This is Part 2 of an ongoing series for Tomboys going into an industrial work space for the first time. You can find Part 1 here, where I go over the basics of appropriate clothing.
A Tomboy can be pretty. (There, I said it, Oh blasphemy!) She can even be beautiful. Part of a Tomboy's charm is that they are attractive even though they are dressed for work, and partly because they are doing real, hard work and holding their own.All this being said, there are certain practicalities that have to be taken into consideration. Let's talk about the idea of staying a little feminine while allowing one's self to get down and dirty in the industrial work place.
1. Hair
Get your hair out of your face!
It looks more professional and it's safer. Even if it's short, use a cute headband or scarf to make sure it's out of your eyes. You don't want to dip your bangs into some sort of solvent and have it drip onto your forehead or run into your eyes when you are sweating. Who knows what that stuff is or if it can blind you.
Tomboys traditionally have short hair or dreadlocks, but not all of us. I had long un-dreaded hair up until the middle of college. I never did much with my hair because I had a tender head. I rarely brushed my super long tresses, the thought of putting it in a pony tail made my head throb and my eyes hurt. That changed once I started down the dreadlock road. I now have waist length, blond, luxurious dreads and I'm super proud of them.
No really.. that's me.
They are blond now, but this was for an art shoot where my locks where the focus.
Nothing's worse than getting some sort of strange material in your locks to cut out later. I use a pretty ribbon to tie it back with and wear a kerchief tied loosely around my neck in case I have to cover it. I often carry a fancy clip with me to put it up in case just a pony tail isn't enough and if my head hurts I take an over the counter medication to keep the headache at bay.
2. Nails
Keep your Nails short and unpolished!
It looks neater and there is less chance of the polish melting in a solvent and ruining your work. If you must have nice nails use a product that can be removed before you go to work the next day or something that can be put on for just the weekend. I occasionally use glue on nails like the set below for special events.
3. Jewelry
No hoops or loops! NONE.
Not of any kind. No rings, necklaces, dangly earrings, or bracelets. Closed Plugs or studs are fine. My father still has all his fingers, but many of his work buddies are missing theirs. Why you ask?
Two words: Wedding band.
My father wears his wedding band on his key chain for this exact reason. He has it with him constantly but does't run the risk of loosing a finger by getting it caught in a machine.
Tomboy Tip:
Put a band-aid over new facial piercings that are a closed loop so they can't be hooked on something and ripped out.
4. Makeup
Keep it light.
As a tomboy I tend to keep the makeup light or non-existent. For those of us that like to wear a little bit keep in mind that it has to stay put, and not melt off into your eyes while you are working. Also if you are wearing a respirator remember that any foundation or lipstick will get on your mask and need to be cleaned off later or can possibly get smeared all over your face. If you have to have some color keep it light, I recommend a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen, tinted chap-stick, and waterproof mascara.
If you have a really bad zit and are desperate to hide it, refer to my article about "How to Take Care of your Skin the Tomboy Way".
Another unique way to look cute without makeup is to wear color contacts. They can really brighten up your eyes without having to put anything gooey on your lids. You can get them with or without magnification If you are worried about getting something in your eyes you should make sure to use protective eye gear.
Tomboy Tip: Make sure you bring a contact case and saline solution just in case you need to remove them. If you are welding or grinding use a full head mask, or goggles with a good seal against your skin.
In Part 3 of "The Tomboy at Work" I will go over basic safety equipment!
Tomboys unite!
<3 Tiger
My current line of work is that of an industrial nature. I make hand crafted stop motion puppets, props and sets. I use power tools and work in an environment with toxic materials. Even early in life when I did my best to have "girlish" careers they where the "skilled behind the scenes type of job". My first paying job at the tender age of 14 was that of a seamstress. I worked with industrial machines, made patterns, and designed clothing. I started out as a swim suit model for the company I ultimately ended up making clothing for.
