More & More Little Boys Are Growing Their Hair Long

When Jared Leto recently cut his hair, it was the chop heard 'round the world. Women everywhere had fawned over — and coveted — his flowing locks. Leto's long hair had become a signature, a part of his overall aesthetic that we couldn't get enough of. When he first debuted it, it became a talking point, with those in the pro-mermaid-hair camp interacting with those in the decidedly anti-long-locks-on-a-dude camp in heated discussions. But, as time went by, Leto's "man bun," braids, and hombré became commonplace — something we just got used to seeing. It's just hair, after all. The parents ofThe New York Times' "Some Boys Ask, 'What's A Barber, Mom?'" piece would probably agree. Author Caroline Tell points out that hair-growing is on the rise among young boys in the tri-state area. "Gone are the days of the bowl cut, the buzz cut, or the much-maligned mullet," Tell writes. "Style-minded urban parents are accessorizing their young boys with long, flowing locks." No, they're not all trying to make a statement about normative gender identities; a lot of them just think it looks cute.  As the article points out, these fellas are following in the footsteps of Zuma Rossdale and Skyler Berman, long-haired celebrity sons of Gwen Stefani and Rachel Zoe. Zoe, despite criticism she's received from fans about making her 4-year-old (then 2-year-old) "look like a girl," still allows his curly tendrils to grow free, from what we can see on her Instagram.  Are these "style-conscious" parents condemning their children to mockery from mean-spirited classmates? Of course not. To the kids featured in the Times article and so many others, long locks are perfectly normal and cool — no bullying or teasing in sight. Yes, some of the boys commonly get mistaken (usually by adults) for girls, but that doesn't faze them. And, if the kids themselves don't mind, that's all that matters. Plus, long locks give these boys a sense of individuality, which is always a good thing. "Everyone thinks I'm going to be a rock star," chimes one of them. And, whether their hair is Leto-long or Tatum-crew-cut, these kids look pretty darn cute either way. Bring on the "boy buns."