Curly hair, why d'you care?

it is a blessing

to be the color of the earth

do you know how often

flowers confuse me for home

the sun and her flowers, rupi kaur

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Name: Jaqui Pinto

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Degree: Graduated LLB 2015, Rhodes University.

Occupation: Associate attorney at Norton Rose

Instagram: @tipopinto

For centuries, women have had to compete against men for jobs in the workplace. But first, we had to fight for education, for seemingly simple things like the ability to learn to read and write. And then we had to fight for a right to get education equal to that of our male counterparts. And then we tried to teach the world that the world isn't actually only split up into black and white, or young and old, or even good and bad, woman or man. It's actually filled with a lot of people with a lot of different identities. And then after trying to do that, and still fighting to do that, women had to try convince men that they were good enough to vote and then to be lawyers and doctors and to wear pants to work. And now, they're kind of doing whatever the hell they want - well, they're trying to, but the workplace is still a couple years behind our fashion scene, so as well as being underpaid, women are also being undermined and restricted by sexist dress codes. Codes that tell them to be prettier, to have straighter and flatter hair, to wear skirts and heels and make up even when their feet hurt and their skin is breaking out.

Breaking out. Photo by: Tasha Pinto

We're in the age of the 4th industrial revolution so we should be making conscious purchasing decisions too, it's not all about what you wear. South Africa needs to tap into digital shopping habits and encourage locally grown, produced and manufactured goods to be accessible in the country. Apparently China supplies US$15.5 billion of imports to South Africa, most of which comes from online shopping.

Feminist. Photo by: Tasha Pinto

The workplace hasn't evolved at the same rate as our digital and liberal internet, so people have had to adapt to to traditional workplace conduct. This is how Jaqui Pinto, lawyer in Johannesburg and Rhodes University graduate, feels about work wear versus home wear, and what she wears, when. And how the texture of her hair and the colour of her skin collide with her outfit choices and how her workplace dictates these things too, and how when you buy your things you're making purposeful decisions which have a round about effect.

Home is where the bra comes off an the curls come out. Photo by: Tasha Pinto

1. How do you feel when you wear a suit and heels?

The question of suit and heels is a hard one. In the right setting for a big meeting it can make me feel empowered and in control but in an everyday setting I find high heels stifling and constricting.

2. What outfit do you feel best in? 

I love a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt or a simple slip dress. Easy, comfortable clothes.

3. What do you feel most beautiful in? 

Colours - anything colourful. Colourful clothes, colourful music, I love it all.

4. When do you think you are the most yourself - in terms of how you represent yourself and what is stays about you?

I'm a messy person so hair curly, comfortable clothes and no bra but to work I will always wear a bra.

5. Do you think the way you dress spreads a message about your identity? And do you want this message to be intentional?

I think all the choices we make send a message. What we wear is often the first thing people see before we open our mouths so I think there is power in clothes and how we present ourselves. Also making conscious decisions like buying from local brands or from brands which have representation in their models and management structures are important. I don't know if I want it to be intentional - I certainly don't make intentional statements with my clothing all the time. However, our choices must be conscious and we must be aware of the climate we live in and that what we do including what we wear, matters.

6. Do you think corporate professional environments accommodate spaces for women to feel comfortable? Do you think it's different in every work space?

I think that it is definitely dependent on the company.  Companies are made up of people and so the feelings of people especially those at the helm are reflected in the company.

Who am I, where am I? Photo by: Tasha Pinto

7. How do you identify racially?

Coloured. I grew up in South Africa and have the experience of a coloured female so that is how I identify. Although my family is international, I'm South African.

8. Do you get a lot of comments on your hair?

Completely. Its the most commented on feature. I also play around with it and braid it and straighten it and I think in all different styles people perceive me differently. Interestingly, I also think I attract different types of men when I wear my hair differently.

9. Can you tell me a bit about that?

For example, when I wear my hair curly, I usually attract a more bohemian man if it's curly and when I wear it straight a more straight-laced man. Unfortunately its also been my experience that there are divisions on the racial lines eg. I attract more white men when my hair is straight. This is obviously purely my experience and may not be a representation of broader society as a whole.

#curly #coloured #love #selflove #progress #hair #care #haircare #straight #race #intersectionality #sexuality #attraction