He Said: Anthony Mattariello
Here we go again. A new week and another debate about fashion. This week’s debate is on the phenomenon that is the man-bun.
This is another debate that hits home because I once had a man-bun. You can tell by my Spectrum headshot that I had quite the luscious flow.
Growing out my hair was a very big decision for me. I guess my obsession with long hair began when I was a child.
See, I went to catholic school all my life and still do, obviously. However, throughout grade school and high school I had very strict dress codes that were enforced by some very harsh clergy members.
My dress code consisted of slacks, a button down shirt and a tie. I also wasn’t allowed to have facial hair or hair that went over our ears or over our collar.
I had to live with this for the first eighteen years of my life. I don’t know about any of you people, but I hate being told what I can and can’t do.
After high school all the dress codes went out the window and I was happy as ever. So, naturally I had to go all out.
I started to grow out all the hair on my body, yes all of it.
After a few awkward looks from the ladies, I decided to lose the facial but something about my long locks really made me impressed with myself.
This opened an entirely new world because I was never able to grow out my hair. As a result, I was on the look out for new hairstyles that worked for long hair.
Luckily, my mom is a very experienced hairdresser and owns her own hair salon so I had plenty of help on deciding what to do with my hair.
Mind you this was my freshmen year so it was back in 2013, so the man-bun was just getting started.
2013 was the year it all stared because of some celebrities who decided to rock the bun. These celebrities included Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix and unfortunately Harry Styles.
Nevertheless I knew that this was something I could work for, plus I really wanted avoid cutting my hair anymore.
I decided to grow my hair out and try for the man-bun look. Unfortunately, the hairstyle kind of took a turn for the worse.
Between those few years there was a certain persona and stereotype that came with the man-bun hairstyle.
The hairstyle started to be associated with hipsters. This was a huge disappointment to me because it was such a cool hairstyle that I was working hard towards.
I must say it was infuriating to know that I would’ve been mistaken as some hipster just because of my hair.
Anyways, I decided to rebrand the man-bun. I was going to bring it back because I will be dammed if someone thinks I’m some Starbucks drinking, tattoo wearing, Urban Outfitter shopper guy who’s obsessed with Arcade Fire.
So I went with the bun and let me say it was glorious.
If you aren’t a fan of the bun then you are just jealous and probably bald.
Unfortunately, I had to cut the bun this past summer.
Some businesses think that it looks unprofessional so the bun was taken down by the Man. All I have to reminisce about the bun is the photo of me in this paper.
She Said: Kelsey Hor
For most guys, they normally have a preference as to whether or not they want to grow their hair long.
Although there are probably not many haircuts a guy can choose from, a guy’s hair is usually categorized into either short or long.
Guys that have short hair really don’t have to do much except comb it every now and then. Long hair, on the other hand, is a different story.
For the guys out there who prefer to grow their hair extremely long, you have two options, let your hair just flow or put it up in a man-bun.
For those who have long hair, you are just like me. As a girl, those really hot days in the summer along with working out at the gym could make us hot and sweaty.
Putting your hair up in a bun, ponytail or braids is a great way to cool off or to just to look cute. During these times it’s normal for girls to wear their hair in ponytails or braids.
When girls have a bad hair day, most of the time we have a hairstyle known as the messy bun. It’s quick and easy to pull of and will get us out the door faster.
Now for men, man-buns are totally unnecessary. They just make the average guy go from nice and clean to lazy and unprofessional in a matter of minutes.
Now yes, guys can make their man-buns look sleek and neat however, it is not a hairstyle that screams clean. The man-bun trend nearly mirrors the messy bun hairstyle girls use to get them through the day.
In most girls’ minds, or at least the one’s who do not care for this style on men, one could say that the man-bun is equivalent to guys wearing pigtails as a hairstyle trend.
The guys who say this hairstyle keeps their hair neat and out of their face while playing sports should totally give girls a break then when they criticize us about our hairstyles.
As a girl, it’s quite ironic for guys to say this trend makes their hair nice and neat. Most guys complain that us girls take too long to style our hair and to put on our makeup. Well I hate to tell you guys, but in order for you to have a nice sleek man-bun you need to put some effort into your routine too.
There is no denying that the man-bun, unless it’s for a special occasion in which one actually takes the time and effort to put together a neat bun, is another synonym for lazy.
However, like I mentioned before, I am not entirely opposed to the whole man-bun hairstyle. One just needs to put some effort into it beforehand so they do not look like a complete slob.
In this day and age, man-buns are everywhere in the media and magazines. Celebrities like Harry Styles, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Chris Hemsworth, David Beckham and Jake Gyllenhaal have all tried to pull off this hairstyle at least once.
Overall, guys, although you have heard one standpoint on this popular hairstyle, whether or not you wear your hair up or down, I hope you feel confident with yourselves no matter what other people think.