Archived Punk and Dress Code

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SuperAwesome

Old Man On Duty
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May 17, 2013
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I've got a question that I've been pondering for some time.

Suppose a team member (out of the blue,) shows up to work one day with a 180 deg. turn from their normal look: Piercings, bright pink hair, sleeve tattoos, and a mohawk. As long as they are still dressed in the red and khakis, do you foresee any potential issues? It's probably a silly question, but one that I think needs to be posed.

Thanks!
 
We have people who change their haircolors weekly (or it happens so often it seems that way), tattoos, piercings. I had a purple bang for a few weeks (it faded to a burgundy color), and I'll probably redo it once it fades completely. One former seasonal team member had at least 5 piercings in her face, visible tattoos, and she had those microdermals in her wrists.
 
Tattoos/piercings/colored hair aren't a big deal at my store. I work with various TM's and TL's with them. There is a TM at my store who has both his arms covered in a sleeve of tattoos. He has his ears pierced as well. He's also one of the most handsome guys I've ever seen.
 
That is very high on my list as to why I'm still so satisfied with the company. I currently have a half sleeve started with The Little Mermaid and if I'm in toys EVERYONE points it out to the kids and they're always super cute. I've had my hair a whole bunch of colors. I've got a bunch of non-lobe piercings. Other TMs/TLs/ETLs don't care, guests will ask questions about it or compliment me but are never rude. It's great.

However, if someone did a 180 into suddenly looking "alternative" I'd be asking if they need to talk to anyone. No one does that randomly past the age of 16.
 
i think it would depend on their age and circumstances. we had a girl that hired on very young. she was finishing high school. she graduated and got her first tattoo and died her hair purple. within 2 years, she had both legs, arms, shoulders, chest, and neck done. she also got her nose, lips, brows, and several microdermal piercings. it turns out, her parents forbid her to get anything while living at home. once she was out on her own, she just wanted to express herself. she looks adorable, and all the bling really suits her personality. no one thinks anything of it.
 
At my store, there is no issue except in FA and SB with facial piercings. But I've noticed that no one over the level of TL has any visible tats or piercings or unnaturally colored hair.

The STL was asking about a particular TM and described her as, "You know, the girl with the pink hair." I must have looked puzzled because at that point on my team there were four "girls" with pink hair, two "boys" with pink hair, and the girl he was referencing had gone to blue. hahahaha
 
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This is one of the reasons I love working for Target, no discrimination against your beliefs, looks, sexuality or skin color. I myself use to have dyed hair and piercings when starting out in Target. But now that I'm a supervisor for front end I choose to go natural and cover my tats since the rest of society seems to respect you less. However I only have this mind frame when at work.
 
Do what you like but do not expect to get taken seriously in life if you go tooooo extreme with it... You could be a Harvard grad but if you go to an interview for a corporate job with tats all over you body that can be seen, a crazy hair color and holes in places outside of your ears I doubt you will land that job. If you do that you basically screwed yourself from moving up any corporate ladder in most fields. If expressing yourself in colorful ways is your priority have fun struggling making any real money in your life unless you have a talent that can translate into money in a field where being that colorful is not frowned upon.
 
Do what you like but do not expect to get taken seriously in life if you go tooooo extreme with it... You could be a Harvard grad but if you go to an interview for a corporate job with tats all over you body that can be seen, a crazy hair color and holes in places outside of your ears I doubt you will land that job. If you do that you basically screwed yourself from moving up any corporate ladder in most fields. If expressing yourself in colorful ways is your priority have fun struggling making any real money in your life unless you have a talent that can translate into money in a field where being that colorful is not frowned upon.

Said the guy who works at Target.
 
I know, and had seen, a few of my ETLs with tats. We had a brand TM with all types of piercings.

Never a problem. Target is very accepting!
 
Currently rocking a 6" Mohawk myself and a goatee... No fancy piercings or tattoos myself though. My ETL's think it gives me character, and the guests love it. All the regulars know me by my hair alone!
 
Do what you like but do not expect to get taken seriously in life if you go tooooo extreme with it... You could be a Harvard grad but if you go to an interview for a corporate job with tats all over you body that can be seen, a crazy hair color and holes in places outside of your ears I doubt you will land that job. If you do that you basically screwed yourself from moving up any corporate ladder in most fields. If expressing yourself in colorful ways is your priority have fun struggling making any real money in your life unless you have a talent that can translate into money in a field where being that colorful is not frowned upon.

Said the guy who works at Target.


I am just stating my opinion on the matter. If you choose that lifestyle you are closing doors on yourself. Most of the people on this forum like to moan and groan about how crappy we are paid how we are treated oh so badly and yadda yadda yadda. While that may or may not be true you could ruin your chances of getting out of this economic class if you decide you would rather have pink hair over a job that requires you to dress nicely and work 9 to 5 Monday through Friday with all major holidays off. Like I said do what makes you happy but just know that if that's the route you take you can not complain how badly your life sucks on the job front because you wanted pink hair over a non "slave labor" job.
 
Do what you like but do not expect to get taken seriously in life if you go tooooo extreme with it... You could be a Harvard grad but if you go to an interview for a corporate job with tats all over you body that can be seen, a crazy hair color and holes in places outside of your ears I doubt you will land that job. If you do that you basically screwed yourself from moving up any corporate ladder in most fields. If expressing yourself in colorful ways is your priority have fun struggling making any real money in your life unless you have a talent that can translate into money in a field where being that colorful is not frowned upon.

Said the guy who works at Target.


On a side note Target is not my main place of employment. I have been with the company such a long time it is worth working at part time for the 401k plan and the discount as small as it might be every bit helps. As far as I can tell none of us are millionaires on this forum and I am making the choice to work harder now so I dont have to be the 65 year old lady folding towels in domestics or the 63 year old guy pushing frozen at 4am.
 
Wow, thanks for the awesome posts, guys! I'll have to talk to my local higher ups about it just to be sure, but it sounds like it's a green light from the looks of it. Watch out world, here comes the 70-year-old with a pink mohawk! :dance3:


And as for you, JuicedSoftball1, it sounds like you've got some personal issues that need to be worked out. In no way shape or form does an individual fall into a particular "lifestyle," as you've so elegantly put it, over a simple hairdo. :tehe:
 
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I have no personal issues to work out I am just trying to offer some sound friendly advice. If your in high school or still in college working towards something better for yourself by all means turn your hair color whatever the heck you want, just do not expect to get taken seriously while you have it though that is all I am trying to say. Do it while you can but once the real bills have to be paid unless you some how get lucky the pink hair, the tats that cant be covered will be frowned upon in the business world.
 
My former team lead is covered in tattoos from head to toe and at one point had those ear extender loop things in his ear. He was one of the best team leaders to ever work at target in my opinion. He all but ran the remodel our store went through and the contractors even said it was one of the easiest remodels they had ever done because of how well he planned it all out. Yet countless more "brand" looking team leads with no degrees and less experience kept getting promoted to ETL because they looked more of the part. The only reason he never got promoted or taken seriously was his appearance. That is the point I am trying to make. Do what you want while you can but just make sure you know your actions now could alter your future if you make a less than stellar mistake.
 
As long as people wear deodorant, bath and wear clean clothes I am fine with however they choose to present themselves. I have tattoos (and got them after the age of 35) if anyone asked me if I needed to "talk" i probably would have told them to flip off. I have great admiration for folks that are not afraid to experiment with their hair color. We had a guy who changed his hair with the holidays. My favorite was his red/whit/blue beard! Piercings in any of the food areas is prohibited, but other than that, go for it.
 
I think there is going to be a tipping point pretty soon where everybody will have a tattoo and a piercing or two so none of this will matter.
I'm expecting the president to eventually be a guy with sleeves and a pierced eyebrow.
 
We could only hope.

All but one of my TLs has tats, piercings, gauges. One of our ETLs has a wristlet tat & another had a tramp stamp that we got view of when she was throwing freight one night.
Several corp types I know hide their tats, etc while in the office but they're all out during the weekend.
Diff strokes, all....
 
"The largest organ in the complex human body is the skin. Some people choose to express themselves through decorating their skin with tattoos, piercings and other forms of body art. It's true origin, symbolism, variety, and modern day versions go more then just skin deep.

The first tattoo known to man, was found on Otzi, also known as the Iceman, in 1991. However, Otzi himself dates back to over 4,000 B.C. Fifty-eight total tattoos were found on Otzi, made up only of simple dots and lines. No real symbolism could be made out of these designs. However, scientists have come to a theory that these tattoos were part of a medical or spiritual healing process.

The process of early age tattooing was long and painful. Some of the first tools used in tattooing were made of bone, stone, or wood. There were mainly two types of tools used in the process of making most tribal tattoos: a small rake-like shaped tool, and another plain rod with a flat surface. The rake-shaped tool was used to make the design of the tattoo. It would first be dipped into its ink or dye, and then punctured into the skin by being tapped by the flat tool. Other processes consisted of scratching the skin and then rubbing in the ink.

One of the earliest tattoos were tribal tattoos. This means there were tattoos that different cultural tribes would have for certain meanings and expression. Polynesian tattooing was one of the most original and artistic tattooing of ancient times. It consisted of very sophisticated, detailed geometrical designs. The Polynesian people would add more and more tattoos to themselves until their body was completely covered. They believed it was a sign of beauty and strength to be tattooed. Mexicans tattooed their idols and gods on their skin. The Spaniards who discovered the designs on the Mexicans, were shocked as they had never seen this work before and called it "the work of Satan." Warriors in these South American tribes were tattooed to remind them and others of their success and bravery in battle. In Japan, tattooing was mainly punishment. If you were a convicted criminal, you would get a mark on your forehead, convicted twice yet another, and if you were convicted a third time, you would receive a third and final mark making the Japanese symbol for "dog". Royalty in England received tattoos from Japanese artists symbolizing wealth and authority.

In most cases, people get tattoos for a personal meaning. Whether it be to remember something great that happened in your life, to show affection or emotion, or because that specific design meant a lot to you, there's no one reason for a tattoo. Everyone has a reason whether it's good or not. Other reasons for getting a tattoo are to be rebellious. Some young adults, i.e. teenagers, choose to get a tattoo because their parents simply don't want them to.

There are many different forms, as you have learned, and here are some examples of different tattoos. Henna tattoos are one of the oldest, and most original types of tattooing. The ink used in Henna tattooing is actually made from the henna plant. The ink first is a green powder and is mixed in different ways for different colors such as red and black, and different consistencies. Henna tattooing is made up from many different, complex and small designs. They are mostly made up of flowers, plants, vines, and different shapes, and are usually done on the hands or feet of a woman.

A second form of tattooing is the tribal tattoo. There are many reasons for the tribal tattoo. Some tribes use tattoos on their warriors to show bravery and strength. Others use the tattoo as a form of recognition for becoming a man. However, tattooing today has changed quite a bit since it first began.

Nowadays, tattooing is used as a form of expression, or rebellion. It is be completely voluntary for someone to get a tattoo. In fact, it is getting harder and harder to find individuals that do not have a tattoo.

Some reasons for getting a tattoo, well, they vary from person to person. Common reasons are for self-expression, doing something different or out of the ordinary, and being looked upon as dangerous or a rebel. Some people may get a tattoo to be able to reflect back on a certain time of their life that was important or special to them. However, tattooing can have it's negativity's as well.

There are many different negative sides of tattooing. Here are some examples: First and foremost, a tattoo is permanent and can only be removed with a special laser operation that can cost up to thousands of dollars. The tattoo may become extremely sensitive and could even get infected. Also, some work places won't allow tattoos if they are visible from underneath of your uniform. Maybe, if you are looking to express yourself, and you can't get a tattoo, body piercing is the direction you should go.

The history of piercing comes from many different cultures, and different piercings have different heritages and backgrounds. Nose piercings were first discovered in the Middle East about 4,000 years ago. Tongue piercing was first practiced as part of rituals of the ancient Aztecs, Mayas, Kwakiutul, and Tlinglit tribes. This ritual was done to draw blood to prepare them for the gods. Ear lobe piercing is the most common and oldest type of piercing. Once again it was found on Otzi, the man found frozen in a glacier. He had pierced ears that had been stretched seven to eleven millimeters in diameter.

Later on, tribes believed that demons could enter your body through the ears, so they believed piercing them would make them rebel due to the metal. Surprisingly, there is a piercing that does not date back to ancient culture. That is, piercing of the navel or bellybutton. Bellybutton piercing has just recently been taken up, and is now very common. It occurs more in females then in males. This is thought to be because of the great difference in the female and male stomach.

Roman soldiers and warriors would pierce their nipples for mainly two reasons. One was to show strength, courage, and bravery, and the second was for the use of hanging their capes off of their leather breastplates while in battle. Nipple piercing in women started in the 14th century when the necklines of dresses dropped so incredibly low that practically half of the women's breast would be exposed. Therefore they would decorate the nipple with gold chains, diamonds, silver, etc. to make them more attractive. Other piercings were used to make the body more decorative and attractive to their personal liking.

Reasons for piercing are somewhat different, however. One reason is certain individual wants to decorate their body because they think it makes them beautiful, or it is a custom in their family. However, the rebellious feeling comes back for piercings, too. Some people get them to look dangerous or what has been called punk, or because their parents won't like it.

The most common piercing is piercing of the earlobe. Men and women both are seen with studs, or rings in their lobes. The second most common, believe it or not, is the piercing of the septum, or the piece of flesh and cartilage between your nostrils. Other common piercings are that of the tongue, bellybutton, nose, and eyebrow.

Body art is popular because it makes a person feel different, or special. They can be reminded of a turning point in their life through tattoos. One especially touching example of this is the 9/11 attack. Many firefighters and police officers have stated that that particularly happening inspired them to get a special patriotic tattoo. Piercing is popular because it can accent and draw attention towards certain parts of the body, such as the ears and stomach. Mostly, young adults think that it is considered "cool" to be tattooed or pierced. Though, they may not always take into account that they could be judged by their appearance from too much self-expression.

If you choose to get a tattoo or piercing, you may very easily become stereotyped or judged. Lots of people believe that individuals who are tattooed are mean, unsafe, and not someone they would like to encounter. The same thing goes with piercings, you get stereotyped and may be rejected or be the main focus of gossip. However, the positive side of body art is something you might have to learn as you experience it, and that is self-confidence. Be confident in what you believe in and learn how to drown out the rude comments or eerie whispers.

Not everyone has to get a tattoo, and not everyone may want to add more holes to their body. But, if you do, now you know the origin, symbolism, varieties, the modern version of body art, and the overall view of body decor."

-Anonymous

http://www.east-buc.k12.ia.us/03_04/ALA/EW/home.htm

The source if you'd rather read white on pink. However, not convinced that it's the true origination.
 
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