San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-06
Business Against Bodied Hair
But Women and Style Winning

the company and the girl on an UNI
stable basis, making them liable to
false opinions and misjudgment on
the part of an ever-critical public"
In companies where the women en-
ployes are not before the public, sem
timent about bobbed hair is not so
strong. However, in one company
that employs more than 800 women,
where the employees are never seen
during business hours except $s>-ex-
ecutives and operatives of the COM
pany, the edict to wear short hair in
nets has Just been revoked.
In n large downtown store that uses
several hundred girls the employment
manager was questioned regarding his
opinion about the sales ability of short
haired women. .n,9.,. ,4l..,. 10
care short haired or long haired
women the best saleswomen?" he was
asked.
"Short haired women are in this
store the manager replied. ave
have no other kind! A year ago our
force was strictly coiffured, but fash
ion has invaded and it is impossible
for us to find attractive women who
have not bobbed hair. Therefore 1
must admit that in our company the
short haired women make the best
sales"
One custodian of the pay envelope
said that he rejected a girl applicant
for work just recently because he
thought that the position in question
should be filled by more dignified
woman, and the girl said that she had
been refused work three times that
day because she had short hair.
In the more independent lines, such
as stenography, reporting and other
clerical lines. il was found that opin-
ion is more lenient. Some employers
even want bobbed haired women. as
they believe that the style is healthi-
err. more attractive and independent
than the old fashioned mode of hair
dressing that called for much time and
many hairpins.
II believe that short hair is the
sign Of changing times, indicating how
far women have Travelled in their fight
for emancipation, one man said. "Ac-
cording to suffrage, women have the
same rights as men. and II men can
wear short hair, even clipped hair,
there should be no reason why women
should not cut theirs in becoming
fashion,"
Claims Greater Efficiency.
ave had rather have girls with
modern pen than women who are rel
les of old time stiffness" another de-
voice of the bob admitted. AWonien
who have short hair are as n rule
more efficient and more able to meet
emergencies than long haired women,
| because the very mode that they are
wearing indicates that they are pro-
gressive and up to date"
The employment manager OF announcer
industry that employs women stated
that since his employees have cut their
hair they reach work on time ana
waste little effort during the day IN
shears were applied the girls were oft
en- late and wasted half an hour to an
bour every day in repinning the stray
LOCKS and the misaDpiied switches that
would invariably take the women TO
n mirror for repairs. Now they work
through the day with only an occa-
sionai stroke with a comb through the
emancipated locks. M,
bobbed hair in business is a rarity.
| While some gave even scientific rea-
| SONS IOT
length into the mysteries OF psy.chol,,
ogy, Others were so firmly convinced
that short hair and business should be
separated that they simply answered
with "because," and failed to alter
their uncompromising verdict that
| either the scissors or women must
stop in the serious world of commerce.
Whether the opinion Of employers or
the decree of fashion will win, making
the next generation of business 'wom-
en- bobbed or hairpinned, remains a
question that not even the employers
dare TO answer.
] A hint of the helplessness OF men
to combat the growing mode was ex-
pressed by one employer whose .opiln-
ions. to say the least, were wildly
against short locks.
81 am decidedly against the fash
ion,- he admitted, "but please don {
| uuote me. You see, we rather have
TO depend on bodied haired women to
conduct our business, and If we
couldn't employ them we might be at
a great disadvantage. So please don {
mention my name in regard to short
hair for business women