Social Commentary- perhaps

Kell

Folks-

this is going to sound like a PM, but its not.

I recently had occasion to grow the grúaige back for a number of reasons. Suffice to say, attracting the attentions of the "classier, more mature" type of woman was one of the objectives. I never had an issue nabbing the younger type, but for some reason I never got closer than a sniff of someone approaching my own age.

Now, the interesting thing for me is that as soon as I become more "approachable" looking (as friends have put it), netting the "classier more mature type" has never been easier.

Now, the purpose of this thread is not to extoll the benefits of hair in the mating game, more so to cringe at attitudes towards appearances that I thought should have died out ages ago. Dont we live in the 00's?

Anyone else out there had experience (that they know of) of being pigeon-holed as a result of being a skin head?

K-

The Gnome

Yup, people sometimes cross the road instead of pass me which boggles the mind as I'm sure I look non threatening. It's also bee assumed more than once that I'm either Eastern European or Middle Eastern.

It only happens with a shaved head! It's absurd I tell you.

InFront

Skinheads, quite wrongly, are associated with extremists. Humans are many things, and one of them is observant. There happens to be enough scumbags out there of the skinhead 'type' and soon enough skinhead begins to spell trouble.

And there will always be cringeful 'appearances' tbh

McGinty

My sister's fiancee is a skinhead but he has a smiley face so he does not look threatening, he is lovely guy and she is a lot younger than he is, however a friend of mine, again a really nice guy when he is a skinhead, he looks like a nutter yet when his hair grows he looks nice and normal. Hopefully that may help

Jackie laughlin

The creation of one's appearance is a statement. It is prudent to be decide what you want to "say". It is equally prudent to consider other people's interpretation of what you are trying to "say".

Dades

I wonder is there a difference in reaction from

1. A balding guy who gets skinned rather than growing a comb-over; and
2. A young fella who just likes the skint look.

As a "man on the street" I'd be much less wary of the bald fella.

Jackie laughlin

I don't think it's a matter of mild preference. It's the creation of a public persona. Perhaps the two are making quite different statements about themselves and you are reading them correctly.


Many years ago when I grew my hair, a christian brother reacted by telling me that I wasn't deceiving anyone, that he knew that I was saying that I had no respect for the likes of him and his values. He was dead right!

Kell

Jackie laughlin wrote:

The creation of one's appearance is a statement. It is prudent to be decide what you want to "say". It is equally prudent to consider other people's interpretation of what you are trying to "say".

Why? I initially shaved my head as a "sure fúck it lets try this for a while".

I dont agree with the point of appearances making statements. In fact, being a skin head never prevented me obtaining work were I wear a suit from one end of the week to the other in front of board level buying corporates. I find that its odd that it prevents no issue professionally, yet would seem to create an "image" on a purely social front.

Surely if skin head hair was a statement, potential employers would have thought "he's a chap that likes to go out in combats at weekends and nut people for fun, so lets not hire him"?

K-

Nevyn

The same predjuces are there in reguards to men with long hair but while I have heard of people getting as far as 3rd interviews and salary disscussions and being told they would have to cut their long hair I have never heard of anyone iwth a shaven head being told they would have to grow it to a 'respectible' lenght.
There is also in certain work enviroments a predjuces to women with long hair ie they spend too much time on their hair and apprearance to be taken seriously reguardless of thier skills and the fact the time spent grooming is outside of office/ work hours.

As for a greater intrest from a certain type of women maybe they want something to run thier fingers through or to grab a hold of.

Jackie laughlin

Kell,
An appearance is read differently by people in different circumstances. Moreover, the suit plus skinhead is a quite different statement to, say, jeans, trainers and skinhead.

Conventionally a skinhead is read as aggressive. A minority of women like aggression in very small doses. As long as you conform with the suit, the head may say aggressive in work and this may suit some workplace cultures.

Kell

Jackie laughlin wrote:

I don't think it's a matter of mild preference. It's the creation of a public persona.

The jist of my original post was, why does hair style imply persona? As said in first post, I thought we were living in the 00's not in the dark ages?

K-

Jackie laughlin

Kell,
You posted earlier that you wear a suit when making presentations. You are creating a business persona.

I dress up when meeting a woman.

It is impossible to avoid creating an impression through appearance.