THE JOURNAL
From left: Mr Harris Dickinson, New York, 1 May 2023. Photograph by Mr Taylor Hill/Getty Images. Mr Evan Mock, Paris, 22 June 2023. Photograph by Mr Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images. Mr Jeremy Strong, New York, 15 November 2023. Photograph by Mr John Nacion/Shutterstock
The tail end of 2023 marked one of the year’s biggest celebrity losses: Mr Harry Styles’ beautiful hair. In November, the star sparked headlines when he debuted a fresh buzzcut in an Instagram post for his nail polish and fragrance brand, Pleasing. The new ’do proved divisive – pleasing, it was not. “It’s hurting me emotionally, mentally and physically,” one fan wrote. The phrase “ruined my life” was used by another. Styles’ mother, Ms Anne Twist (some truly excellent names in that family) even got involved, coming to his defence with a post of her own: “Breaking news: It’s hair! It’s his! Also it will grow back. If he wants,” it read.
Follicular melodrama aside, Styles’ new do was just one more buzz-worthy buzzcut in a long list. From skinheads to Ms Sinéad O’Connor, Ms Britney Spears to Buddhist monks, the legacy of the buzzcut in our cultural history is long and complex, by turns conveying tough-guy bravado, working-class pride or religious devotion. Taken purely as a style choice, however, there’s something undeniably badass about shaving it all off. When it comes from Styles, it’s a statement that says, “Yeah, I have incredible hair, but I don’t need it to look good”. The internet has thoughts on this, sure, but you have to admire the gumption.
“No bad hair days to fear – it comes as it is”
The buzzcut has consistently been one of the most popular men’s hairstyles in recent years. Spurred on by lockdown – it being the only haircut people could reliably achieve at home without the help of a hairdresser – it has endured and is now also one of the most influential haircuts of the moment. Mr Evan Mock’s fuzzy pink barnet launched a thousand imitations; actor Mr Harris Dickinson got rid of his hair in the summer; while Mr Bradley Cooper got reacquainted with the clippers in September. And Mr Jeremy Strong had his Kendall Roy cut buzzed off straight after shooting his last scene for Succession in a kind of ritualistic ceremony that the whole crew filmed on their phones.
As well as marking a fresh start, a buzzcut also proves a reliable answer to some of the most common issues in men’s grooming. Dodgy hairline? Buzzcut. Can’t be bothered to style your hair before work or a party? Buzzcut. Bored of showing your barber a photo of someone infinitely more handsome than you, and being consistently disappointed when you don’t suddenly look as good afterwards? Yep, buzzcut. No bad hair days to fear – it comes as it is.
So, as we go into 2024, maybe now is the time for a fresh start of your own. Will the haircut of the year be having no hair at all? Don’t let us stop you from reaching for the clippers. And if you happen to ruin the lives of your devoted stans in the process… well, we’ve got a warm fuzzy hat with your name on to wear until it grows back. If you want.
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