Rise of the man bun

In an unusually bad case of writer’s block, I recently asked my friend living in Brooklyn for any beauty trends he has been spotting on the street. He responded right away: “Man buns. They’re everywhere here.” Two seconds later, another text: “Like everywhere.”

A quick Google search and his declaration was confirmed. The man bun has landed on the heads of creative types from Brooklyn to Chicago, perhaps inspired by the resurgence of the female topknot in fashion circles around the country. I even seem to be getting to the party late: The New York Times ran an article profiling this rising trend almost two years ago. Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah sports one, as well as celebrities from Orlando Bloom to Brad Pitt. There’s a BuzzFeed article dedicated solely to educating fans about Leo’s topknot, and a helpful how-to for the man bun virgin.

The more I looked at pictures and pictures of men sporting this tiny knob, the more I understood its
attraction. Portraying a sense of calm and free being, it was still groomed enough to be pulled together. It was manly.

This manly association is not completely random: For centuries men have sported the top bun in some form. Samurai warriors are most often featured with their hair styled high, and Sikh men have long tied their hair in a bun under their turbans. Pirates and warriors and Bikram-loving Boulderites: It seems like this trend knows no end.

I asked my friend if the topknot transcended into the gay community in Brooklyn. His simple answer: “I already told you. They’re everywhere.” Now I felt silly. Hearing about a new style and trend, I instinctively felt the need to label it: Hipster or preppy; corporate or artsy; and even, I’m ashamed to admit it, gay or straight. While I could associate it with one identifier in the first two categories (I have a hard time picturing a man bun flying in a business meeting of Ivy League prepsters), the sexual identity of the hairstyle remained elusive.

I took this as a good sign. While I was trying to place this trend within a limited boundary, it transcends any sexual identification — it’s not “gay” or “straight.” Going further, this might be a sign that the past way of identifying anything as “gay” or “straight,” or “masculine” or “effeminate,” is obsolete. While there may always be a culture surrounding the two, perhaps society is slowly evolving and blending them together. And while the man bun may come and go, I hope this increasing tolerance is one development that never fades away.