Female Marines

[LVMY0311]

I've searched the topic on hair, and cannot find a distinctive answer. I have shoulder length hair, and can put it in a french braid. Is this acceptable? Are you allowed to put your hair up in a french braid? I always see female Marines with buns, but I can't put mine in a bun, and I really don't want to cut my hair shorter. (I leave in Oct., not enough time to grow longer to make a bun)

So.... basically... french braids... yay or nay?

[Marine84]

As long as it does not fall below your collar, you can probably wear it as you have it. If it falls below your collar and you can't put it in a bun, you'll have no choice but to cut it. No french braids, cornrolls or any of that other crap.

[LVMY0311]

Crap! I was really hoping that the french braid would work. Hmmm... I guess I'll be praying every night that my hair grows because I HATE having my hair down... always gets in the way and I sure as hell don't want to be worried about it at boot.

I can also tie it up and then kinda roll it under and pin it in... not sure if that's a good description... but the way I do it, you can't see the ponytail holder or the pins. Would that be acceptable?

[ecfree]

Hey little sister,I don't want to ruffel your tail feathers any,but you ought to be happy you're not getting a hair cut like the men....;)
I'm sure which ever way it's fixed,it'll look great.

[Marine84]

I wore mine short the whole time I was in just because I didn't want to fool with it - cute feminine cut isn't bad. Besides, in boot camp at least, you won't have that much time to fool with it anyway.

[LVMY0311]

ha ha... well thank you Marines. Really appreciate it. I regret cutting my hair last year... I did it to look older and fit in in the corporate world... ew!

Did it get in your way when it was short in boot camp?

[drwilkinson]

I've searched the topic on hair, and cannot find a distinctive answer. I have shoulder length hair, and can put it in a french braid. Is this acceptable? Are you allowed to put your hair up in a french braid? I always see female Marines with buns, but I can't put mine in a bun, and I really don't want to cut my hair shorter. (I leave in Oct., not enough time to grow longer to make a bun)

So.... basically... french braids... yay or nay?


Yes you may put your hair in a french braid. In fact, in bootcamp our DIs recommended that we braid our hair when we were going to wear kevlars because it fits better and is out of the way. Just may sure you use lots of gel. The key to keeping your french braid looking good in boot is to get your cloth "baby diaper" and spray your hair with hairspray, then tightly wrap the cloth around your head before you go to bed. Then when you wake up, BAM! Your hair is perfectly intacted.

As for the fleet, you're still allowed to wear the french braid. You have to tuck the end of the braid under and pin it just like in bootcamp, but you can still have the french braid BUT NO MORE THAN ONE BRAID. We are not german milk maids lol.

Hope this helps!!

[LVMY0311]

YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!! You said exactly what I was thinking. Make a french braid nice and tight and leave it there for a couple of days if possible. So do they give you the cloth? Or is that something that someone can send to you?

[Big Jim]

I've searched the topic on hair, and cannot find a distinctive answer. I have shoulder length hair, and can put it in a french braid. Is this acceptable? Are you allowed to put your hair up in a french braid? I always see female Marines with buns, but I can't put mine in a bun, and I really don't want to cut my hair shorter. (I leave in Oct., not enough time to grow longer to make a bun)

So.... basically... french braids... yay or nay?


Sorry Vanessa...I've never seen a female Marine with a french braid...I knew it was considered eccentric...

[drwilkinson]

YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!! You said exactly what I was thinking. Make a french braid nice and tight and leave it there for a couple of days if possible. So do they give you the cloth? Or is that something that someone can send to you?

We were only allowed to wash our hair once a week so leaving it there is not an option. You WILL keep your hair intacted.

As far as the cloth you buy it, along with everything else. I recommend you buy 3, one for your rifle, one for you, and a spare one cause someone WILL steal it.

[LVMY0311]

Yeah... my friend graduated last August and said that you only get to wash your hair on Sundays, and it's usually just in the sink.

Any why a cloth for you rifle?

[drwilkinson]

Any why a cloth for you rifle?

Oh boy...

You need something to clean your rifle with. And trust me, you'll be cleaning your M16 more than you'll clean your own ass. The cloth gets all the carbon out so if you buy 3 as I have suggested and the 3rd cloth does not get stolen, you can switch out your old cleaning cloth with the new one for inspections.

[LVMY0311]

HA HA... well I figured we would be cleaning our rifles a great deal... didn't think you would have to buy your own supplies to do it with though... well actually I take that back... I should know better! ha ha! shame on me!

[Wyoming]

Jeez!!

[Marine84]

Yes you may put your hair in a french braid. In fact, in bootcamp our DIs recommended that we braid our hair when we were going to wear kevlars because it fits better and is out of the way. Just may sure you use lots of gel. The key to keeping your french braid looking good in boot is to get your cloth "baby diaper" and spray your hair with hairspray, then tightly wrap the cloth around your head before you go to bed. Then when you wake up, BAM! Your hair is perfectly intacted.

As for the fleet, you're still allowed to wear the french braid. You have to tuck the end of the braid under and pin it just like in bootcamp, but you can still have the french braid BUT NO MORE THAN ONE BRAID. We are not german milk maids lol.

Hope this helps!!

I stand corrected................another change since....................back then - LOL! That's cool you guys can do that now. I just preferred mine short - cut down on my time. By the time I buttoned the last button it would almost be dry. Same with us on the washing - on Sunday - other than that I wet it everyday.

(and to the 2 knotheads that deleted their own posts - I'm glad you did before I came back in :p cause I can only imagine what they could have been ;))

[Wyoming]

Jim, looks like Kim is picking on us!!;)


As far as 84's hair drying before she got buttoned up, well, I figger it has to do with the tight and form fitting top she had to cinch up.:)


... and yes, it was a good thing We/I deleted. It wasn't THAT bad, but ....:angel:

[Big Jim]

Jim, looks like Kim is picking on us!!;)


As far as 84's hair drying before she got buttoned up, well, I figger it has to do with the tight and form fitting top she had to cinch up.:)


... and yes, it was a good thing We/I deleted. It wasn't THAT bad, but ....:angel:


Well...I deleted mine because I wasn't sure of my answer...and dam Kim...knothead?! Been a long time since I been called a knothead...since bootcamp anyway...you forgot to smack us behind the head like the DI's, Kim!!!

I do believe she is pickin on us Big Al...oh well...I guess her "be cool" medicine isn't having any effect today...she's allowed...just this one though...

[Marine84]

LOL! Well then ya'll will really love this next question I got for the younger WM's. Do you still get the playing "beauty shop" day where they teach you what colors are good on you, what you can and cannot wear in uniform? They were just allowing colored nail polish in cammies when I got out. We could wear colored nail polish in Charlies but, it had to match the cord on the cover. Is a girdle still "part of the uniform" (although I never knew anybody that wore one)?

[Marine84]

And you guys know I mean knothead in the most loving way. The "be cool" medicine is working lovely!

[Big Jim]

Just like a woman to browbeat you then tell you she loves you...even my dear departed Mom did that when she whipped me...did they teach you women that mind game in heaven or where? HAHAHA!

I know it wasn't hurtful, Kim...and I still love you, too...I know you only whip me cause you love me...oh sorry...thats what Mom used to say...LOL!!

[Wyoming]

Girdles??

Aw jeez, this is going downhill.



Oh yeah, Kim, the lipstick. It's RED, Montezuma Red, I believe. Supposed to also match the cord.

QUESTION - Where did the color come from, for the cord?

[SgtThrasher]

I wore mine short the whole time I was in just because I didn't want to fool with it - cute feminine cut isn't bad. Besides, in boot camp at least, you won't have that much time to fool with it anyway.

I would think more WM's would get the same hair cut we
received @Parris Island, with no hassle and nothing to comb,or maybe they had a rule against shaved heads.;)

[drwilkinson]

LOL! Well then ya'll will really love this next question I got for the younger WM's. Do you still get the playing "beauty shop" day where they teach you what colors are good on you, what you can and cannot wear in uniform? They were just allowing colored nail polish in cammies when I got out. We could wear colored nail polish in Charlies but, it had to match the cord on the cover. Is a girdle still "part of the uniform" (although I never knew anybody that wore one)?

Yes, they tell us what earrings are acceptable and that SNCO are only authorized diamonds in the dress blues, what color hair or nails we are authorized, etc etc.

However, I never heard of a uniform girdle! I do not know anything about this.

[sparkie]

. "Do you still get the playing "beauty shop" day"

OMG,,,,,,,,, Barbie does P,I,

[jarheadlady]

When I was at PI they actually brought in a lady, one of those MaryKay type ladies to show us how to wear make up in uniform properly. I do not wear make up except for once a year, to the ball. Anyway, about 25 of us broke out in a freaking rash after putting all that crap all over our faces! One other thing I remember was the color of the nail polish and lip stick. They called it "montezuma red" as mentioned before but my SDI kept calling it "F**k me dead red". ROFL

[THAT AINT IT]

we are not authorized to shave our heads it is considered eccentric.
"Hair may be no shorter than 1/4 of an inch from the scalp..." per MARADMIN 504/07
so we cant go all GI Jane.

it mustve been nice to be able to wash your hair every week. we got to wash our hair about every 2 weeks and we got to shave once a phase.

[AmyG]

Yes, you can wear french braids. The biggest thing about our hair when it's put up is that none of your hair ties, bobby pins, etc., are showing. I did a sock bun. I redid it about once every 3 or 4 days. And we got the luxury of washing ot once a week. And in third phase if we were good, we got to wash it about twice a week.

I wouldn't advise shaved heads or high and tights on females. I knew a SSgt at Fort Leonard Wood who got a Page 11 for getting a high and tight. It's considered eccentric like "THAT AINT IT" said, and it can be used to "show homosexual tendencies."

[THAT AINT IT]

another thing our company 1stSgt was hard on us about was the size of our buns. if you wear a bun, it can't stick out more than 3 inches from your head and no wider than the width of your head. Also, if you wear cornrows or braids they have to be small in diameter, about a 1/4 of an inch and there can be no more than 1/8 of an inch of your scalp showing between braids.

the only reason i know this is because everyone in my chain of command at boot camp up to my company 1stSgt, was obsessed with how our hair looked and taught us pretty much everything you would ever want to know about doing your hair. if your hair is busted at boot camp you'll know it.

[Artemis]

Actually after boot camp women are allowed to have multiple braids also known as corn rows. Not just the ethnic Marines either because that would be discrimination. It just has to be in good taste. When I was growing my hair out I got cornrows because it was at an in between length that I could not do anything else with it. I caught a lot of **** for having cornrows but it is within regs.