I remember when it used to be a big no no to come to work with a 5oclock shadow. It was deemed unprofessional. Now it seems everyone sports a little scruff. I can go a few days of growth without feeling out of place. It this just society being more tolerant? Or is scuff in style? Has anyone else that works in a business casual environment noticed this trend as well?

5/31/2011 4:45:06 PM

Maybe most companies are finally realizing that you can dress down/scruffy and still be a great employee

5/31/2011 4:46:40 PM

i've been told that scruff is in style, but i'm not one to personally know what is in style

5/31/2011 4:46:52 PM

I think it's not that big of an issue in NC because none of the clubs are full nude.

However, when I'm in Atlanta and they're grinding the shit right in your face I prefer that it be shaved, though I don't mind a nicely landscaped little strip or something.

5/31/2011 4:47:21 PM

I'd say that in most work environments these days that having a little bit of scruff is acceptable, as well as look good on some people.

I usually shave every 2-3 days. Not so much b/c I'm lazy but my skin is just too sensitive so I try not to over abuse it.

As it were I haven't shaved since Sunday morning

[Edited on May 31, 2011 at 4:49 PM. Reason : ^lmao]

5/31/2011 4:48:59 PM

Probably depends somewhat on your work environment. I'm an engineer and I don't deal with customers or anything like that so our dress code is pretty laid back. I usually shave twice a week and my hair grows really fast. Nobody has ever said a thing about it.

5/31/2011 4:52:34 PM

^^^ i'm laughing so hard at that.

5/31/2011 4:53:45 PM

They have full nude bars in Greensboro.

5/31/2011 4:54:37 PM

Yeah. A lot of the older engineers still shave clean, every day, no matter what. I think they're just used to a different time.

It's a pretty casual environment in my office, and our official dress code (slightly off topic) as of about a year ago is to 'dress to the level of your customer'. If your customer isn't in the office that day, you can wear jeans if you want.

As for scruff, I think 1) the workplace realizes today that the amount of hair on your damn face has very little to do with how well you do your job, and 2) the workplace has just become more casual.

As for myself, I usually only shave 2-3 times a week because my skin is very sensitive. It also takes me a good 30 minutes to do it correctly so that I don't get razor bumps.
I think I even remember hearing of the military being more lax towards black men with scruff/beards... because for a lot of black men, shaving is a very difficult and painful experience because of razor burn. Damn curly hair...

5/31/2011 5:02:26 PM

Mr. Joshua proving once again that he's one of the better posters on TWW.

----

Quote :

" I think I even remember hearing of the military being more lax towards black men with scruff/beards... because for a lot of black men, shaving is a very difficult and painful experience because of razor burn. Damn curly hair..."

Wow, I never knew this.



[Edited on May 31, 2011 at 5:06 PM. Reason : TIL]

5/31/2011 5:02:35 PM

so shaving is sort of like hockey and swimming?

5/31/2011 5:06:06 PM

Quote :

" It this just society being more tolerant? Or is scuff in style? Has anyone else that works in a business casual environment noticed this trend as well?"

It's because the working class is being overworked 60-120 hours per week and have no time to worry about something as trivial as scuff when they have more work to do than can fit inside a 60-120 hour work week.

5/31/2011 5:07:54 PM

white collar office people are hardly "working class"

5/31/2011 5:10:10 PM

You're a moron.

5/31/2011 5:11:04 PM

coming from you, pizzaboy, i'm not exactly feeling the pain.

5/31/2011 5:13:15 PM

I shave MWF

Weeks like this really fuck me

5/31/2011 5:17:47 PM

Is that all you got?

5/31/2011 5:18:24 PM

I'm not trying to make enemies here

5/31/2011 5:19:39 PM

I love my job. My office is my house and work is traveling to Preschools teaching kids soccer. Right now I'm rocking a full beard and a 4inch long goatee. I'm growing it till my brother gets back from deployment at the end of next March. So far zero complaints from the schools or parents about my look. Good thing I only see my boss like twice a year haha

Oh yea and I just shaved the sides of my head. I was thinkin of posting a picture but that be too much karma whoring right?

5/31/2011 5:50:13 PM

i go 1-2 weeks between shaves

[Edited on May 31, 2011 at 5:55 PM. Reason : but i have a beard]

5/31/2011 5:55:16 PM

Quote :

"I think I even remember hearing of the military being more lax towards black men with scruff/beards... because for a lot of black men, shaving is a very difficult and painful experience because of razor burn. Damn curly hair..."

In the Navy (and I am guessing this translates into other branches as well) if you have a really sensitive face, you can go to medical and have the doc look at ya, and if he gives you the "OK" then you can get a "no-shave" chit. That basically allows you to have a moderate amount of growth. I am not sure of the exact rules, but it's nothing excessive... like the Randy Moss homeless beard look. It's usually black guys who take advantage of this.

5/31/2011 6:02:39 PM

^Jim you've been doing this more than me.. but, in my experience the Docs hand out No Shave Chits like tylenol.

BTTT; I feel like you should look "professional"... whatever that is in your workplace. If when you don't shave you look homeless.. then shave. If you get the male model scruffy look.. then.. have at it.

5/31/2011 6:10:00 PM

I look homeless when I don't shave, but I'll be damned if I'm going to shave everyday.

5/31/2011 6:32:15 PM

The guys I work with range from sloppy 5'oclock shadows to full out Unix beards. I figured we were pretty unique, but it sounds like we're not.

5/31/2011 8:32:18 PM

I shave 4 times a week

typically M, W, F, Sat

5/31/2011 8:56:17 PM

I maintain a well-trimmed beard.

5/31/2011 9:00:32 PM

I wore a T-shirt today that says "It is better in the Bahamas" and shorts. Even with that, it was still hot in the place. We also do not have the general public come in and when the big wigs come (we get notice) it is dress up date...which is interesting to see, lol.

5/31/2011 9:01:16 PM

kiljadn shaves, applies glue to his face, and then eats out hairy supermodels.

5/31/2011 9:01:37 PM

I usually try to escalate it a little and rip a stinker at least once daily - usually late Fri afternoon - as my (sometimes silent) statement of my approval of an accepting AND casual work environment.

I also don't shave.

5/31/2011 9:02:00 PM

ahaha I love Mr. Joshua

anyway, I like the scruff


I wonder how long it would take for someone to tell a woman she needed to shave her legs?

5/31/2011 9:07:04 PM

Depends on whether or not she has poor hygiene in other regards.

Takes a big indicator to start pulling the thread of suspicion on a suspect wildebeast.

5/31/2011 9:09:48 PM

We have no dress or shaving requirements. That said I shave once a week, wear nice jeans and a polo or sweater. Some people wear flip flops and t shirts, others go full on business casual with slacks, dress shirts, ties etc. I, too, work in engineering.

5/31/2011 9:52:09 PM

Quote :

"^Jim you've been doing this more than me.. but, in my experience the Docs hand out No Shave Chits like tylenol."

even better if you're a submariner! Sometimes on subs they have MWR fundraisers where you can pay $5-10 for a deployment no-shave chit.

5/31/2011 10:21:08 PM

^ I'm not a sub guy.. but truth!

5/31/2011 11:12:31 PM

Quote :

"I think it's not that big of an issue in NC because none of the clubs are full nude. "

That's not entirely accurate. There are several that are fully nude in NC.

5/31/2011 11:24:01 PM

I personally wish my epilator weren't a pain on my face, so I shave instead.

6/1/2011 12:36:26 AM

A little growth tells your boss" hey I'm working hard here and haven thought about anything else"

6/1/2011 12:51:15 AM

Quote :

"Ragged"

6/1/2011 12:56:10 AM

I typically do a Monday Wednesday setup, but I was doing work in a clean room... so, sometimes I had to evaluate it on a daily basis... or plan my clean room work around my shave schedule. I really can't shave more than every other day, or I end up with brutal razor burn.

6/1/2011 1:04:59 AM

Quote :

"even better if you're a submariner! Sometimes on subs they have MWR fundraisers where you can pay $5-10 for a deployment no-shave chit. "

Haha, this is the truth. It's the little things in life. That should tell you something about subs, when the most exciting thing to look forward to is being able to pay to grow your beard out, wear a non-white T-shirt, or sport your own ballcap. Unfortunately, I cannot grow anything close to a decent beard, and if I try for the mustache, it makes me look like a pedophile, so I don't bother with the whole facial hair thing. And honestly, my face is just way more comfortable without the itchy feeling it gets when the hairs get long enough to curl around and poke me.

6/1/2011 1:14:14 AM

Quote :

"^Jim you've been doing this more than me.. but, in my experience the Docs hand out No Shave Chits like tylenol."

That's probably true. But most of my time in the Navy has either been at a training command, where they are pretty strict with the rules, or on a sub, where they sell the chits during underways. Additionally, on the two subs I have been on, the demographic has been around 5-10% black guys, so honestly I haven't seen many "perma-chits". I am sure carriers are a whole different animal though.

6/1/2011 1:19:39 AM

I sport a short beard, but really only do the shaving (cheeks, neck beard) once a week. Then I'll shave the whole thing back down to a 1 guard every 2 weeks. Works pretty well for me

6/1/2011 7:41:18 AM

shaved today

6/1/2011 7:45:15 AM

I have heard through the grapevine that my superiors talk about me for occasionally going 2-3 days without shaving. They have never said anything to me though.

I really do not care, a promotion in my job is a career death sentence for 3/4 of the people that take it, the ones that take it and survive give up any rights whatsoever to a personal life.

6/1/2011 9:08:33 AM

yeah i never shave. a cleanly kept beard is how i roll.

6/1/2011 9:20:24 AM

I shave every other day typically. When I go three or more I start to look progressively more homeless. Once when I was about a week into beard growth (it grows pretty fast) I got unexpectedly called into a meeting with some important people and could feel the stares. After that I knew there was no turning back from the beard, because I needed a reason. Combine the unshaven look with my allergies/sleep loss and I start to look like Dan Auerbach.

6/1/2011 9:39:53 AM

to prevent razor burn, I only use sensitive skin disposable razors mixed with bic dual (no more than two blades on a standard safety blade frame - this tripe/quattro/five blade stuff is a huge overkill) and then top off with a benzoyl peroxide solution (offbrand Walgreens) in trouble spots - no razor burn. However, noteworthy that too much benzoyl peroxide will bleach the collar area of your shirt and ruin it.

6/1/2011 9:44:44 AM

Do any of you long-bearded types know of trimmers that work with a longer beard?? Mine is at a point where i have been trying my hand at freehanding with no guards on, but that can be nerve wracking. maybe i just need to go to walmart if any of their trimmers have extra long guards(1.5-2") with them.

6/1/2011 10:46:56 AM

6/1/2011 10:54:18 AM

I generally shave around my outside of work schedule moreso than work. Sometimes I go a day or two sometimes over a week without shaving. My boss wearing jeans to work with holes in the crotch area has pretty much destroyed any notion of a dress code here.

6/1/2011 11:09:49 AM