Manly braids?

[thebacontree]

So, as the title suggests, im looking for some braids that will look good on men. are there any braids (or positioning of them) that wont look girlo on men? thanks in advance :D

[thebacontree]

*girly, damnit

[sarathar]

I've never seen a man wearing braids .... I think it's for a reason, braids can never look "manly". But that's just my opinion.

[Zesty]

I'd say a plain English or French braid down your back would be plenty "manly." Braids seem pretty unisex to me. :shrug: Maybe a side braid would be too girly for you, and something to avoid?

There are more things that you can do with your hair as a man than you probably think, even if you are concerned about presenting as masculine. Buns can be masculine, for example. If you search the forums here, you can probably find plenty of threads with men asking the same kind of question.

[Zesty]

I've never seen a man wearing braids .... I think it's for a reason, braids can never look "manly". But that's just my opinion.
Where do you live? I should have asked the OP this as well, but I think the location has a big impact on whether or not a braid would be "manly."

Personally, where I live I wouldn't look twice at a man with a single braid in the back. Unless it was really long, in which case I would ogle. ;)

[Madora]

Well, the American indians, especially the Cheyennes, certainly were manly, and wore braids! They were very proud of their hair. I never saw a braid that was unmanly.

[thebacontree]

Thx for the replies, il try the ones you suggested. (I live in belgium by the way, where people stare at you like a zoo if youre a long haired male :-) )

[tetisheri72]

I think that any braid a man wants to wear is manly.

[Zesty]

I think that any braid a man wants to wear is manly.
Hear, hear! :)

[SnottyDotty]

I think that any braid a man wants to wear is manly.

I couldn't have put it better :)

[Zesty]

Also maybe not all of these are your style, but: http://www.pandoraslocks.com/manly.php.

I especially love the five-strand half-up. :)

[thebacontree]

Im new to the whole braiding thing, but looking at pictures of the cheyennes and vikings im starting to think most braids can look manly :D

[thebacontree]

Also maybe not all of these are your style, but: http://www.pandoraslocks.com/manly.php.

I especially love the five-strand half-up. :)

Indeed, that one has a lord of the rings feeling to it

[Madora]

Im new to the whole braiding thing, but looking at pictures of the cheyennes and vikings im starting to think most braids can look manly :D

That's the spirit, thebacontree!

[Zesty]

Im new to the whole braiding thing, but looking at pictures of the cheyennes and vikings im starting to think most braids can look manly :D
Post pics of braids you try out! There is a braid picture thread. I for one would love to see. :)

[SkyChild]

I agree totally. Look at inspirational pics from the TV series Vikings and you get a whole lot of burly-looking menfolk with braids. And I love Native American braids too.
Try them out, find some you like.
Are you fair or dark, thebacontree? Or some other colour entirely?

[martyna_22]

I'd suggest to go into simple styles and that'd be it. People are not particularly supportive of long hair on women, either (only the "it's too long" comments begin at slightly longer lengths for them) so you shouldn't care too much. Remember that you're not here to decorate anybody's world. That should cover it :)

[gthlvrmx]

Any person of gender and sex can use braids it's fine :P You could even bun the braids you make and have it look really complex :)

[thebacontree]

Pics are coming as soon as im allowed to by the site. My hair is normally a darker brown and at the moment very dark cause of a temporary coloring i had a month ago ;)

[thebacontree]

Remember that you're not here to decorate anybody's world. That should cover it :)
Haha thank you for the advice, not giving a damn about other peoples talk is refreshing

[Becs]

I agree that basically any braid can be good on a guy. Personally, i think fishtails are quite manly though

[two_wheels]

Definitely fishtail and so-what-call-the-cops attitude.

I saw a guy the other day who had a sort of folded rope braid type thing. I think he put his hair in a ponytail, then twisted it and folded it back on itself so that it spiralled, then tucked the ends inside the pony. Make sense?

I wouldn't wear it every day, as it's not very protective, but it halves the length of your hair (that must reduce comments from others) and it looked very cool.

[Katlette]

Any braid can look manly. I don't think this style (http://www.menstylefashion.com/be-brave-with-braids-a-6-step-guide-to-braiding-your-hair/) in itself is particularly masculine, but with a dude wearing it, it suddenly looks manly. Your facial features matter more for what you can pull off than the style itself. Viking styles are always a good bet though!

[gthlvrmx]

Any braid can look manly. I don't think this style (http://www.menstylefashion.com/be-brave-with-braids-a-6-step-guide-to-braiding-your-hair/) in itself is particularly masculine, but with a dude wearing it, it suddenly looks manly. Your facial features matter more for what you can pull off than the style itself. Viking styles are always a good bet though!

That looks beautiful! I want to try it now! :)

[Sarahlabyrinth]

You wear a braid = it becomes manly because you are wearing it.

[mary*rose]

You wear a braid = it becomes manly because you are wearing it.

SO. TRUE.

Haha with all the GOT love we have around here, I'm surprised no one has posted a picture of Drogo. He's one of the manliest characters in the book, and it's shown by the length of his braid. In GOT, the horse lords cut their hair whenever they are defeated in a fight, so guys with long hair are pretty darn hard to beat. And Drogo pretty much has the longest hair of all, so...

*after a quick Google search* Here we go...
http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110626031733/gameofthrones/images/1/1f/Drogo_1x01b.jpg

It's not REALLY a braid, but it sure does look "manly"

[two_wheels]

In the books, it's a proper braid with bells and stuff. And yet supermanly.

[mary*rose]

In the books, it's a proper braid with bells and stuff. And yet supermanly.

I know, I haven't seen the series. Actually, I was a little disappointed when I saw the pictures, because I was expecting a braid x( But everything else TOTALLY made up for it. Yes. Supermanly.

[Platzhalter]

Drogo was my first thought when reading the thread title. Never dare to doubt that braids can look manly.

[BogwoodElf]

So, as the title suggests, im looking for some braids that will look good on men. are there any braids (or positioning of them) that wont look girlo on men? thanks in advance :D

Being of native descent, I LOVE braids on a man, and "girly" does not cross my mind. I think it's not the braid you wear, as much as your society. Masculine is not visually defined in the length/shape of the hair, but people see what they see.

Men usually have hair, it grows terminal, just like ours, they are still sexy and "manly".

Women often have body hair, it grows everywhere just like men, they are still sexy and feminine.

If you want to braid your hair, then braid your hair. :)

[BogwoodElf]

SO. TRUE.

Haha with all the GOT love we have around here, I'm surprised no one has posted a picture of Drogo. He's one of the manliest characters in the book, and it's shown by the length of his braid. In GOT, the horse lords cut their hair whenever they are defeated in a fight, so guys with long hair are pretty darn hard to beat. And Drogo pretty much has the longest hair of all, so...

*after a quick Google search* Here we go...
http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110626031733/gameofthrones/images/1/1f/Drogo_1x01b.jpg

It's not REALLY a braid, but it sure does look "manly"

Does it count as cheating, if you're super buff and and bearded? :laugh:

But yeah... he looks just fine...

[SnowbirdRose]

Well, the American indians, especially the Cheyennes, certainly were manly, and wore braids! They were very proud of their hair. I never saw a braid that was unmanly. Ditto! As a matter of fact, today I saw two white men in their 60's rocking very manly salt and pepper braids.

[Aurum]

Haha thank you for the advice, not giving a damn about other peoples talk is refreshing

You'll find that the people here at the LHC are big supporters of individuality. We're a judgment-free zone. ;)

[stachelbeere]

I think there is a tv show called "Vikings" about... Vikings and there once was a thread about all the different hairstyles the characters wore. You could google that...? I never watched the show though.

after quickly googling this:
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/8d/b8/b5/8db8b5737a0a491ac2742775a210d899.jpg
http://www.history.com/s3static/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/194/263/History_Vikings_BTS_Hair_Design_SF_HD_still_624x35 2.jpg

pretty neat!

[cathair]

The only braid I can think of the might be particularly unmanly is pigtail braids. But it could be argued they not very womanly either, they are girly. I wouldn't let it stop me if I wanted wear them though!

I would just try some out and see how you like them. Looking forward to your pictures :)

[Lindenare]

There have been lots of manly braids in TV and movies lately, not to mention books. Practically every male sports some sort of braid in both How to Train Your Dragon movies (they're Vikings - what did we expect?). Thor had a braided half-up in The Dark World, and the dark Elves in the same movie had wonderfully intricate braided styles. For more men with braids, check out the Elves in LotR, and every Dwarf in the recent Hobbit films. I actually think there are more braids in Tolkien's books than in the movies, actually. Many Dwarves are said to have braided beards, the Rohirrim typically wore braids, and so did the Elves.

Basically, as has already been said, if a man wears a braid, the braid is manly.

[mary*rose]

Does it count as cheating, if you're super buff and and bearded? :laugh:

But yeah... he looks just fine...

Haha I hope not.

Yes. Fiiiine ;)

[Madora]

The only braid I can think of the might be particularly unmanly is pigtail braids. But it could be argued they not very womanly either, they are girly. I wouldn't let it stop me if I wanted wear them though!

I would just try some out and see how you like them. Looking forward to your pictures :)

Just googled pigtail braids and see that there is quite a variety. A pigtail braid is just a braid that hangs down from the head. It can be a simple dutch braid or a simple English braid.

What would look unmanly (for me anyway) would be a braid that has been "pancaked"..that is, each crossover pulled out to make it look flatter and thicker. Way too messy for my tastes.

[thebacontree]

Again, thx for al the great replies. I like drogos hairo, there is actually a tutorial on a youtube channel callef silvousplaits. You huys could also check it out!

[thebacontree]

Oh dear, typing from a phone is not going well

[mary*rose]

Ooo she does look like she has some nice tutorials

[earth]

Someone may have mentioned it but Willie Nelson had braids and men in pre-revolution China also had them.

[TSwan]

I've seen guys that wear french pigtail braids that look INCREDIBLY manly.
Think bearded metal-head + braids
I think it's really about confidence, nobody even looked twice (except me, because some of the braids look so nice/way neater than I can ever do them)

[Bill D.]

Well, the American indians, especially the Cheyennes, certainly were manly, and wore braids! They were very proud of their hair. I never saw a braid that was unmanly.

Good points, Madora, but I wouldn't put this discussion in the past tense. American Indians are still around today and many proudly grow their hair long as part of their culture. They also tend to find it irritating when they're constantly talked about in the past tense as it they're not around anymore. It took some effort on my part to break this habit long ago but I realized it was important.

Bill D.

[Peter]

I used to do plain English braids and occasionally fishtail when I had the time to bother. I did two pigtails sometimes because lol other people's opinions, right? Looked like Sitting Bull:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/En-chief-sitting-bull.jpg/220px-En-chief-sitting-bull.jpg

[Santi]

Gor for it, thebacontree!

[Zindell]

2:38 in... just saying!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwqKYkjUQXA

[Phexlyn]

You've had plenty of suggestions already, so I'll just say that a man with braiding skills is sooo attractive!
I prefer Dutch and herringbone braids on a guy, but any braid is fine :)

[inanna]

I agree with everyone that any braid worn by a man is by definition a manly braid, no matter if it's a super intricate battle braid or a crown braid with flowers in it. That said, for some reason I find that less traditional-looking braids with a more 3D quality to them can look more butch than a standard three-strand English braid.

One of my favourites to do on my husband (when he lets me) is the four-strand box braid (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYv3l8E0iWc). It's also used for all sorts of crafty stuff, so you can find super clear instructions (http://www.seekyee.com/Slings/howtos/4strand.htm) that have been made using rope!

[Majorane]

I don't have anything to add, really, except that I find braids on a man absolutely very appropriate (and with "appropriate" I mean "sexy") and that the idea of one hairstyle being for one gender only is very, very weird in my opinion. I lurv all the cool braids the guys have in LOTR and the Hobbit and in GoT and Vikings and ...well, everywhere else. Braids for everyone!

My SO doesn't want to have long hair :wail: He just chopped everything off in an exaggerated executive cut with a pompadour, and while that is cool, I'd love to braid his hair... Oh, le sigh.

[Stormynights]

I like the leather wrapped braids that aren't really braids at all, but just leather strips looped and crossed around the hair.

[butter52]

I don't have anything to add, really, except that I find braids on a man absolutely very appropriate (and with "appropriate" I mean "sexy")

I totally agree!!:disco:

[dogzdinner]

I agree with everyone! Its not the braid behind the man...its the man behind the braid!! :D

[morrigan*]

I find her tutorials (https://sites.google.com/site/habioku/hairstyles/braiding-theory) really helpful.

[Majorane]

I agree with everyone! Its not the braid behind the man...its the man behind the braid!! :D Or the guy in front of the braid, or left of the braid, or right of the braid, or, and I hope I can say this without you all getting mad with me, the guy on top of the braid.... ahem, nudgenudge wink wink

[DreamSheep]

TorrinPaige has a youtube video on Hauser braid (two rope braids which are twisted around each other and looks like an amazing chain-link) - I'll find the link later when I'm not at work. :)

That's definitely manly - and cool!

[Ting32]

I'm from Belgium too, and I wouldn't think braids for a man to be strange. A guy on my train has one too, it's WL and so cool! He keeps it in a ponytail aften too.
When my brother had your length, he put it up in a bun (messy bun with elastic) and it was still manly (he only shaved once a week too so the short beard helped I guess).

[Crabbyco]

A man with the confidence to braid his hair=manly. We took a boat tour in Winnipeg and the Captain had a to-die-for thick side braid. My daughter and I were not thinking his braid was girly.

[swords & roses]

i've put DH's hair in a plain english braid straight down his back, no hair tie at the top. Looked great, and not feminine at all. And far more attractive than the tangled mess his usual ponytail would have become. (I've braided him at a theme park, and when we go snowboarding.) I've also seen a rather hunky man in a martial arts class with his braid put up in a tight low bun.

(Side note: I am pleasantly surprised that a google search of "men's bun" actually results in predominantly hair photos. ;) )

[Alun]

I can only do a so-called plain English braid. Anything more than that is too complicated for me! So, that determines how I braid my hair when I braid it. Generally, I only do that when I am doing something that is too messy/dangerous to do without braiding my hair, as it does keep it slightly more under control than just putting it in a ponytail. However, I have often been out places with my hair braided and have got zero comments of any kind. I only get compliments when my hair is loose, though, and not often then.

[Aeris]

I don't have anything to add, really, except that I find braids on a man absolutely very appropriate (and with "appropriate" I mean "sexy")

Agreed 100%! :D I especially like a plain English braid down the back, but I bet a fishtail would look nice on a man too.

My husband used to have long hair (before I knew him :( ) and he loved it, I wish he could grow it again - sadly his job prevents that now :( plus he is afraid I would put stuff in it all the time.

[tetisheri72]

I can only do a so-called plain English braid. Anything more than that is too complicated for me! So, that determines how I braid my hair when I braid it. Generally, I only do that when I am doing something that is too messy/dangerous to do without braiding my hair, as it does keep it slightly more under control than just putting it in a ponytail. However, I have often been out places with my hair braided and have got zero comments of any kind. I only get compliments when my hair is loose, though, and not often then.

On Youtube TorrinPaige has a couple of really good videos for learning how to French/Dutch braid, as well as some other kinds of braids.

[brickworld13]

Drogo was an excellent example of drool inducing long hair on a man. Long hair is manly if you want it to be. End of story. *faints from too many sexy photos*

[mary*rose]

Or the guy in front of the braid, or left of the braid, or right of the braid, or, and I hope I can say this without you all getting mad with me, the guy on top of the braid.... ahem, nudgenudge wink wink

I'm not offended. The first thing I do when it's fun time is braid or knot my hair. And if my SO had long hair, he'd be braiding it, too. (Unfortunately, he's cut his hair and kept it short. Even though when we started dating it was beautiful SL curls. UGH)


Drogo was an excellent example of drool inducing long hair on a man. Long hair is manly if you want it to be. End of story. *faints from too many sexy photos*

Oh gosh. You don't have to tell me.

[Chiaroscuro]

I find her tutorials (https://sites.google.com/site/habioku/hairstyles/braiding-theory) really helpful.
Thank you for the site--my brain can understand her type of presentation.
I like Torrin's cable braid if there is enough hair.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U3oHm8I-gs
Ladder braid:
http://www.princesshairstyles.com/2012/09/stripe-ponytail-braided-hairstyle.html
Finish with black leather.

[browneyedsusan]

Here in Indiana, a braid down the back would be fine. No one would think anything of it. :)