To feather, or not to feather: isn’t that always the question? I’m going to go on a limb and say that the majority of us have seen our share of trendy gals sauntering across campus with feathers of all sizes and colors woven into their locks. It’s the new craze, so hop on board! Right?
Personally, I was drawn to the feather trend from the start, but never got one over the summer when I had the time (and the money; broke college student over here). But lately I had been giving it more thought and decided I was going to go for it. But then I wrote an article for LACD’s September newsletter about business casual dress in the workplace, which led to me getting lost in web discussions about the different levels of professional dress and what is appropriate in certain situations and what is not. Ok, it also led to some shameless online shopping, but I only looked! (Ann Taylor, why are you so timelessly chic?) It also got me thinking: hairstyles are just as important to your professional presentation as attire. Would feathers be seen as acceptable?
I broached this question to Lisa Lambert Snodgrass, Career Development Director for the College of Liberal Arts, to see what a career professional had to say on the matter. I had a feeling that this trend would not be seen as business-friendly, but the answer I received was not the answer I was expecting. Lisa told me that feathers were largely associated with social movements that took place when she was growing up so, in turn, she associated feathers with those movements. She did not tell me not to get one, and she did not tell me that they were inappropriate in our business casual work environment. But what she did tell me, even if indirectly, was something I hadn’t given much thought to before, and really should have. While some styles and trends can cross generational lines, others do not and can sometimes carry generational connotations about which younger professionals are clueless. This, too, got me thinking: certain styles that I see as “cute” and am drawn too may not be seen the same way by members of another generation, especially in the business world.
Like it or not, initial impressions are based on appearance, so even something as seemingly insignificant as a feather in your hair can determine someone’s perception of you, positively or negatively. I’m not saying that everyone will write you off for rockin’ a feather, but you should keep in mind the generation gap and how different styles can look to different people. And you should just want to look professional, too!
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