# Who in society decided that short "clean" haircuts are the ONLY ones that look good on men? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 1, 2015, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-society-decided-that-short-clean-haircuts-are-the-only-ones-that-look-good-on-men/726706 "2015-08-01T04:37:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-society-decided-that-short-clean-haircuts-are-the-only-ones-that-look-good-on-men/726706/81 "2015-08-08T14:00:24Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > The 60s just called…oh, never mind. I was going to say, the whole rant gave me flashbacks to the late 60’s when my brother started growing his hair out. Maybe your hair doesn’t look as good as you think it does? We need pics to be fair. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-society-decided-that-short-clean-haircuts-are-the-only-ones-that-look-good-on-men/726706/82 "2015-08-10T14:24:28Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > What does the future hold? Well, here’s [our five-year-old son](https://i.imgur.com/Qt3FqWz.jpg). If the fashion cycles again in the next ten to twenty years, he’ll be all set. [Billy Crystal]He looks mahvelous![/BC] ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-society-decided-that-short-clean-haircuts-are-the-only-ones-that-look-good-on-men/726706/83 "2015-08-11T08:56:15Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > As for the other hairy places. Please landscape those. Nope, it’s the 70’s forever down there. ---
**Author:** ![dirty\_hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@dirty\_hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirty_hippie)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-society-decided-that-short-clean-haircuts-are-the-only-ones-that-look-good-on-men/726706/84 "2015-08-12T05:04:30Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > How do you feel about cougars? 😃 > > Great hair and cool photo. Thank you, grumpy bunny! And thanks to the other posters for the compliments _giggles_ Yes, I’m a sucker for…ahem…mature women. My last major crush a few years back was for the deputy director who was in her early 50s. I liked how she carried herself professionally; there was this air of sophistication yet she had this girlish charm about her. I was so madly in luuuurve with her. When she retired I suggested we grab lunch one of these days. We had lunch a few times, but they were platonic dates, if that is the right word. Well, after one date I emailed her for another date and sort of professed my feelings for her. She gave me that “I’m flattered but we should be friends” reply. I wasn’t heartbroken though. I was glad I tried and got an answer rather than not try and wonder for all eternity the great what-if. But anyway, perhaps that should be for a separate post. Ever since then I’ve had a thing for women 40 and over. What’s this post about again? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-society-decided-that-short-clean-haircuts-are-the-only-ones-that-look-good-on-men/726706/85 "2015-08-12T05:24:45Z")
I don’t find long hair attractive at all. I like short non-messy hair. I don’t plan on having sex with any long haired guys and I doubt any will be negatively impacted by that decision. If I’m looking at dating profile pics the ones with long hair get a pass. Beyond what I look for in partners I could care less about long hair. If you work for me you can have long hair, but while you’re working it needs to be secured. Neither of us want to see your scalp pulled through a motor or caught on the piping being lowered into the well. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-society-decided-that-short-clean-haircuts-are-the-only-ones-that-look-good-on-men/726706/86 "2015-08-12T07:57:25Z")
tl;dr The current (1960-whenever) may have come from WWII. My father (b 1915 - yes, I’m old) wore his hair 4-5" long and combed (and oiled) straight back. That was common in the 1930’s. During the war, any man without a VERY obvious handicap was considered a coward or worse if he wasn’t in the military. There was a story of a man working on the design of the B-24 being given a chicken feather when shopping. If you were in the military, you had very short hair. Any man with hair longer than soldier was suspect. The lower class men in the 50’s wore a style called ‘ducktail’ - see a very young Elvis Presley. Maybe the ultra short hair made a point of saying “I’m better than those creeps”. In the TV show, the tough guy (but a nice guy) was Fonzie - who wore a ducktail (cleaned up a bit). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-in-society-decided-that-short-clean-haircuts-are-the-only-ones-that-look-good-on-men/726706.md?page=4)