hair bows

[timemeddler]

Since letting my hair grow I of course have been considering how to it til it gets to suitable braiding length,privately I admit I've taken a fancy to headbands and hair bows with a clip while wondering how common a practice it is. Then a few nights ago I was watching the Last of the Mohicans, and guess what......I kind of figured it was probably the case back when guys wore longer hair, they had to tie with something, why not a fancy ribbon? Good for them, good for me.

[STEVIE]

privately I admit I've taken a fancy to headbands and hair bows with a clip while wondering how common a practice it is.

TM, as in all we do for men's freedom around here, if you got it, flaunt it!
Drop the "privately" and just have fun with it.
Steve.

[Mouse]

I wish I had hair long enough hair to require a bow....

I think if you can grow your hair long, then you have the right to do anything you like with it.

Just like wearing skirts is mainly curtailed by things in your head, bows in your hair are being held back by other things in your own head.

[Barleymower]

I wish I had hair long enough hair to require a bow....

I think if you can grow your hair long, then you have the right to do anything you like with it.

Just like wearing skirts is mainly curtailed by things in your head, bows in your hair are being held back by other things in your own head.

Mouse your is long enough for a bow

[Ralph]

This is a contentious topic for me. Because I live in a conservative/religious/traditionalist community, gender nonconformity in men is perceived as weakness and openly mocked. I'm too old and lazy to fight the good fight, so the skirts and dresses stay privately inside and most of my gender nonconformity is kept hidden when I'm out in public.

Just as an example of how sensitive people are to calling men out on failure to be sufficiently masculine, there was the sunglasses incident. I am sensitive to bright light, so when I saw a pair of sunglasses with larger frames to give me better coverage over my eyes, I bought them. I didn't even know they were on a rack dedicated to women's styles - plain black frames with plain black(ish) lenses. But when I wore them to meet with friends, that was the first thing they picked up on - "did you grab your wife's sunglasses by mistake?" Seriously, large frames are somehow inherently feminine?

But I defy convention in my own subtle ways, and hair decoration is one of them. I grow my hair long, which hasn't been a big deal since 1970, but instead of plain black elastic to hold it back I use scrunchies... and to push the envelope a little further, they're bright pastel colours instead of plain black, and sometimes a glossy satin sheen. I'm not quite brave enough to wear pink around my more conservative friends, but I'll go with the pink if I'm just going to be around strangers.

Anyhow, it drives me up the wall that even something that trivial makes you a target.

Yes, yes, I know the arguments. "Why would you live somewhere that intolerant?" - because I can't afford to pick up my life and move at this late stage. "Who cares what they think? They're not really friends if they can't accept you as you are" - quite true, but they're all I've got, and they're wonderful people apart from that blind spot. So I play the chameleon rather than risk the kind of social shunning that can happen in close-knit communities when you are branded as an outsider.

[jamie001]

Ralph,

It is true that they are not friends if they cannot accept you the way that you are. I learned this a long time ago and moved on from those types of pseudo friendships. Also, when someone makes a comment regarding what you are wearing, a good comeback is "if I wanted your opinion I would ask for it!".

Also, the most masculine thing that you can do is to live your life on your own terms and not let other people dictate how you should present yourself and be confined to the ManBox.

Anyway I hope that you can find the courage to move forward. It is the most liberating thing that I have ever done and in my case, I lost a lot of depression, anxiety, and anger by living life on my own terms and telling people that object to my attire that it is none of their business - which is really is not.

Best Wishes,
Jamie

[timemeddler]

privately I admit I've taken a fancy to headbands and hair bows with a clip while wondering how common a practice it is.

TM, as in all we do for men's freedom around here, if you got it, flaunt it!
Drop the "privately" and just have fun with it.
Steve.

The part "private" is the thoughts going on in my head, I'm already public with my hair so yeah.

[Susie]

There is more to it than just sticking a bow in your hair , isn't there Stevie!!

Apparently though there are you-tube videos to help.

And looking like a founding father, when attempting the low pony-tail and bow, is a worry for women too.

[STEVIE]

This is a contentious topic for me. Because I live in a conservative/religious/traditionalist community, gender nonconformity in men is perceived as weakness and openly mocked. I'm too old and lazy to fight the good fight, so the skirts and dresses stay privately inside and most of my gender nonconformity is kept hidden when I'm out in public.

Ralph, my sympathies go out to you, but I will thank you for sharing your thoughts, a salutary reminder that there are still very real and tangible barriers for men who do not wish to be compliant with societal expectation.
It is not all in the minds and imaginations of the oppressed, it is very real and we should be very aware of this.
Glad to hear that you can keep the faith and rebel in your own way too.

Now,

There is more to it than just sticking a bow in your hair , isn't there Stevie!!

Thanks Susie,
I shall reply more fully to that question when I have had the opportunity to enlist your aid in illustrating my efforts.

Steve.

[Seb]

I have a small collection that I use regularly. I braid my hair and stick a bow in it when going off to work. I started with the red velvet(upper right of the three, its really a Christmas tree ornament...) one in December, just for a little seasonal fun, but I got so many compliments from both patients and co-workers they have become part of my work uniform by now.



I don't have any pictures of them on my head though, I never thought of taking pictures of them before.

[STEVIE]

Two heads are better than one, but which of these belongs to whom?
Susie or Stevie?

s1.jpg

or

s2.jpg

Stevie.

[Coder]

I was inspired by these products:

https://peachbeast.com/products/y2k-hair-clip-set

To design and 3D print a set. Came out quite well, but I'm not sure I'll ever wear them - besides having short hair, I just don't quite know how these work in terms of wearing them as an accessory.

I also have a set of these that I purchased:

https://vincausa.com/collections/favori ... nife-clips

And as with the above, I've not really worn them out in public - though I have worn the knives when my hair has gotten longer (3-4") to keep it out of my eyes. I do think the knife set would be more, erm, socially acceptable than the cursor set.

[Myopic Bookworm]

I mainly use hair elastics or scrunchies, or a large claw grip. But this week my wife decided to plait it, and we both liked the effect. Now I just need to master the skill of doing it myself!

[Grok]

But I defy convention in my own subtle ways, and hair decoration is one of them. I grow my hair long, which hasn't been a big deal since 1970,

Recently, on line, I came across an attempt-in Arkansas-to legislate gender conformity for males. To summarize, dictate by law that a man's hair must be short.

[Mouse]

Land of the free........https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2025 ... s-and-more