Pulling off cornrows in a conservative work environment...

Hi!

I was just wanted to get your opinions on whether one can pull off a cornrowed hairstyle in a very conservative work environment and also look presentable in social settings.

For example what Kara Saun had on her hair... See attached pics.

If you have other pics of cornrow suggestions please post or PM. Thanks!

thoughts... anyone???

I'm trying to figure this out myself as the spring and summer months approach. The woman I see at work with braids have micros or hair braiding back with a faux bun covering. Ehhhhhh I really don't care anymore my hair is my business if they have a problem oh well

It depends on how conservative the environment, and the style.

Cornrows in the front going to about your ears and a bun - yes, possibly.

Cornrows with the curly hair in the back - urrrm, I don't know, as well.

I think that cornrows can be seen as a 'vacation' hairstyle, and that the rest of your outfit/bearing will have to be VERY conservative in order to pull them off.

Oooh - have you ever watched Half & Half? MC Lyte rocks some fiercely conservative cornrows - sometimes - but then, that's her characters style.

I also think that they have to be welllllll maintained.

Otherwise, though - I think - ESP. with a bun finishing them off in the back, you should be able to pull it off.

I think cornrows going straight back, with a neatly pinned bun will do just fine in a conservative enviroment, it looks very professional IMO.

Thanks ladies. More responses are welcome

I see what you mean about a bun and also having them VERY NEAT ALL THE TIME. That is key.

I also agree with the cornrows going into a bun! You should be able to get away with that!

JustKiya said:

It depends on how conservative the environment, and the style.

Cornrows in the front going to about your ears and a bun - yes, possibly.

Cornrows with the curly hair in the back - urrrm, I don't know, as well.

I think that cornrows can be seen as a 'vacation' hairstyle, and that the rest of your outfit/bearing will have to be VERY conservative in order to pull them off.

Oooh - have you ever watched Half & Half? MC Lyte rocks some fiercely conservative cornrows - sometimes - but then, that's her characters style.

I also think that they have to be welllllll maintained.

Otherwise, though - I think - ESP. with a bun finishing them off in the back, you should be able to pull it off.

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I agree. I got cornrows into a bun prior to a vacation and one of my bosses made the comment "Kay must be ready to go, she has her beach hair." They associate braids with the island natives who will braid and bead your hair for $1 per strand.

If you're gonna braid it, just through on a wig/weave. I can't wear corn rows for longer than a week anyway to this will give you style options.

I agree w/the other ladies. I would get smaller cornrows going into a bun. The loose hair in the back is not conservative. I love that style though.

silkii_locks said:

I think cornrows going straight back, with a neatly pinned bun will do just fine in a conservative enviroment, it looks very professional IMO.

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ITA. i like that bun in Mook's hair siggie.

I think that in a VERY conservative environment no they can't be pulled off. But in pretty much any other environment they can. I've found that the smaller the cornrows the easier it is to pull them off

Guapa needs to get in here and show that pic of herself meeting the Queen. She has cornrows and some braids on her natural hair and it looks very professional to me.

I rock this 'do all the time at "Corporate" America. I am not in the main office, but when I am, I always get compliments from men and women about how they like this style. I think it is appropriate for any work environment.

Thanks so much for the candid repsonses. And for the pics of those who have the hairstyles.

The other concern may be the stress on my edges which are not exactly strong...

This is pretty conservative...

BklynHeart said:

This is pretty conservative...

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wow, this is so pretty! what type of cornrows are they?

tia,
tishee

I like them going back into a bun, but cornrows in any style with STRAIGHT parts, will do just fine.


p.s.I am having a hard time trying to grasp the concept that WE believe cornrows are non-professional and cannot be worn in any professional setting unless they are a certain sytle. erplexed Braids are part of our culture (no matter the ethnicity), not a fad or a trend. just wow. Stop letting others dictate what's normal, there is nothing wrong with any neatly styled do.

LUVMYNATURAL said:

I like them going back into a bun, but cornrows in any style with STRAIGHT parts, will do just fine.


p.s.I am having a hard time trying to grasp the concept that WE believe cornrows are non-professional and cannot be worn in any professional setting unless they are a certain sytle. erplexed Braids are part of our culture (no matter the ethnicity), not a fad or a trend. just wow. Stop letting others dictate what's normal, there is nothing wrong with any neatly styled do.

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IA. The wig idea was a good one too.

LUVMYNATURAL said:

p.s.I am having a hard time trying to grasp the concept that WE believe cornrows are non-professional and cannot be worn in any professional setting unless they are a certain sytle. erplexed Braids are part of our culture (no matter the ethnicity), not a fad or a trend. just wow. Stop letting others dictate what's normal, there is nothing wrong with any neatly styled do.

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I think that there is a big difference between professional, and conservative. Some places are so conservative that you MUST wear heels, you MUST wear stockings with those heels, you MUST wear a skirt suit (no pant suits) and you should not wear ANY bright colors (red, purple, pastels, etc.) In THAT sort of environment, I don't think cornrows would go over well. It has nothing to do with the professionalism of the style, and everything to do with the work environment.

I'm a professional, and I rock cornrows if I feel like it (as well as a BAA, two strand twists, etc, etc, etc) - but I also work in IT in a laid back company. I (and everyone else, I think) was addressing the OP's specific question about a very conservative work environment - not merely professional ones - largely because I feel that ANYTIME you are at work, you should be professional.

I used to be very concerned with this too. It took me a while before I started wearing individulas to work, but as I get older I realize (finally!) that braids are a part of my culture, and like a previous poster said, they are not a fad or trend for me. They are necessary for me to keep my hair styled and healthy sometimes, and if they don't like braids then they don't like me...

I also realize that people are people, and when you don't work for yourself, you do have to go with the flow. Having said ALL that, it depends on your particular work environment, and it is imperative that they be kept neat. I think for the most part you should be okay with cornrows, either in a bun or hanging loose in the back. Unless your braids are hanging on by a thread, or have 2 inches or ng underneath , you should wear what makes YOU feel comfortable.

Oh yeah, and wear them with confidence!

strive2win said:

I used to be very concerned with this too. It took me a while before I started wearing individulas to work, but as I get older I realize (finally!) that braids are a part of my culture, and like a previous poster said, they are not a fad or trend for me. They are necessary for me to keep my hair styled and healthy sometimes, and if they don't like braids then they don't like me...

I also realize that people are people, and when you don't work for yourself, you do have to go with the flow. Having said ALL that, it depends on your particular work environment, and it is imperative that they be kept neat. I think for the most part you should be okay with cornrows, either in a bun or hanging loose in the back. Unless your braids are hanging on by a thread, or have 2 inches or ng underneath , you should wear what makes YOU feel comfortable.

Oh yeah, and wear them with confidence!

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Totally agree. Braids can be conservative as long as you are not wearing outragous styles with it or some funked out colours on the hair extensions. Does being converative mean that you have to conform to some sterotypical hair styles?!

Thanks for all the responses.

ITA that braids and cornrows are part of our culture etc and ofcourse its great to have them. Personally I love braids and cornrows and twists.

But I did ask about a conservative work environment. And like it or not we must admit that there are certain situations when certain things would not be appropriate. This applies not only to people of colour but to everyone. Some industries and some work environments just develop and evolve in different ways.

As one of the ladies said, we must ALWAYS be professional at work. But IMHO it is also important to assess what kind of work environment we have. Ofcourse one can always go against the norm if one so chooses... But that is a personal matter. There are several considerations around that as well.

As I said I love cornrows and braids and that's why I was looking into ideas that would be suitable for my rather conservative workplace.

Still open to pics and thoughts!
PS - loved the pics already posted so far!

I don't know about cornrows.... I wouldn't do it. I think some environments are too conservative for cornrows. I think micros are fine though, if you wear them neatly.

They associate braids with the island natives who will braid and bead your hair for $1 per strand.

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Ha Ha..I just had that happen to me. I came back off vacation and the manager asked me if I went to Jamaica on my vacation. I have the braids going back into a bun which I let out last Friday and people told me they liked it out better than the bun.

Back to a bun has my vote for conservative enough for work.

Well, I am an attorney who practice law in very very conservative environments for over the last 12 years.

First, at a vary large, very conservative, international law firm with offices thruout major US cities as well as in london, brussels, hong kong, johannesburg, etc. and I worked the a very very conservative department -- municipal and corporate bond counsel work doing multi-million dollar transactions world-wide and my clients included international corporations (walmart, starbucks, gate gourmet, etc.) and major underwriters (bear sterns, morgan stanley, dean witter, etc.) -- basically, folks with the millions to invest. I gave these details to illustrate my work environment was very conservative with interactions with even more conseravative clients. I was recruited from law school by a white woman, a partner in the firm, and on my interviews with her and the hiring team, I wore cornrows. I got hired. I worked for the firm as an associate for over 2 years, making much money but not having a life with my DH and DS (putting in 80+ billable hours a week can kinda put a damper on family life) and so I decided I didn't want to "make partner" -- so I got a less demanding gig with . . .

in corporate america as inhouse counsel for a major oil company with offices worldwide, a little bit less conservative than the firm, but not much. I was hired by a 3-man team of all male white lawyers and again I wore braids throughout the interviewing process and again, I got hired and worked there for over 10 years.

I work mostly with men, frequently being the only black and the only female at the table and I never had problems because of my hair. Ummm, I had OTHER issues occasionally, but never about my hair in braids. Half the battle is being comfortable within your own skin and I never even thought about whether my braids would fit in or not -- I was always concerned about my ability to produce -- I produce, I get paid. If my braids bothered anyone, then I just weeded them out at the interview stage and never had to worry bout them . . .

At the oil company, there was another black woman pretty high up in the geologist department, she was the head there and she wore locks -- very thick, long and always looking good.

Whew, this is longer than I intended but really just wanted to say that, in general, if your braids or locks, or fro, or twists, etc. are clean, neat and well groomed, they can't say nothing even if they don't like it . . .

The bun can work. The loose - not so much. Another consideration is the frequency with which the cornrows need to be redone. In a more casual environment new growth could be understood as part of the deal, but in the ultra-conservative environment it can be interpreted as 'she just doesn't bother to do her hair'. Do you want to rebraid that frequently? For me, I can't cornrow, so it's a matter of how often I would want to go sit and have my head yanked.

diamonddollfla said:

Ha Ha..I just had that happen to me. I came back off vacation and the manager asked me if I went to Jamaica on my vacation. I have the braids going back into a bun which I let out last Friday and people told me they liked it out better than the bun.

Back to a bun has my vote for conservative enough for work.

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I think I will be doing this as well next month when school starts. My job is very conservative and I am kinda nervous about getting braids but as long as they are neat and up in a bun of some sort I dont think they will say much. I can let it down and style it as soon as I leave this damn place.

Social.Buttahfly said:

I like them going back into a bun, but cornrows in any style with STRAIGHT parts, will do just fine.


p.s.I am having a hard time trying to grasp the concept that WE believe cornrows are non-professional and cannot be worn in any professional setting unless they are a certain sytle. erplexed Braids are part of our culture (no matter the ethnicity), not a fad or a trend. just wow. Stop letting others dictate what's normal, there is nothing wrong with any neatly styled do.

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Amen. I have worn cornrows to work and no one said a thing. I think a lot of it has to do with how you pull it off. A bun or a puff are neat to me and I think cornrows with a bun or puff look very professional. And if loose swinging hair is OK at that job like the loose hair shown in the back on OP's picture (first post), then that very do w/ cornrows looks tons neater than the whole hair wild an free, so if the latter passes, so will the cornrow do. I love all the dos Mook's Hair sports and would rock them even to meet the Queen. Hi Guapa

Here is one of the cornrow dos that got me the most raves at work ever. Even the president of my all-white company interrupted his speech at a company meeting to compliment me yet again on how becoming that hairstyle was. (Did I mention that when he saw me the first thing he said was "VERY nice hair, Nonie!"):



Funny thing is, what you see looking like my afro puff was a phony home-made puff using pantyhose that didn't even match my hair. The hair would've dangled like OP's posted pic, but I didn't like that, so I wore a net to keep it all together and to this day, this is the invention I'm most proud of.

tricie said:

I rock this 'do all the time at "Corporate" America. I am not in the main office, but when I am, I always get compliments from men and women about how they like this style. I think it is appropriate for any work environment.

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I think this style with a nice suit, pearl earings and a pearl necklace (fake of real LOL) will look conservative.