Much ado about men’s ’dos in Hollywood

2/2/2014

Ladies’ locks are typically the talk of the town after an awards show. But since the Golden Globes, the buzz has been about another ’do — the man-bun.

Musician and actor Jared Leto, musician Alex Ebert, and actor Joaquin Phoenix were among those who twisted their long hair into pulled-back up-dos. Some takes on the style were slicked-back and polished, while Mr. Ebert tried to tame his tousled strands with pins and clips.

Unusual? Perhaps. A growing trend? It’s possible, says Emilio Cornacchione, cofounder of Izzazu Salon, Spa & Serata in Pittsburgh, where he’s a principal hairstylist and makeover specialist.

“It’s definitely that women are going shorter and men are going longer” with their hair, he says, pointing out the popularity of pixie cuts on celebrities such as actress Jennifer Lawrence. “We’ve come full circle in a sense.”

The shift has been unfolding for a few years. Back then, the man-bun was dubbed “the mun,” he says, and metro-sexual style was just starting to infuse men’s fashion. But thanks to more men in film, the arts, and society embracing these alternatives, they’re starting to stick.

The look owes its roots to the classic ponytail, which has become a signature style by such high-profile men as fashion designer and Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld. It’s a good option for men of the arts, Mr. Cornacchione says. Some of his clients over the years from the corporate sector also have opted for it.

Love it or hate it, looks like the man-bun could be around for a while … or at least until the Oscars.

The Block News Alliance consists of The Blade and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sara Bauknecht is a writer for the Post-Gazette. Contact her at bauknecht@post-gazette.com.