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Derek Bannister
Ben Henderson
CAS 137H
October 29, 2015
The Rise of the Man Bun
Many of us strive for attractiveness, as evidenced by the sometimes excessive
amount of money we spend on clothes, the ever-changing nature of our styles, or even the
time we spend at the gym. In recent years, the man bun has risen meteorically to
popularity among men and in attractiveness among women. As Elizabeth Wellington puts
so eloquently in her Trendlet article on this widespread fashion statement, Generally
speaking, man buns are hot (Wellington). Today, there are Twitter accounts solely
dedicated to the attractive nature of man buns. High-profile celebrities sport man buns to
awards shows where their hair often becomes a story in itself, as shown by the success
Jared Letos man bun had during a recent trip to the Oscars. Even high-profile athletes,
like the British soccer player Gareth Bale (who is known for setting trends in the world of
hair), have adopted the hairstyle for game usage. The increase in the popularity of the
man bun in recent years arises as a result of the stylistic changes brought on by the rise of
the metrosexual, as well as the conservative backlash against these stylistic changes. In
essence, the man bun strikes a seemingly perfect balance between being too feminine for
mass approval whilst also reflecting self-awareness and aesthetic care; this sweet spot
comes entirely as a result of the metrosexual movement of the 1990s and early 2000s.
The feminine stylistic inroads freed up by the metrosexual movement have
allowed for the man bun to bloom into a wildly popular style. The term metrosexual

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was coined in 1994 by writer Mark Simpson when he used it in an article for
Independent. Public stars like David Beckham and Brad Pitt were often described as
metrosexuals as the term caught on in the late 1990s, and as the term gained popularity
and usage, high-fashion menswear companies and makers of personal care products
found that a metrosexual demographic was very profitable. In Jill Gregg Clevers words,
the new emphasis on grooming and style seemed to blur the line between gay and
straight maleness, which often upset conservative onlookers. Many people believed that
men should occupy a rough-and-tumble look, and the phrase metrosexual was therefore
subject to significant backlash. On top of this, media coverage often portrayed
metrosexuals as young men who practiced aromatherapy and got facials and pedicures.
Young men who wanted only to spend freely on clothes therefore rejected this new
connotation of the term (Clever). The word metrosexual fell out of common usage in the
American lexicon as a result of this two-fronted backlash. The significance of the rise of
the metrosexual was that, despite the end of the metrosexual movement, male grooming
and close attention to style has become increasingly accepted into American culture. In
some respects, stylistic trends have always been a source of great cultural insight.
Throughout recorded history, hair has often been a reflection of the predominant
attitudes and values of the time. How did long hair on men fair before the metrosexual
movement? Going all the way back to 1669, Sihk warriors were commanded by Guru
Gobind Singh to wear their hair freely and uncut as a symbol of strength and vitality.
Samurai warriors also wore their lengthy hair in a knot at the top of the head (Korkki),
resembling the modern man bun Li Shang wears his hair this way in Disneys Mulan.
Long hair came to symbolize masculinity and power in both of these cultures, as it

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became increasingly associated with men of war. Fast-forwarding to western culture in
the 1960s, the Beatles moptops started a trend of longer hair during a time in which
military-style crew cuts were the strict norm. By the late 1960s, the counterculture
movement fully embraced unchecked hair growth. Lengthy hair came to symbolize
protest and masculinity during this period in which Woodstock reigned supreme
(Gonzalez). As the counterculture movement faded, however, so did the popularity of
very long hair. It took immensely popular figures like Brad Pitt to bring long hair back to
the fore with movies like Troy (2004). Brad Pitt plays the ultra-masculine and deadly
Achilles in this fictional portrayal of the Trojan War. Even so, long hair never truly
caught hold like it had in earlier historical movements. Something important changed that
allowed man buns to take hold, but it is certainly difficult to pinpoint.
The hairstyle in question seems to be rooted in vague and mysterious origins. In
January of 2012, the New York Times did a piece on the trend among Brooklyn men to
put their hair in buns (Korkki). Like many new styles, this one seems to have originated
in the hipster corners of Brooklyn. Jared Leto arrived to the Golden Globes wearing a
man bun in January of 2014 a whole two years later. As Google Trends indicates, Letos
adoption of the man bun was enough to bring the hairstyle into full-blown popularity, as
shown by the dramatic increase in Google hits for man bun. The hairstyles popularity
took off from here, as it is now a recognizable stylistic assertion, especially among young
observers. One can find Twitter pages solely dedicated to this hot hairstyle. The Twitter
page Man Bun Goals, for example, posts frequent pictures of men who have adopted
this hair-do and carry it with grace. The page Man Candy, whos goal is probably clear,

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also often displays man buns that are candy-worthy. Out of obscurity, the man bun has
become something of a pop culture sensation, and for unique reasons.
The man bun is an easy enough hairstyle as to not be considered excessively
feminine, but it requires just enough effort and patience for many observers to
consequently find it attractive. Elizabeth Wellington described the man bun as a
disheveled, sexy, tucked-under pony, that marks a mindful man who appreciates highquality hair products and cozy, plaid shirts. The man bun is possible as a result of the
previous popularity of the metrosexual look. The man bun overcomes the loss of interest
in metrosexual style because it requires some care and mindfulness, but not too much.
Too much care and consideration would lead many to believe that the man bun fad is so
feminine that it could blur the line between straight and gay manhood, as Jill Gregg
Clever put it. The ease with which this hairstyle can come to fruition, however, allows it
hit the sweet spot between a feminine look adopted by men and disheveled masculinity;
this combination has proven to be extremely attractive to the opposite gender in the past
couple of years. And perhaps the most interesting thing about people who wear man buns
is that they are often the same people who wear flannel shirts and work boots when a
construction site is nowhere to be found.
The lumbersexual movement paved the way for the comfortable existence of the
man bun. As Elizabeth Wellington alluded to, man buns and flannel shirts often go handin-hand. The same Brooklyn hipsters that gave life to the man bun trend had just
beforehand looked to Paul Bunyan, an American symbol of virility, for a sense of
masculinity. Over the last century or so, men have often been hit hardest by economic
recessions due to a mans traditional role as the family breadwinner. In many cases, the

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resulting stress has led to neurasthenia, or the overtaxing of the nervous system, in men.
The recent economic recession that hit it 2007 like many recessions before has been
hard on young, urban men. Accordingly, lumberjacks became present, even at the highclass events, around 2009. Teddy Roosevelt headed West when he felt defeated to spend
time alone in nature and regain a sense of masculinity; urban men look to lumberjackesque clothing to revitalize their sense of manhood in this period of economic uncertainty
because the collapse of the economy took away their confidence (Brown). The adoption
of flannel clothing allows room for metrosexual elements in the style of these men; a man
bun is the perfect, (formerly) feminine fashion statement to compliment hardy nature of
work boots and a beard. The lumberjack look ensures masculinity, while the man bun
brings this proclamation of manhood down a notch. Warriors throughout history (and in
Troy) have been able to create an association between long hair and masculinity. The
urban lumberjacks of the past few years have been able to give the man bun a macho
affiliation as a result of their clothes. Interestingly enough, the economic collapse of 2007
may have given birth to the man bun trend.
A sense of equilibrium exists within the essence of the man bun, allowing its
popularity to reach remarkable heights. Unlike many prior movements involving long
hair on men, the man bun trend appears to have been spawned by complicated
circumstances. The long hair of Sikh warriors and Japanese samurai showed status,
strength, and masculinity. The hippies long hair in the 1960s symbolized protest and,
again, masculinity. The man bun symbolizes something that is much more difficult to
pinpoint. Putting aside the symbolic nature of the man bun, though, it seems as if this do
is something of a holdover from the rise of the metrosexual in the late-1990s and early-

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2000s due to its feminine basis. In its current form, the man bun was really able to take
hold when coupled with the lumbersexual tendency among young, urban males.
Ultimately, the man bun reflects our acceptance of a certain amount of femininity in men,
but certainly not too much.
Words: 1577

Works Cited
Brown, Willa. "Lumbersexuality and Its Discontents." The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly
Group, 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
Clever, Jill Gregg. "Metrosexual." St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. 2nd ed.
Vol. 3. Detroit: St. James, 2013. 549-50. Gale Virtual Reference Library [Gale].
Web. 19 Oct. 2015.
Gonzalez, Anthony. Cosmetology. 54.: Global Media, 2007. Print.
Korkki, Phyllis. "Spare a Hair Band? A Man Bun to Go." The New York Times [New
York] 26 Jan. 2012: E2. LionSearch. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
Wellington, Elizabeth. "Trendlet: The Man Bun." McClatchy-Tribune Business News
[Washington DC] 4 Jan. 2015: n. pag. LionSearch. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.