Messy and glossy locks can be spotted tied in a knot on the heads of many young trendsetting males. Never has my jealousy for such a perfectly imperfect hairdo been so strong. This craze known as the man bun is a wonderful and fresh hairstyle breaking barriers in men’s fashion.

Man buns can be traced to the hipster phenomenon, where many cool dudes started growing facial hair into long, full beards and the idea then transferred to hair. The thought goes, if weeks can go by without a razor then why can’t the same be said for cutting hair? This is not laziness people. It is high class practical decision making for males who aim to share their beautiful samurai locks with others but wish to appear presentable.

Although, there are a few problems with this trend. For one, it seems subjective. To call it a man bun specifically is pointless. A bun hairstyle is a bun hairstyle so there should be no need to specify what gender is wearing it in the descriptive hairstyle name. For the purpose of this, I’m going to be hypocritical by calling it a man bun to make it easier to understand what I’m talking about. Two, if not properly taken care of, the man bun can make a perfectly polished guy appear like he was stuck in a cave for 10 years with no comb. While a unique and simple hairdo, please style with care.

But what about the guys who are now sporting those thin stretchy hair bands you used to wear in gym class in the seventh grade? No, they didn’t accidentally take it from their sister, there are some who simply like to wear the ridiculous headband look daily. The look originated from sports like football (not the pigskin) and American football (the pigskin).

Athletes with long hair needed a way to keep their tresses from getting in their face so they tie it back with the simple solution of a headband. Wearing headbands for sports or working out is perfectly understandable and should even be encouraged. It’s incredibly annoying to feel sweaty hair on your forehead while trying to hit that free throw.

But everyday wear? There is nothing attractive about a guy with a mane oddly pushed back in a halo of wild curls. It defeats the purpose of long hair in the first place, although the same can be argued for the man bun. But physically putting hair in a knot is in vogue and can be spotted in Vogue, while headbands for guys are more commonly spotted in dirty music venues. If dirty music venues are your thing, then hey go for it! However, the ability to be taken seriously is not guaranteed.

Love or hate these trends, men’s hairstyles are upping the ante and crew cuts no longer fit the bill. In order to attain a proper flow, just a bit of confidence and a lot of hair gel is required. Though some may favor man buns over headbands, or vice versa, all hairstyles done with careful effort are appreciated.