in a law firm.
Are you serious?!
Okay, here’s the deal, sister. Wear your goddamn hair any way you want. Wear it up, wear it down, wear it sideways. Doesn’t matter. Whatever makes you feel most comfortable. Got it?
The fact that one of the male partners always comments on your hair is (1) sort of creepy, and (2) irrelevant to the ultimate decision of who makes partner. If anything, him preferring it down is more of a reason to keep it pulled back.
Repeat after me: It’s the twenty-first century, and I can wear my hair any way I damn well please. Seriously, say that out loud. Three times. Now.
How you style your hair is up to you and no one else. In all my years of professional experience, I’ve never once consciously judged a woman based on her hair (within reason). People respond to confidence, not hairstyles. If you feel awesome about a ponytail, rock it. If you feel better about a more stylish “do,” go with that.
But, as you suggest, putting too much obvious effort into your hair isn’t a great idea. Not because other women in the firm might hate you, but because it’s just sort of lame to put that much effort into your hair, regardless of your profession.
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