Man-bun sported by Joe Wicks makes a comeback after men forced to grow their hair during lockdowns

With hairdressers and barber salons closed for much of the past year due to lockdown, many men have had to skip haircuts and were forced to grow their hair.

Some have taken the opportunity to experiment with their locks, or have resorted to tying it back out of convenience, sparking a revival of the man bun.

British fitness coach Joe Wicks is among those sporting the man-bun hairstyle this year, where a segment of long hair is tied in a knot at the top or back of the head.

The hipster hairstyle gained popularity in the 2010s, when it was worn by musicians, actors and footballers alike. 

Harry Styles, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jared Leto, and Gareth Bale were all fans of the man-bun during that time but it is set to make a comeback once again.

Now, as men are forced to grow their hair during the pandemic lockdowns, fashion editors predict the trend is returning.

Speaking to the Guardian, the grooming editor on Men’s Health, Garrett Munce, said: ‘I think we are going to see way more guys with long hair in 2021. 

‘Some because they realised [during lockdown] they actually like having long hair, and some just for practical reasons. 

‘Coming out of 2020, where most of us spent the better part of the year in quarantine, haircuts became less frequent.’ 

Esquire’s styling director Charlie Teasdale says the man-bun serves as a ‘homage to homage to a traditional, rough-and-tumble view of masculinity’ while others wear it ‘with more of a nod to gender fluidity’.