How we present ourselves at work has long been tied to ideas of professionalism, but those ideas have not always been inclusive. For many Black professionals, appearance and identity intersect in ways that challenge traditional norms shaped by Eurocentric standards. This Black History Month, IP&ME committee members Josh Watt and Electra Valentine explore the power of presentation, how embracing authenticity can redefine professionalism, and how to create workplaces that reflect the diversity and strength of those within them.
Black hair, dress codes, and the Equality Act
In the UK legal industry, conservative appearance standards have made it harder for Black professionals to wear natural or protective hairstyles without scrutiny. Many workplaces still favour Eurocentric styles, signalling that natural Black hair may not align with an assumed image of authority or credibility.
The Equality Act 2010 protects against race discrimination. Policies that disadvantage styles linked to ethnicity (afros, braids, locs, twists) can be indirectly discriminatory if they put Black employees at particular disadvantage without proportionate justification. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published practical tools that—though written for schools—map cleanly onto workplace policy reviews.
Courts have taken the same line. In G v St Gregory’s Catholic Science College (2011) a cornrows ban was held to be indirectly racially discriminatory and not justified—an example of a “neutral” rule embedding Eurocentric norms.
On data, the 2023 CROWN Workplace Research reported that Black women’s hair was 2.5 times more likely to be perceived as “unprofessional”, and many change their hair for interviews; UK-facing campaigns similarly report high rates of hair-related microaggressions at work.
Do you think the idea of corporate professionalism still carries Eurocentric undertones?
Yes. When “professional” is left vague or treated as a single look, bias follows. Recent court-dress guidance recognises that some ethnic hairstyle traditions make wigs uncomfortable or impractical and allows barristers in those cases not to wear a wig, with no application required. That is a live shift from one inherited aesthetic to hair-neutral practice. The same logic should apply where workplaces rely on undefined “neat and tidy” standards: if the aim is client confidence, state it plainly and apply the minimum restriction needed; if the aim is safety or product integrity, specify the risk and the workable adjustment. Neutrality is a drafting choice, not a default look. (Josh)
Sharing experiences in a professional setting, from ourselves and others.
Electra Valentine, IP Support Staff
“Unfortunately I have always felt an element of pressure when choosing a professional hairstyle. Especially when I was younger, my interpretation of a professional image was influenced by the harmful narrative/stereotype that Afro-Caribbean hair isn’t considered neat or appealing.
Although I’m able to overlook those stereotypes now, my perception is largely based upon the microaggressions I’ve faced in previous roles. In the past when I’d chosen to wear my natural hair down I’ve been compared to a range of different animals, lions, poodles, llamas, you name it. I’ve had countless previous colleagues touch and grab my hair which has made me uncomfortable at the thought of even wearing my hair down again in the workplace. Negative experiences like those tend to stay with you which is why I look to alternative hairstyles the majority of the time to avoid being in those situations again. It’s something I actively try to work on and hopefully over time I can help to change what the standard is for professional hair.”
Christine Youpa-Rowe, IP Support Manager at Mathys & Squire
“I have worked at Mathys & Squire for over 33 years now and I have always felt completely comfortable and open with how I present myself. I am really lucky here that I have never felt any pressure to look a certain way, except for the expected dress codes at the time of course, so I have been able to dress accordingly but to have my hair in any style that I want. I have had locs for a number of years now and I do not worry about being judged here professionally. As well as feeling comfortable with how I style my hair, this extends to how I dress too, although I prefer office wear as standard, with the firm being smart/casual. I do wear religious jewellery and have always felt comfortable in doing so.
The only thing I would change is that I think the pledge made to the Halo Code by our firm should be highlighted internally to staff as well and this is something they are working on. It is such a positive commitment and it shows a stance against discrimination towards Afro hair and just how inclusive the firm is, so we should openly demonstrate that this is something we are proud to be a part of as well as to remind our existing (alongside prospective) employees that they can be themselves. I do believe it is important to have clear boundaries in the workplace but it is also vital to create a comfortable and inclusive environment for all and we have this.”
Sheilla Mamona, Beauty writer and journalist
She wore her natural Afro to a job interview and did not get the job. In her account the interview included microaggressions about Blackness and cultural fit. She left feeling that wearing her Afro had revealed the true culture of the workplace she was entering, and that staying true to her hair and identity was a way to see an organisation’s real response early rather than masking and finding out later. She cites research showing Black women’s hair is more likely to be perceived as “unprofessional” and that many change their hair for interviews.
How have your experiences shaped the way you think about professionalism in the workplace?
I’ve always felt as though I can’t attend interviews with my natural Afro-Caribbean hair down, so I opt for my hair tied back or worn straight. In this industry in particular it’s hard to feel accepted when you’re a minority, so you set the standard of what’s “professional” based on the majority and that’s not Afro-Caribbean hair. If I were looking to progress, I would be mindful of hairstyles and dress, and there would be a tendency to conform. The lack of Black hairstyles visible in leadership roles makes embracing them feel like a risk. It affects men and women and it likely discourages younger Black candidates from entering the industry. (Electra)
Should there be room for individualism in a professional environment?
Yes, with clarity. Authentic presentation should be welcomed. Standards should be written, specific, and applied evenly across all hair types and styles. If you are mainly at your desk or working from home, expression usually matters more than formality. Where client contact or formal settings apply, state the requirement precisely and explain the aim. Keep any limits tied to safety, hygiene, or product integrity rather than taste or tradition. Make the policy text match the value statement: be professional and be yourself. Back it with a short manager briefing so day-to-day decisions align with the written rule. (Electra & Josh)
What are the implications of not addressing this
Silence has a cost. Vague standards push people to self-edit to avoid policing and microaggressions. Confidence drops, client-facing presence narrows, and leadership pipelines thin.
There is legal risk. A neutral rule that places a racial group at particular disadvantage will fail unless it is objectively justified. The test is proportionate justification; the EHRC’s decision tool shows how to review policies before they discriminate.
There is operational and reputational risk. Ambiguous dress codes produce inconsistent enforcement, grievances, and public criticism. Clear, hair-neutral wording, applied evenly, reduces noise and aligns policy with practice.
There is culture and representation risk. If Afro-textured and protective styles are treated as “risky”, people will code-switch to progress and representation will stall. Signals from the top matter; even court dress is shifting toward hair-neutral practice. Workplaces that lag look out of step.
Use Black History Month as the bridge from visibility to change. Our visit to Nigerian Modernism at Tate Modern underlines that diverse cultural expression is normal and creative, not something to be managed to a single template; curator Osei Bonsu frames the show around Nigeria’s multi-ethnic diversity.
Beyond policy and law, there is also heritage. This is not just about what is “allowed” in the office, it is about what has always been ours.
From the exhibition Nigerian Modernism at Tate Modern, one series that stood out was JD ‘Okhai Ojeikere’s Hairstyles. Ojeikere spent decades documenting Nigerian hair culture through almost one thousand black and white photographs. The work treats hair as architecture, sculpture and social language rather than decoration. Many of the images are tightly framed from the back of the head and show braided patterns, rounded buns and raised, almost structural styles. During the independence period in Nigeria new fashions emerged, including braided suku and dramatic, heighted looks nicknamed skyscraper styles. The point made in the wall text is that these hairstyles are technical, deliberate and protective, and that they carry cultural meaning.
This matters here because it undercuts the lazy idea that tidy or professional hair has one fixed look, a look that is, more often than not, Eurocentric. The series shows precision, symmetry and care, without straightening or dilution to fit the Eurocentric norms. It treats Afro textured and protective styles as skilled work that deserves to be recorded and displayed in a national institution. That is the standard we should be aiming for when we talk about professional presentation in UK workplaces; judge by care, hygiene and role requirements, not by how someone’s hair is to an inherited default.
Do we think there has been any progress in UK workplaces in regard to inclusion?
Halo Code
There is progress, but it is uneven. Many employers now reference hair-neutral standards and adopt the Halo Code, which commits organisations to protect natural hair and protective styles at work. The live legal question is indirect discrimination: a neutral rule that puts a group at particular disadvantage will be unlawful unless proportionate. Case law points the same way: a cornrows ban was held indirectly discriminatory and not justified. Two implications follow. First, write the standard clearly and enforce it consistently. Second, ambiguity is expensive.
US CROWN Act
Comparative law is useful for drafting. California’s CROWN Act defines race to include traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and protective styles, and similar laws have spread across many US states. UK employers do not need new legislation to mirror the clarity: name protected expressions in policy, confine any limits to demonstrable needs, record why lighter measures will not work, and apply rules evenly across hair types. This aligns with the UK legal test and keeps the writing plain.
This is not an argument against professionalism. It is an argument against pretending that Eurocentric presentation is the only professional option. Professionalism should not mean erasing texture, identity or culture to make senior people comfortable. It should mean showing up prepared, competent and respectful, and being judged on that basis. As an industry built on ideas and innovation, we can’t claim to support diversity while quietly rewarding proximity to one narrow presentation standard. The goal here is not “to let people do what they want”, but rather to stop punishing ‘Blackness’ for existing.
Take home points
- Hair is not a proxy for competence.
- Write hair neutral, specific rules and tie any limits to safety, hygiene or product integrity, not style.
- Train managers and apply standards consistently across all hair types and styles.
- Pair celebration with action. Adopt or align with the Halo Code and give people a simple route to raise concerns.
- Use legal tests in plain English. If you need a restriction, define the aim, record the evidence, and show why lighter measures will not work.
- Measure progress by outcomes in recruitment, appraisal and progression rather than slogans.
References and Further Reading
- Equality Act 2010 (UK), c. 15.
- Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Preventing hair discrimination in schools: Guidance for school leaders and governors. EHRC, October 2022.
- G v St Gregory’s Catholic Science College [2011] EWHC 1452 (Admin).
- Halo Collective. The Halo Code: The UK’s first Black hair code. Halo Code, 2020. Available at: https://halocollective.co.uk/halo-code
- Dove and LinkedIn. The 2023 CROWN Workplace Research Study: Examining race-based hair discrimination in the workplace. Dove, 2023.
- The Bar Council of England and Wales. Court Dress Guidance for Barristers. Updated 2022.
- California Senate Bill No. 188 (CROWN Act), 2019.
- Bonsu, Osei (curator). Nigerian Modernism. Exhibition, Tate Modern, 2023–2024.
- JD ‘Okhai Ojeikere. Hairstyles (photographic series, 1968–1999). Nigerian Arts Council Collection.
- Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Decision-making tool for employers: Assessing objective justification under the Equality Act 2010. EHRC, 2021.