Reader Question: How To Go Bald In Style?

Today, I tackle a topic near and dear to probably quite a few readers’ hearts. Or rather, their heads…

Zeke asks:

I read a few style blogs (including yours, of course) but don’t think I’ve ever seen a post with some style advice specifically directed at young bald men. I’m 28 with hardly any hair left on top, and when I see an awesome outfit on your site (or elsewhere), I often find myself saying “that looks great… but I’m bald.”

That may just sound like insecurity talking, but I guess I’m just unsure whether things like glasses, hats, facial hair, or even general style are accentuating the fact that I’m bald. So, just curious: do you think there are any guidelines out there for how a bald guy can adapt his style, or should the rules for someone like me be just the same as any other guy?

Love the blog – thanks!

Such a great question, and probably a topic I should address more often. I think a lot of guys wonder what a woman’s attitude is towards a bald or balding guy – especially one our own age. Whether it’s the first thing we notice. Whether it, mm, shall we say...impedes attraction. If it’s the first thing we tell our girlfriends when describing you. “He’s nice, but…he’s bald.”

Well, good news. It’s not, it doesn’t, and it isn’t.

Not that it’s the same situation at all, because I don’t assume I know what it must feel like to be a young guy who’s lost his hair, but us ladies get waylaid by insecurities too. All the time. If I looked at women’s fashion magazines and told myself I couldn’t pull a look off because I wasn’t as thin or tall as the model, well…I’d be spending a lot less on clothes, because I’d be walking around naked constantly.

More good news: the style rules are the same for bald guys as for anyone else. The one thing I will say (and I’m trying not to worry about coming off as superficial because for the past year and change, I talk every day on here about what you’re wearing, so I think the ship has sailed a bit on me sounding anything but superficial)…Make sure you’re fit. Honestly, and I don’t mean this to be harsh, but if you are bald and in shape, a woman will look at you and see YOU. If you are bald and chubby, or y’know, bald and fat, a woman will look at you and see “bald and fat.”

Another don’t: don’t try to distract from your glistening dome by going obnoxiously flashy in other areas.

No rhinestone studded shirts, no crushed velvet blazers, no peacock-feathered fedoras. No peacocking in general, guys. And that goes for every guy, not just the bald ones! That just means, go with what I’ve been saying all along. Dark rinse, straight leg jeans. Nice shoes instead of sneakers from time to time. Skipping sandals in general. Buying clothes that fit your frame closely – that don’t squeeze your figure, or, alternately, that hang loosely off your frame.

As for your own dome, I say: Shave it. Own it. You don’t have to buzz it totally bald necessarily, but keep it close as you feel comfortable with. Don’t hide it under hats unless that’s 1) the only way you feel comfortable and/or 2) your job allows for constant hat wearing.

Kenny Chesney, for example (above, and who might I add I find to be a ver-r-r-r-y handsome man) can get away with wearing some kind of hat over his totally bare head all the time because, well, he’s a rock star. That occupation, of course, is not quite the norm (such a tough economy these days and all, you know).

As such, it’s probably in your interest to figure out a way to come to peace with your pate because, unless you’re about to go on a stadium tour, the omnipresent ten gallon hat is probably not a viable option. Hopefully, knowing that this girl doesn’t mind helps. At least a little.

(Images: Esquire, Parade)