abercrombie and fitch (hollister) hair policy racist??

[whitedaisez]

I applied at Hollister clothing store and my friend told me when she applied, she had cornrows with extensions & they told her that she can't have cornrows. I really like the store, the employees look very friendly, the clothes are nice & it looks like a fun place to work.

But I recently had extreme heat damage at a Dominican salon & i want to protective style for a while with extension braids because it is too hot for my wigs. I want to do cornrows at the front half of my hair and finish it off with individuals at the back because that is less expensive than complete individuals or tree braids.

So I went online and my friend was right. They prohibit "cornrows" and there are even lawsuits against them for having racist policies. I really need a job, I have been looking for 7 months & I would really like to work there.

Do you guys think prohibiting braids is a way of filtering out blacks because they just can't say they don't hire black people? Have any one of you worked for this company? Do you think i will be rejected because of my braids, even though they look very cute & tidy, and i'm not bad looking?

Please let me know what you think cuz am so frustrated right now.

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

I've heard such things about them. I don't shop there at all.

 

[HappilyLiberal]

I applied at Hollister clothing store and my friend told me when she applied, she had cornrows with extensions & they told her that she can't have cornrows. I really like the store, the employees look very friendly, the clothes are nice & it looks like a fun place to work.

But I recently had extreme heat damage at a Dominican salon & i want to protective style the for a while with extension braids because it is too hot for my wigs. I want to do cornrows at the front half of my hair and finish it off with individuals at the back.

So I went online and my friend was right. They prohibit "cornrows" and there are even lawsuits against them for having racist policies. I really need a job, I have been looking for 7 months & I would really like to work there.

Do you guys think this is a way of filtering out blacks because they just can't say they don't hire black people? Have any one of you worked for this company? Do you think i will be rejected because of my braids, even though they look very cute & tidy, and i'm not bad looking?

Please let me know what you think cuz am so frustrated right now.

Most black people (i.e. not us hair freaks) wear their hair straightened. So, as long as the policy is no cornrows this leaves open the wide range of straight styles black women wear. I don't think it is designed to filter out blacks. This is similar to that other thread about the store that only wanted to hire naturals.

 

[Nelli04]

hmm...i wouldn't work there...I remember seeing a news segment on how a store out where i live only hired white people and rejected all the asian folk who applied.

 

[Whimsy]

In THIS case I do think it's probably racism. But other places have no cornrows policies too.

I was a hooter girl and you weren't allowed to wear braids or cornrows there either, BUT the main policy was you couldn't wear your hair up in any way, it had to be loose. There was a girl with a Big ol afro there.

I've also heard from friends who work at various bars and lounges that they can't wear cornrows, but I think it's just on the same tip as hooters, like the free flowin hair is more 'feminine' and will ultimately attract more dudes and sell more beer... ::shrug::

 

[Sondice]

I worked for them. One summer my sophmore year in college. Actually a good chunk of people who worked there were black. Idk I wasn't that pressed about their policy. That's just me.

 

[bellesocialite]

This really doesn't shock me. I thought it was common knowledge that A&F/Hollister had discriminatory views and practices.

 

[whitedaisez]

I worked for them. One summer my sophmore year in college. Actually a good chunk of people who worked there were black. Idk I wasn't that pressed about their policy. That's just me.

So if you had my hairstyle, would they have fired you?

 

[Whimsy]

This really doesn't shock me. I thought it was common knowledge that A&F/Hollister had discriminatory views and practices.

Word? like what else? This is the first I'm hearing about it.

 

[lynnstar]

The store has a history of "preferring" a certain "look".

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/24/60minutes/main657604.shtml

The class action lawsuit did not change their mentality either

http://bizcovering.com/major-compan...rude-exposing-abercrombie-fitchs-true-colors/

 

[Sondice]

So if you had my hairstyle, would they have fired you?

Idk if they would have fired me. I do remember them saying when I interviewd that basically cornrows and braids were a no no. But I didn't think about it much back then since I hadn't worn braids in years.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

Why dont you do a full head of individuals that way, your hair will have the "down" flowy look and you can apply for the job.

You said you want to protective style after your Dominican blowout setback? Why don't you try doing individuals around the perimeter and a small horseshoe @ the top and a sew in in the middle? like this and this that way you can have the look, protect your hair and get your money.

If you don't want the braids to show at all....you can do individual tree braids

 

[whitedaisez]

try doing individuals around the perimeter that way you can have the look, protect your hair and get your money.

If you don't want the braids to show at all....you can do individual tree braids

Ya I was thinking the same thing but complete individuals & tree braids are very expensive. And I wanted the cornrows in front so that I can be redoing them every 3 weeks or so to make the braids look fresh for about 2 months.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

You can try doing them yourself there are like a trillion tutorials on YT it'll take you a bit to do it off the bat but once you're done you only have to redo the edges to keep things fresh....you should give it a try.

I see what you're saying about the cornrows in the front but on type 4's like me, cornrows have very little lasting power and start to look scraggly far more quickly then individuals...go for it girl! If you lived in NY I'd give you the cheap hookup...o well

 

[L.Brown1114]

IMHO why would u apply to one of the whitest stores with cornrolls?? have you ever heard of the term you gotta dress the part?? have you ever seen a black girl who dresses urban with a white guy who dresses preppy and they are dating?? its rare to find. i got hired at american eagle and i showed up with a curly lace wig, a north face fleece jacket and my ugg boots. If i would have came in extension braids and dareon jeans with a baby phat shirt im 100% certain i wouldnt have gotten the job. if u want to apply you gotta be a black girl that "acts white". but it goes both ways, do you think a preppy white girl would get accepted at working in a soul food restaurant. they hire people who they think will know the type people who shop there so you can sell the products

 

[lovelexi]

honestly i think its just the image of the store. they want there employees to look, dress, speak, and act a certain way. then you have to look at who mostly shops there. they probably want to hire people that can relate to their customers.

 

[Gigi-07]

The policy is not racist, it's preference. A white person with cornrows, or any style deemed "unprofessional", would have a hard time finding a job in many places as well.

 

[***BlessedMom***]

LBrown- Indians ARE Asian!

IMHO why would u apply to one of the whitest stores with cornrolls?? have you ever heard of the term you gotta dress the part?? have you ever seen a black girl who dresses urban with a white guy who dresses preppy and they are dating?? its rare to find. i got hired at american eagle and i showed up with a curly lace wig, a north face fleece jacket and my ugg boots. If i would have came in extension braids and dareon jeans with a baby phat shirt im 100% certain i wouldnt have gotten the job. if u want to apply you gotta be a black girl that "acts white" aka educated in my terms. but it goes both ways, do you think a preppy white girl would get accepted at working in a soul food restaurant or an indian person working at an asian restaurant? they hire people who they think will know the type people who shop there so you can seel the products

 

[KSand]

Word? like what else? This is the first I'm hearing about it.

My co worker quit A&F because they told her she needs to wear her hair "natural". She was a natural who wore her hair straight all the time. She was upset because all the other girls there had highlights and whatnot but they wanted her to rock a fro. Needless to say -- she quit.

OP: I am sure there are other great places to apply. Don't want you to feel like you have to limit yourself to Hollister.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

/\ Wait. So your friend is a straight haired natural, the management encouraged her to wear her hair in its (natural) kinky state and she quit as a result?? I think thats more of a reflection on your friend then the store and its policies.

Their request is A) A MUCH easier style to achieve B) Doesn't require her to change any of her natural features C) Embraces her look and plays up her individuality

That really made no sense to me.

 

[loshed]

Hollister is scary. I give it a wide berth in mall because I'm afraid something is going to leap out of it's murky depths and disappear me forever. But yeah, there have been some articles about how the A&F owner is going for a very, very specific look and in the name of that does lots of discriminating. If you really want the job you're probably going have to find another protective style.

 

[Aspire]

Uhhhhh, I live in Western Pa - as in KKK headquarters. The Hollister at our mall (and one of my son's favorite stores) has AA employees. A guy with locs and a young lady with a natural who frequently wears twists or whatever. I will say though that both are fricken beautiful - I mean BEAUTIFUL!! Maybe it has something to do with it being Hollister versus A&F? IDK

But you need to do what makes YOU comfortable - period, regardless of the intent of the policy.

 

[arosieworld]

The store here will not let you have braids of any kind. I think they enforce the rule more depending on location. I know several students that have had problems with the rules there and how they treat customers of color. I have even heard stories of them cutting hours for people whose style wasn't exactly against the rules but not preferred which here is anything fro or puff.
Take the job if you need it just be prepared.

 

[Whimsy]

My co worker quit A&F because they told her she needs to wear her hair "natural". She was a natural who wore her hair straight all the time. She was upset because all the other girls there had highlights and whatnot but they wanted her to rock a fro. Needless to say -- she quit.

OP: I am sure there are other great places to apply. Don't want you to feel like you have to limit yourself to Hollister.

HUH?!

 

[LittleLuxe]

/\ Wait. So your friend is a straight haired natural, the management encouraged her to wear her hair in its (natural) kinky state and she quit as a result?? I think thats more of a reflection on your friend then the store and its policies.

Their request is A) A MUCH easier style to achieve B) Doesn't require her to change any of her natural features C) Embraces her look and plays up her individuality

That really made no sense to me.

I think you have to understand that what the manager was doing wasn't a favor to her, sometimes being natural is just about a hair-style, nothing more or less.

This girl's personal preference was to be a straight-haired natural, she was content with that choice, it was a decision that made her happy. Her employer then judged her on her appearance and decided it wasn't sufficient but if she wore her hair natural that'd be better.

Their decision had nothing to do with making her hair easier to style, it had to do with them wanting her image to fit 'something'. I put the something in quotations because it could be anything.

Perhaps they felt she wasn't black enough, perhaps they wanted her to appear more like an image of what they thought a black person should be. Regardless they didn't respect her personal decision and decided her appearance wasn't good enough.

I don't think it's a reflection on her friend at all. Your examples suggest that her straight hair didn't embrace her looks or play up her individuality, why?

 

[NeauxOneCurr]

IMHO why would u apply to one of the whitest stores with cornrolls?? have you ever heard of the term you gotta dress the part?? have you ever seen a black girl who dresses urban with a white guy who dresses preppy and they are dating?? its rare to find. i got hired at american eagle and i showed up with a curly lace wig, a north face fleece jacket and my ugg boots. If i would have came in extension braids and dareon jeans with a baby phat shirt im 100% certain i wouldnt have gotten the job. if u want to apply you gotta be a black girl that "acts white" aka educated in my terms. but it goes both ways, do you think a preppy white girl would get accepted at working in a soul food restaurant or an indian person working at an asian restaurant? they hire people who they think will know the type people who shop there so you can seel the products

Black people I swear!
I'm sure uggs = educated.. I'm sure!!!!!!!

 

[NeauxOneCurr]

LBrown- Indians ARE Asian!

You saw that too?

 

[kmn1980]

This thread has me thinking OP should go just to pick their brains on their policy.

 

[drappedup]

honestly i think its just the image of the store. they want there employees to look, dress, speak, and act a certain way. then you have to look at who mostly shops there. they probably want to hire people that can relate to their customers.

The policy is not racist, it's preference. A white person with cornrows, or any style deemed "unprofessional", would have a hard time finding a job in many places as well.

Exactly to both.

I'm beyond sick of this same rehashed story (just replace the store). Do people not get EVERY SINGLE STORE has an image and preference about their workers????? Whether you like it or not, they have target audiences. The sales associate is a representative of the store. Simple as that.

 

[L.Brown1114]

LBrown- Indians ARE Asian!

lol i know they are technically but i meant if i went to happy wok i wont see an indian working there because although they are asian they dont have the same exact culture. i wasnt going by geographic terms.