In the 1960s, there were significant changes in terms of the Sikhs’ physical appearance. For Sikh women, the multi-ethnic workforce led to social and psychological changes in their lives. The Sikh women started to switch from their traditional salwar kameez (Punjabi suits), to skirts and blouses for the workplace.

For the Sikh men, it was difficult for them to be accepted by their colleagues due to their differences in appearance. There was a traditional association of Sikhs being fearsome, and therefore suitable for policing, which was still in the minds of other ethnic groups. This had a negative impact on their social image, and thus many Sikh men shaved or groomed their facial hair to look less fearsome and more presentable.

In an interview which was published in the book, “Religious Diversity in Singapore”, male interviewees felt that they will lose out to the “cropped” Sikhs in terms of physical appearance and appeal to the females if they kept their turbans on. “Cropped” Sikhs were, and are still, envied, as they are considered attractive to not just Sikh women, but also to women of other ethnic groups. Many Sikh men gave up on keeping their hair long during their teenage years, which was when they were more socially aware of their appeal to the opposite gender.