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EveryHairstyle

Work and formal

Neat styles for offices and ceremonies. 14 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.

Work and formal occasions call for neat, controlled hair: a smooth chignon or French twist, a tidy bob, a short barber's cut with a side parting. Some jobs carry their own hair: the wigs of British barristers and judges, the covered hair of food workers, the regulation cuts of police and pilots. What counts as professional hair has been questioned, especially where rules have excluded natural Black hairstyles.

Formal styles

The chignon and the French twist have been standard formal and office styles for women since the 1950s, along with the bob and the low ponytail. Men's formal hair has usually meant a regular haircut or an Ivy League, parted and combed. In Britain, barristers and judges have worn horsehair wigs since the late 17th century; since 2008 they have been dropped in most civil cases but remain in criminal courts.

What is professional?

Workplace rules on hair have often treated afros, braids and locs as untidy. Studies and campaigns in the United States and Britain have described this as discrimination, and the CROWN Act and similar policies now protect natural hairstyles in many American states, while British employers and schools have adopted similar codes. Supporters of dress codes argue for consistency; critics say the codes reflect narrow ideas of how hair should look.

Famous work and formal hairstyles

ChignonA smooth formal knotFrench twistThe office roll of the 1950s and 1960sBob cutA neat, low-maintenance cutRegular haircutThe standard business cut

Still to be written: Ivy League (haircut), Wig.

Further reading

KindCutBraidUpdoPonytailLocsNaturalCurlsShavedFringeStyledWrappedAdorned
Hair typeStraight hairWavy hairCurly hairCoily and kinky hairFine hairThick hairAny hair
Worn byMostly womenMostly menAnyoneChildrenBrides and weddingsFaith and religious ordersUniform and workSubcultures and music
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy length
🇬🇧 United KingdomSnood A net or cloth bag that holds hair at the back of the head.Wrapped · Any hair · 1590 WorldHeadscarf A triangular or square cloth folded to cover the hair and head while leaving the face visible.Wrapped · Any hair 🇪🇸 Spain and 2 moreMantilla A traditional Spanish lace or silk veil worn over the head and shoulders, often with a comb.Wrapped · 1500 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreNatural hair movement A social and cultural campaign for wearing textured hair without chemical straightening.Natural · Coily and kinky hair · 1960 🇬🇷 Greece and 2 morePonytail A practical hairstyle where hair is gathered and secured at the back of the head.Ponytail · Any hair 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreBob cut Short to medium haircut ending at the jaw or shoulders.Cut · Any hair · 1909 🇯🇵 JapanChonmage Traditional Japanese topknot worn by men, historically by samurai and now by sumo wrestlers.Updo · Straight hair · 1603 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreCornrows Tight three-strand braids woven close to the scalp in straight or curved lines.Braid · Coily and kinky hair · 1902 🇷🇸 Serbia and 4 moreBuzz cut A very short, uniform haircut made with clippers.Cut · Any hair · 1890 WorldFlattop Short sides with a flat, upright top.Cut · Any hair 🇺🇸 United StatesCrew cut A short, graduated men's haircut with upright top hair.Cut · Thick hair · 1920 🇳🇦 Namibia and 1 moreBox braids Square-parted protective braids with synthetic extensions.Braid · Coily and kinky hair · 1990 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreHigh and tight A military crew cut with shaved sides and a short top.Cut · Any hair · 1980 WorldRegular haircut Classic men's style with tapered sides and combed top.Cut · Any hair 🇯🇵 JapanFrench twist An elegant updo where hair is twisted vertically against the head.Updo · Any hair · 1940

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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