By Donna Freydkin, Allure
For as long as I can remember, I dreamed of bleaching my dark brown shag into a frothy blonde 'do. Blondes,
I was told, simply do have more fun, and guys love them. Brunettes, on
the other hand, have a more humorless vibe. (Again, something I was
told.)
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Take, for example, Silicon Valley CEO Eileen Carey, who is the co-founder of Glassbreakers. In order to be "taken more seriously" by investors, she dyed her blonde hair a dark, brunette hue.
"Being a brunette helps me to look a bit older and I needed that, I felt, in order to be taken seriously," Carey told the BBC. Her transformation is pretty dramatic.
Her metamorphisis didn't stop there. Carey now wears glasses, instead of contact lenses, and has opted for more "androgynous"
clothing. "I want to be seen as a business leader and not as a sexual
object," she said. "Those lines are still crossed very often in this
space."
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It's unfortunate Carey felt that in order to be taken seriously — even as the CEO of her own company — she had to alter her appearance. But it does serve as a good reminder that one, sexism is alive and well in Silicon Valley, and two, you can't judge people based on the way they look. Blonde, brunette, redhead, what have you — the shade of one's hair (and their overall appearance for that matter) shouldn't determine one's professional capability.
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Take, for example, Silicon Valley CEO Eileen Carey, who is the co-founder of Glassbreakers. In order to be "taken more seriously" by investors, she dyed her blonde hair a dark, brunette hue.
"Being a brunette helps me to look a bit older and I needed that, I felt, in order to be taken seriously," Carey told the BBC. Her transformation is pretty dramatic.
Before:
[post_ads_2]And after:
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It's unfortunate Carey felt that in order to be taken seriously — even as the CEO of her own company — she had to alter her appearance. But it does serve as a good reminder that one, sexism is alive and well in Silicon Valley, and two, you can't judge people based on the way they look. Blonde, brunette, redhead, what have you — the shade of one's hair (and their overall appearance for that matter) shouldn't determine one's professional capability.
