Shielding and divisive as they come, we’ve been seeing a resurgence of the man bang. Once adorned by the heartthrobs of yore, back when Justin Bieber was crooning “Baby” in his fetal phase of his career and the glory days of the 1D boys breaking hearts via side-sweeping shaggy cuts, one can’t deny the odd appeal of a surprise fringe.
There’s something nostalgic and instantly romantic about a man bang, when done right. What comes fresh to mind is a fresh-faced Aaron Taylor-Johnson, when he made his acting debut as Robbie in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. Brimming with youth and mischievous charm, Robbie’s scene-stealing feature had to be his sandy brown locks that took on a side-part, as a cascading fringe swept down in disarray. Or who can forget Freddie from Skins, who consistently gave tortured band member (despite the character having no musical flair) via dark wispy locks that ran down his eyes?
It seems the leading men of this zeitgeist are too, taking hair cues from yesteryear, to hopefully reignite a certain flame. Of course, given the current times, haircuts are no longer singing the same tune—and that includes man bangs. So believe us when we say, the mutton chops that Jacob Elordi sported at Berlin Film Festival 2025 isn’t quite for the faint-hearted. Elsewhere on the red carpet, there’s style chameleon Timothée Chalamet, who switched things up for the BAFTAs with a short blunt fringe that went hand in hand with his Bob Dylan-esque stache for the awards season. As short-lived as it was, that particular do did bring out a slightly edgier side to the actor’s persona.
Below, Vogue Singapore ranks the man bangs we’ve seen so far on the celebrity front.
1 / 7
Jacob Elordi: 4/10
It could be for an upcoming role, or not. No shade to the Australian actor who loves experimenting with his boyish looks, but plenty of points were lost for the mutton chops that he trialled at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival.
2 / 7
Bang Chan of Stray Kids: 7/10
At the recent Fendi men’s fall/winter 2025 show in Milan, ambassador Bang Chan showed his fashion prowess; his bangs styled wet and slightly tousled, lending the Stray Kids’ leader a definitive edge.
3 / 7
Jesse Eisenberg: 5/10
If we had to be completely honest, this feels a lot like a grooming faux pas. But in true Jesse Eisenberg fashion, these micro bangs seem extremely permissible for the A Real Pain star.
4 / 7
G-Dragon: 8/10
We’ve seen the jaw-dropping teasers of the shape-shifting G-Dragon, who’s on the precipice of a major comeback. And this particular look from Übermensch‘s concept film has to be a top favourite: dark mane, layered and perfectly disheveled.
5 / 7
Malcolm McRae: 9/10
Those who have taken notice of Anya Taylor-Joy’s husband and musician Malcolm McRae would know him for his signature curly shaggy mane. Reminiscent of every British rock band member that we’ve ever Tumblr-ed about, McRae’s iteration of it has proven that this do still holds a lasting appeal.
6 / 7
Zhou Yiran: 9/10
Chinese actor Zhou Yiran might have kept his cut relatively short and conservative but his deft styling of curtain bangs is what makes the difference. That, and plenty of volume.
7 / 7
Timothée Chalamet: 8.5/10
Timmy’s a chameleon on the red carpet, this we know for a fact. And it seems his grooming brief is heeding the same direction during this awards season—at the BAFTAs, the A Complete Unknown actor traded his longer locks for a shorter trim, matched with silky yet bluntly-layered bangs.
