Wigs in the workplace

Wigs in the workplace

lizzie-alopeciaI imagine the Simply Wigs community is a pretty diverse one. We’re young and old, introvert and extrovert, and any other pair of characteristics you can think of. Similarly, some of us work and some don’t, and we all encounter different environments in our day-to-day lives. These all affect how we feel about ourselves, and the image we each choose to project. I can’t speak from experience of being part of a community of school gate mums, TV executives or prison wardens, but I can share with you my own experiences in the workplace. I got to thinking about this because I read a piece in the Times magazine on Saturday, where Harriet Walker talked about ‘how long hair became a status symbol’.
You only have to look at pictures of women like the Duchess of Cambridge or Amal Clooney to see what she’s getting at. However, I don’t see this phenomenon at all in my own work environment!

I guess I should give you the context. I’m lucky enough to be in a reasonably senior professional role doing a really interesting job, and I work with a lot of engineering and technology companies, lawyers, and civil servants. My observation is that although the unofficial dress codes vary from very formal to smart casual, the look among the professional women in this environment is conventional and tends to shy away from the very groomed, coiffured style prevalent in some other sectors.

Most of my female colleagues choose short, practical hairstyles, and the longest hair I generally see at work is a shoulder length bob. Use of make up is either subtle or non-existent. I can’t remember the last time I met someone in a work context who goes to town with hair extensions and bold make-up, certainly not amongst the more senior women. So…a pretty staid environment where I have to choose the basis on which I want to stand out.

question-markWhat does this mean for alopecians? Well, I have alopecia totalis so I not only wear a wig full-time but I also need to use make-up to fill in the gaps where my lashes and brows should be – more on that in another post. I want to look professional and attractive without looking like I spend my whole time thinking about my hair and make up. It’s a difficult balance and some days I get it wrong. As other bloggers have commented, the wig you choose for work needn’t be the one you wear to go out with friends. I’m not yet brave enough to switch it around day-to-day but I think they’re right – the glory and fun of wearing a wig is that you don’t have to have the same style every day.
For now my chosen wig does what I need at work and play – I can comb it smooth for work and muss it up for evenings out. Maybe soon I’ll try out a ‘weekend wig’; that sounds like fun and you guys will be the first to know if I do.


A final thought – when I changed wigs recently I was really touched by the kind comments from colleagues of all stripes; people I didn’t expect would even notice said they really liked my new style. There’s more kindness out there than we sometimes appreciate. I’d love to hear about how your work or home environment affects the image you present to the world – how free or constrained do you feel, and what do you enjoy about developing your own style as a proud wig wearer? And has the ‘long hair as status symbol’ phenomenon reached your workplace yet?

As always, Let me know your thoughts in the comments below,
Liz
xx

(Picture source c/o scoopwhoop)


Comments

4 thoughts on “Wigs in the workplace

  1. Hello Susan

    Yes, I wore berets for years before getting my first wig and although my first one wasn’t great (there’s an unflattering picture in my last blog post 😉 ), I was still delighted by it. Your first wig sounds lovely, good for you going for quality straight away. I completely agree that people are nicer and more supportive than you expect, and stepping out in a beautiful new style can really give you a boost. I have to plan ahead to pay for wigs too, but a nice wig is definitely worth the effort!

    Love Lizzie xx

  2. Hello Angela

    What a lovely little vignette of your life in wigs! It must have been really hard to find a decent wig in the 60s; it was hard enough in the 80s when Mum and I were on our first wig quest. Your point about deciding when to go grey is interesting, I’m starting to think about how to do that when the time comes, and I think your approach of gradually going lighter is a good one. It’s certainly what I see some of my more glamorous older female colleagues doing with their own hair and I find the colour looks very natural.

    Love Lizzie xx

  3. The first time I had to wear a wig was 20 years ago when I worked in a factory. I have alopecia universalis and wore a baseball cap alot to cover my head. I then invested in a human hair wig and didn’t dare wear it. My understanding work colleges pested and pested for me to wear it so one day I did.
    They were so kind with their comments and thought that I should have done it years ago.

    I am now disabled but when I change my wigs I always get lovely comments about my new hair style and those who do not know my condition think it is my own hair. (I never tell them it is a wig).

    It does give your confidence a terrific boost and is even though expensive (and I have to save up for new wigs) worth every penny. x

  4. I lost my hair when I was 13, a difficult time and as it was back in the early 60’s , not a lot of help or decent wigs out there either! As I got older I started to have work wigs ( a shortish well cut bob) and the long big hair curls of the 70 and 80’s for going out. Now I am in my sixties and retired I tend to stick to the same style, a shoulder or chin length bob, but am going lighter and lighter before I make the big move to grey! Luckily, I worked in the cosmetic industry as an area manager, so make up for brows etc was expected rather than frowned on!


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