Man Buns of Dartmouth: The Trend and the Instagram
Among the recent questionable trends reputed to increase men’s attractiveness (read: Dadbod), there is one that stands alone in its undeniable, universal, feminine appeal: the man bun. Popularized by Jared Leto, the man-bun movement started gaining momentum this past fall. Although the style brings to mind celebrities like Bradley Cooper and Brad Pitt, we need not look beyond Hanover to find guys rocking the glory of the man bun.
If you’ve missed the on-campus man buns somehow, have no fear! The new Instagram account @manbuns_of_dartmouth documents some of the most marvelous of Dartmouth man buns.
Arielle Gordon-Rowe ’18, one of the account’s creators, said she made the page as a platform for the growing trend in the man bun’s popularity. When she approaches man bun connoisseurs for photographs, most are eager to show off their hair, but a few are more reluctant. Still, most seem to come around eventually.
“We had one person decline and then subsequently ask to be on it later,” Gordon-Rowe said.
Morgan McGonagle ’18, another creator of the account, described an instance in which someone declined to be photographed because the account didn’t have as many followers at that point.
But overall, Gordon-Rowe said, most are “stoked” to be photographed and featured.
On her personal impetus for creating the account, Gordon-Rowe said she finds the personal qualities that a man bun suggests appealing.
“It takes a certain degree of confidence to rock one…sort of not even about the man bun, but about the statement that you can do whatever you want with your appearance,” she said.
Will Allan ’18, who was featured on the account last week, said he chose to grow his hair out because he can do so now that he’s in college.
“I went to an all-guys Catholic high school, and we had to have short hair, above the collar, and I wanted to try something different,” Allan said.
Allan said guys have responded positively to his longer hair, but he thinks girls don’t view it as favorably. He noted that his girlfriend likes it, although his mom does not.