Hairstyles can be viewed as a personal timeline, a day-to-day freedom of expression that shows how a person has changed over the years. But when I decided to wear my hair in a man bun, I never expected the varied responses I would encounter.
My journey into the world of the man bun began the day a longer-haired buddy of mine said my hair looked grown out enough to tie up as he handed me an elastic hair tie band. Since then, I have been sporting the trendy hair style that has been the subject of multiple editorial pieces.
But growing out my hair did not stem from wanting to have a specific look. Instead, I was too busy and lazy to get a haircut.
The recent fame of the man bun has gained momentum since 2013-2014, according to manbunhairstyle.net. A wide range of men from hipsters to celebrities have gone down the path of comfort rather than sporting the classic clean look.
Rockstar and actor Jared Leto has sported his man bun for a while and from 2013 to 2014 was putting his hair up in a full man bun, allowing his hair to grow long even when it was not trendy. This type of non-conformist mentality is key when trying out a new look or style.
When I think of one celebrity who I associate with changing hairstyles and being influential in the public eye, it’s Brad Pitt. He has consistently changed his image with a variety of looks, with everything from long hair put up in a bun to completely shaved.
The first week I wore my hair up, I attended the Coachella Music and Arts Festival and a guy standing behind me in the bathroom line asked why I was wearing a man bun. It did not make me think twice about my hairstyle choice, instead it made me laugh and interested in what other types of reactions I would get from my new look.
Even though my man bun is not perfect, the reactions have been mostly positive. Most of the time, I find the hair on the sides and the back of my head has half fallen from the hair tie, and I am left with more of a Samurai hairstyle.
I can see how someone would want to steer clear of longer hair since it tends to give the impression of an unclean look. However I feel if someone wants to try out a new hairstyle, whether that means growing it out, shaving it off or even coloring it bright green, then he or she should try it out.
Even though my friends have all complemented my new hair choice, not everybody likes this new popular hairstyle. Theguardian.com posted a fashion article listing the top five worst male haircut trends people are getting over the past year, putting man buns in second place. The author said this trend will die quickly and suggests people other than artists, musicians or professional athletes should leave this hairstyle behind and cut their hair.
The man bun may fade away but there will always be people who are too lazy to get their hair cut. Changing hairstyles is one way people can have fun and be creative with the way they look with just the cut of the scissors. As for my hair, I plan to keep this style until I can grow it into a full man bun. From there, I am not sure what my hair will look like, but I am always open to change.
