The man bun: Hot hairstyle or fashion faux-pas?

The man bun.

Some people love it. Some people hate it. But no one can deny its growing popularity.

The man bun is the latest hairstyle trend for men turning heads in Montreal. It comes in two sizes — full lovely locks tied back or partly shaved on the sides with just a bun on top.

While men's hairstyles have often been fairly limited to a basic short cut, the recent developments have allowed for a little more creativity. 

Simon Delva, 28, is training to become a barber.

Delva wears his man bun proudly, despite the critiques from friends and family – especially his mother.

"She hates it," he said. "Maybe it's not clean enough. She doesn't like the knot at the top."

His mother isn't the only woman in his life who hasn't warmed to the style.

"The girlfriend flip-flops constantly," said Delva. "She says she has a crush on my short hair. But I mean, I hurt my finger not too long ago, so she's the one that did this bun... So she can't be too angry."

Delva used to sport a short, cropped look, which he refers to as the "David Beckham," but started growing it out to achieve "full bunnage."

"One day it just fit in a bun. I have tough hair, you know. If it's not tied away or has a lot of product in it, it's going to go everywhere."

Aesthetic choice or trendy pursuit?

Justin Thomas, a teacher of English as a second language, sees the man bun as an aesthetic choice rather than a trendy pursuit.

"To me, I find it gives this, like, beautiful quality to the man," Thomas said.

Thomas admits to feeling some solidarity with other man-bun wearers, especially in the workplace where man buns can be frowned upon.

"I went to drop off a CV, and I saw a guy with a man bun sitting behind the desk," he said, "and I was like, 'I should work here.'"

While the man bun may be the hot hairstyle of 2015 but there's no telling how long it will last and what will take its place. For now, the man bun reigns supreme with more and more of Montreal's men avoiding a trip to the barber in favour of a little extra length.