Fashion Forward: ManBun

By John Olivares

As more men grow their hair long, the man bun makes a statement while serving a utilitarian purpose.

Historically a warrior’s hairstyle, today the man bun is a fashion-forward trend gaining traction among hipsters and celebrities.

A man bun is a style in which men with medium-to-long hair put it up into a rounded bun. Properly shaped, it can be worn as a casual or formal style. This tied bun should not be confused with a top knot, where a man shaves the sides of his head, leaving only the top of the hair long.

The man bun allows men the freedom to reflect a casual and free-spirited lifestyle, saiKyla Benson, SAC professor of fashion design and merchandising, said.

Evidence of this trend was noticed on runway shows in 2013, according to WGSN, a forecasting service that tracks trends years in advance.

The style can be traced back to the sixth century BC when the Buddha wore his hair in a high-tied bun. Worn in a high or low bun, the style cuts a striking figure in portraits of generals and samurais, well before it became a contemporary trend.

“I never planned on doing the bun. I began tying my hair up since it was in season and it began feeling … right,” Santa Ana College student Jose Santos said.

The look can be seen today worn by celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Liam Hemsworth and Harry Styles, and is a great option for those with a more alternative bent who want to pull the hair back and get it out of their face, resulting in an effortless, still-shaggy, on-trend look.

This celebrity endorsement has caused a chain reaction, starting off with the trendsetters and filtering through the mainstream.

“I usually do the bun when I don’t have time to get ready,” SAC student Juan Avila said. “It’s a very quick convenient hairstyle.”

Plus, one SAC student said, the man bun is a more masculine option than a ponytail.

In order to pull this off, men need to dress trendy and have a clean-cut beard to balance the man bun look.