In some areas, we SEEM to have made progress. 
 1967, BCIT: some of the guys in the class had pretty long hair. 60+ year-old Director walks into the classroom, looks at the shirt-and-tie broadcast students & lays down the law: "cut your hair or you're out of the program." He could--and should--have said "Here's the deal: a lot of potential employers you're gonna meet don't like long hair. Wear it at your peril.  Your choice. Good luck," and continued the class lesson.  
Ten years later, we were ALL wearing long(er) hair to work. It was the 70s, man!  Progress, see?  

It's ALWAYS about fitting in (see the phrase "we were ALL wearing...") It's about expectations. Thought about this last night as I watched new-hire Peggy get work-world instructions at the ad agency in the series Mad Men. Wow, in all my years  TV addict, never saw so many conflicted characters . See what the GUYS do, hear the bs they spout.  All of them...desperately trying to fit in.

Not sure it's much different today.