The Rise of the Man-bun

The years of 2014-2015 have been undoubtedly the era of the “man-bun” hairstyle. This hairstyle was made popular by male celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Jared Leto, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Bradley Cooper and Joaquin Phoenix, according to millennialinflux.com. However, this hairstyle is also popular with today’s youth.

Julia Pjevach, a senior at Arrowhead school, says, “I was surprised at how fast the popularity rose for the man-bun. I didn’t know boys could grow hair that fast.”

Eryn Hartnett, a senior at Arrowhead, says, “I feel like a lot of people in this generation are aiming to be different than the regular social norms. A man-bun is a way to steer away from average and become memorable to some. Although it is trendy right now, not an overly huge amount of guys are rocking it. Just enough to make the ones that do stand out I guess.”

The man bun’s historical significance is somewhat rooted deep in Asian history and culture. Man-buns can be found atop the heads of the BC Chinese Terracotta Warriors. Also, Buddha images and statues dating to the 6th and 7th centuries BC feature this style before it was “21st century” trendy. The man-bun was also popular in the Vikings era as they were out trying to conquer the world.

Pjevach says, “I definitely think it makes a statement. When I see a guy with his hair tied back, I immediately see him as an artistic, deep minded individual. Someone who isn’t afraid of his own masculinity and knows how to present himself well.”

According to http://www.manbunhairstyle.net, the man-bun is a comfortable style for males with long hair — it leaves no hair dangling and the pony tail holder keeps the hair secured in one place. It is also done in seconds, is easy to do and creates a style.

Hartnett says, “I love a good man-bun. But you also need to see the man beyond the bun before going on a date with him.”