Angela Mollard: Why it is so liberating to see old traditions consigned to the rubbish bin

Angela Mollard once contemplated a TV career but there was a stumbling block and it had nothing to do with her suitability for the job.

I once turned down a job because of my hair.

A year out of journalism school I was working on a big city newspaper when a television network offered me a job. Big stories, loads of travel and, I was told, I’d probably get the opportunity to host because I had the “right Voice”. I’m not sure what it was about my Voice that made it broadcast-acceptable and I didn’t enquire further because of the coiffing issue.

To put it bluntly, my hair was long and wavy and TV women wore theirs short and straight. It was the 90s and most looked as if they’d had theirs sprayed into a helmet. Think Ita Buttrose anytime in the last 50 years. A television executive told me the hair and make-up department would help me look “camera-ready” but even at 25 I knew no amount of feathered layering or industrial strength hair spray was going to make me look like Ita.

Finally, all these years later we’re realising that how we dress and do our hair has zero impact on our ability to do our jobs. My big hair – which veers between Sarah Jessica Parker and Cyndi Lauper depending on wind, humidity and proximity to a styling wand – did not disqualify me from interviewing Prime Ministers or covering disasters just as wearing a suit does not make a man professionally acceptable.

No one cares how long your hair is these days, as evidenced by Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon playing two news anchors on The Morning Show.

The one thing we can thank Gen Z for is their refusal to adhere to these nonsensical dress codes. For decades we’ve had to abide by the rules which mean air stewards totter in high heels, politicians don ties as if they’re a measure of integrity and bank tellers are forced into ill-fitting polyester jackets due to the misconception that counting notes is dependent on sartorial flammability.

Fortunately, the generation that happily sticks two fingers and a bunch of emojis up to stupid social mores has come down hard on the convention that decrees you spend 40 hours a week in horrible clothes with only pathetic “dress down Fridays” to alleviate the drab dressing.

Last week I stepped onto the budget airline carrier Play, transporting me from London to Iceland, to discover the cabin crew sporting white sneakers, T-shirts, piercings and facial hair. The airline claims the uniforms reflect the airlines core values of “simplicity, equality and on-time performance” and while I can’t work out how white Nike trainers impact delays, they looked cool. And appropriate. As the airline says: “Forget running around in high heels – comfortable sneakers are the way to go. Instructions regarding hair, make up, tattoos and nail polish are gone. The uniforms are not gender specific, and our crew can pick whatever works for them from a varied selection of outfits.” Incidentally, we arrived in Reykjavik ahead of schedule.

Angela Mollard says her ‘big hair’ would not be an issue today. Picture: Tim Hunter.

As a victim of misplaced impression dressing – I’d be a lot richer if my hair had conformed for that TV gig – I’m loving not just the new-found informality but the authenticity that underpins the shift in workwear. As algorithms and artificial intelligence infiltrate our workplaces it’s more important than ever that our creativity and individuality are not just accepted but championed.

Frankly if someone is excelling in their job who cares what they wear while doing it.

That was clearly the point being made by 31-year-old Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather last month when he rose to speak in Question Time wearing a crisp navy suit without a tie. His shirt, unbuttoned at the neck, was not an issue for the Speaker, but it raised the ire of National Party MP Pat Conaghan.

“This is not a barbecue,” he fumed. “This is Question Time in the Australian Parliament. What next, board short and thongs? Maybe a onesie in winter?”

While our institutions deserve respect they also need to be agile and reflective of the populace they represent. If we want younger generations to engage with politics then they need to see people within those institutions who they relate to. In the US, young pollies have stepped out in Doc Martens and bomber jackets, perhaps a reflection of a huge increase in younger voters taking to the ballot box.

Given the chance to wear trainers rather than heels, I’m sure our female MPs would jump at the chance while ties these days denote nothing but discomfort. A former editor of my acquaintance was among a group of News Corp executives who were invited to dine with then Opposition Leader Kim Beazley back in the late 90s. The dress code was “smart casual” so he turned up in chinos and a chambray shirt only to discover the rest of the cohort in suits. The absence of a tie was their only nod to casual.

“And where are you from?” Beazley asked my friend.

“Townsville,” he replied confidently.

“That figures,” Beazley chuckled.

As for the television world, I should’ve persevered. No one cares how long your hair is these days as evidenced by our own networks and by Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon playing two news anchors on The Morning Show. Finally, a sharp mind matters more than neat hair.