By Karla Pulido

Photos by Mary Cantrell

Who’s rocking the most talked about buns on campus? Spoiler alert: It isn’t Kim Kardashian. ORANGE searched the Forty Acres and tracked down some of the hottest man buns not in Wranglers.

Make these guys your #ManbunMonday while you still can — some of these buns will be donated to a greater cause. “Brave the Shave” is a campaign organized by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation that raises funds for childhood cancer research. Brave souls across the nation participate by shaving their heads and donating their hair, volunteering or by donating money to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. “Brave the Shave” is coming to Austin on March 21 and April 12. 

Jordan Baker is a Chinese major from Austin who has grown his hair out for two years. Though he was initially apprehensive about putting his hair in a bun, after seeing others do it he became more comfortable with the style. “I want to donate the man bun whenever I’m through with it,” Baker says. “I’m trying to grow it out until I have 10-inches.”

Bill Watts is a kinesiology major from Oakland, California. He has grown his hair out for four years. Watts says the only downside to having long hair is shedding. “I have the best damn hair in this city,” he says.

Nathan Garza is a geography major from San Antonio. Garza has been growing out his curly locks after shaving it through St. Baldrick’s two years ago. “I think it gives me more of a respect or understanding for the stereotype of women taking a long time to get ready,” Garza says. “Dudes just wake-up and wash their face off, but now I can’t do that.”

Wesley Braden is a psychology major from Columbus, Texas. Braden made a commitment to grow out his hair out after high school, saying that he would be disappointed if he never knew what he looked like with long hair. Three years later he is successfully rocking his own man bun. “As far as personality, I’m still exactly the same. Take it or leave it,” Braden says. “I’m not really growing my hair for someone else. It’s just kind of a personal choice.”

Kouros Maghsoudi is a geography and geology major from Chicago. He has grown out his hair since the beginning of this year, sporting what he calls a “boy bun.” Maghsoudi says he was inspired by Cole Sprouse’s long hair parted down the middle. “I think the view of long hair, has lost the stigma of being only for girls,” Maghsoudi says.

Alex Sands is a social work major from Houston. Because he hated haircuts, Sands decided to grow out his hair out in the seventh grade. He currently works as a counselor, but says when he worked with preschoolers they would often joke about his hair being girly. “Long hair traditionally is a symbol of the warrior culture,” Sands says. “For me it’s very masculine.”

Daniel Haskin is an accounting junior from Houston. Haskin decided that being at UT would be the best time to grow out his hair. During spring break Haskin will cut it off and donate it to St. Baldrick’s. “My hair gets in my way, so I can understand how girls get frustrated. They can’t just get up and go somewhere,” Haskin says. “It makes me respect girls with short hair, because you shouldn’t be criticized by society because they think your hair should be a certain way.”

If you love sporting a man bun, or know someone who does, take a pic and tag us @orange_magazine