dressing at work: my experience so far

[maryjanecapri]

i don't post on here regularly but i thought i would post up something that might interest everyone here.

i am a hair dresser here in lousville, ky. at work all of the employees (including the owner) as well as the clients know about me. they don't exactly know the extent but they know i dress a bit differently. i guess many people assume male hair stylists will have a different sense of fashion than most. so i wear skirts and some times dresses to work. never heels, never make up, and never wigs.

for the most part no one bats an eye. i have yet to have a bad experience with it. now, my big concern is not having as many clients as i could have because of it. so some days it's a tug of war between keeping my identity and growing my clientele. so far my identity is winning out and my clientele has yet to suffer in numbers.

there are days, however, when i know a particular client is coming in and might be less apt to be agreeable i wear pants or shorts instead of the usual attire.

i have to say i feel blessed to live in a community where this is even remotely possible. on top of that being in a field where it's not as out of the ordinary as it might be in, say, accounting.

i am looking forward to cooler times when i can break out the tights and leggings.

anyway - i just wanted to share with everyone so we could all see that it's not always a tightly locked closet in the professional world.

[carolinoakland]

Well, all women wear what they want to, what ever the reasons. It's you who is inside that counts. Carol

[gennee]

You got a good thing going.

Gennee

[Shannen]

Sounds like you have achieved a balance that you can live with for now.

Do you desire to wear makeup, heels, and wig to work? I can't imagine wearing a skirt without a cute pair of heels. :heehee:

Thanks for letting us know how it's going for you!

:hugs:

[Angie G]

It' to bad some can't get past what you wear. Are they afraid of catching somthing.:hugs:
Angie

[tamarav]

I so understand your situation. I too am a hair stylist in a salon, but, I dress daily, to the nines. By far, I am the most feminine looking one in the salon. The other girls are overweight, wear clothes that you would rarely see anywhere but a paintball course, curse worse than most guys I knew in the military, and are generally the same as men, simply female.

The biggest dilemma for any hair stylist is to build clientele to support their business. Without a steady clientele your income fluctuates so heavily that you can't rely on it to any extent. Fortunately, I am retired from a previous life and do this for mostly fun. I also style and sell wigs, do makeup and permanent makeup and cater to CDs and alternative lifestyles.

Does your salon do any alternative hair or makeup or anything else that you could expand into that could help promote your feminine attitude and dress? I created and developed my own business inside the salon since I rent a room for my permanent makeup. I can do what I want in my room, or nothing at all.

Are you planning on staying it your salon for a reason other than longevity to build clientele? If you feel most of your clientele would follow you, why not strike out as a woman and go to work dressed? Drop all the hints and have fun while building a new clientele.

My clientele includes a heavy percentage of totally straight guys that like my attitude or whatever and keep coming back to me. Since I am older I am able to converse on many subjects and discuss a lot of ideas quite well. My heavy business background has been very helpful to the young owners of the current salon.

I just hate to see people so stiffled by what others think when what really happens is that nobody cares. Within a week of starting working dressed, all the hype was over. I am just another girl in the salon.

Good luck with your business, I wish you well.

Your sis,

Tami

[Tracii G]

Hey MJC What salon is it? I'll come give you a big hug.I know that town like the back of my hand.

[maryjanecapri]

Hey MJC What salon is it? I'll come give you a big hug.I know that town like the back of my hand.
Hair Strobel.

[maryjanecapri]

I so understand your situation. I too am a hair stylist in a salon, but, I dress daily, to the nines. By far, I am the most feminine looking one in the salon. The other girls are overweight, wear clothes that you would rarely see anywhere but a paintball course, curse worse than most guys I knew in the military, and are generally the same as men, simply female.

The biggest dilemma for any hair stylist is to build clientele to support their business. Without a steady clientele your income fluctuates so heavily that you can't rely on it to any extent. Fortunately, I am retired from a previous life and do this for mostly fun. I also style and sell wigs, do makeup and permanent makeup and cater to CDs and alternative lifestyles.

Does your salon do any alternative hair or makeup or anything else that you could expand into that could help promote your feminine attitude and dress? I created and developed my own business inside the salon since I rent a room for my permanent makeup. I can do what I want in my room, or nothing at all.

Are you planning on staying it your salon for a reason other than longevity to build clientele? If you feel most of your clientele would follow you, why not strike out as a woman and go to work dressed? Drop all the hints and have fun while building a new clientele.

My clientele includes a heavy percentage of totally straight guys that like my attitude or whatever and keep coming back to me. Since I am older I am able to converse on many subjects and discuss a lot of ideas quite well. My heavy business background has been very helpful to the young owners of the current salon.

I just hate to see people so stiffled by what others think when what really happens is that nobody cares. Within a week of starting working dressed, all the hype was over. I am just another girl in the salon.

Good luck with your business, I wish you well.

Your sis,

Tami

why thank you hon. it's actually quite a pleasant atmosphere. most people are just fine with me. some joke around with me. most compliment me. but honestly i don't ever have the desire to go all out. i'm just your average "guy in a dress". ;-) i kinda like it that way.

our salon does a lot of different things. we're pretty well known for some crazy colors and styles. only one girl does make up though - and that girl isn't me. ;-)

i looked at your site. it made me smile!

[Tracii G]

What road is it on? I know the town just not the salons you understand.LOL

[maryjanecapri]

What road is it on? I know the town just not the salons you understand.LOLFrankfort Ave.

[victoriamwilliams1]

It is great to have a job with that type of freedom.

[Tracii G]

OK MJC I know about where you are I may drop in on you some day and get a haircut.Do you have wigs?

[Anna the Dub]

I work in the newspaper industry (pre press), and everybody at works knows about me and my future plans. I showed my boss a photo of me recently as my future self, and he thought I looked very good and asked why don't I come to work dressed. Soon as the electrolysis is further along, I will, I told him. So, I don't think I will have any work problems. Of course, the anti discrimination laws here in the UK are very stringent now, and my company could find themselves in hot water if they didn't accommodate me. That being said, I think they are just ok about it anyway. As time goes on, we are gaining more and more ground.

[maryjanecapri]

OK MJC I know about where you are I may drop in on you some day and get a haircut.Do you have wigs?
that is one thing we do not have. but there is a great wig shop down town called "Kims".