You Got Buns, Hun?
Above: Actual man with man bun spotted on Marshall Street.
Disclaimer: this article will ruin your love for short-haired guys. #sorrynotsorry
Though 2014 may have been the year of the sexy Jesus beard, 2015 is starting off strong with the “man bun” trend that literally every hipster guy is sporting right now. It's the perfect balance between androgyny and a hyper-masculine look. Though the bun itself makes your hair feminine, it creates a juxtaposition and toys with the learned gender expectations we are accustomed to. More and more guys are overturning the stereotype that only girls can have long hair, which is why this “man bun movement” is such a revolutionary fad. But what about it makes it the sexiest thing in the world?
The signals that a man bun sends is not like anything we have ever experienced before. It’s the mystery behind it, the easiness about it, and the messy yet put together attitude that the hairstyle oozes. It takes a lot of balls for a man to be comfortable enough with himself to wear a man bun. In case you haven’t noticed, there are many celebrities who have been rocking this look including Bradley Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Hemsworth, and HARRY STYLES (aka bae), just to name a few. By debunking stereotypes about men with long hair, the man bun embodies a hobo chic vibe that is very in right now.
Not only have male celebrities been avid in the “man bun movement,” female artists are also showing their support and approval for the hair trend. In Taylor Swift’s song “Style,” she discusses her relationship with Harry Styles and how he “got that long hair, slicked back, white T-shirt.” Harry’s man bun has been his signature look since the beginning of his 1D days, making him a true trendsetter by altering men’s hair trends. Jumping on the bandwagon, Nicki Minaj's Anaconda includes Sir Mix-a-Lot's signature “don’t want none unless you got buns, hun!” Not exactly in the same context, but you get the idea.
There’s a ruggedness about the man bun that makes it so goddamn manly, but also alludes to a sensitivity that many guys lack these days. A lot of what fashion is about is borrowing concepts from the opposite gender’s fashion and making it your own, which is exactly how hair works too. The man bun is new and fresh, adventurous and fashionable, and something guys should definitely consider trying out. How many guys can you spot on campus with man buns? Let us know in the comments down below and tweet us a picture @jerkmagazine!
Photo by Adham Elsharkawi