The high and tight is a military variant of the

crew cut A crew cut is a type of haircut in which the upright hair on the top of the head is cut relatively short, graduated in length from the longest hair that forms a short pomp ( pompadour) at the front hairline to the shortest at the back of the crow ...

. It is a very short hairstyle, characterized by the back and sides of the head being shaved to the skin and the option for the top to be blended or faded into slightly longer hair. It is most commonly worn by men in the U.S. armed forces. It is also popular with law enforcement officers and other public safety personnel. Although "high and tight" is the primary term used in military and law enforcement, the same haircut is sometimes referred to by civilians as a "walker".

Styling

While many variations of the style exist, the one common feature is that all of the hair on the sides and back of the head is clipped very close, usually inch (1.5 mm) or shorter, up to a point above the temples (referring to the "high" part of its name). A sharp line delineates the boundary between the close-cut sides and back and the longer top portion (referring to the "tight" part of its name). The crown of the head is spared the closest shaving to safely accommodate the weight of a combat helmet. The length of the top portion may vary, usually being 5–10 mm ( to inch), but sometimes left long enough to comb. The back and sides of the head are sometimes shaved completely with a razor. According to

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

instructions, U.S. military haircuts must have: "A tapered appearance on both sides and the back of the head, both with and without headgear. A tapered appearance is one that when viewed from any angle outlines the member's hair so that it conforms to the shape of the head, curving inward to the natural termination point without eccentric directional flow, twists or spiking."Air Force Instruction 36-2903, 2014

Usage

Beginning in the late 1980s, the high and tight crossed over into civilian life, being embraced first by mostly young black males (see

hi-top fade Hi-top fade is a haircut where hair on the sides is cut off or kept very short while hair on the top of the head is grown long. The hi-top was a trend symbolising the golden age of hip hop and urban contemporary music during the 1980s and the ea ...

) before spreading to other groups. From the 1990s to the present day, the hairstyle has also been popular among Syrian, Egyptian and Moroccan youths. In Indonesia, the high and tight is known as ''Cepak'' (pronounced "Cheu-pak") and is worn by all military and some police personnel, particularly those serving in paramilitary units. The national identity of a male

Indonesian Armed Forces , founded = as the ('People's Security Forces') , current_form = , disbanded = , branches = , headquarters = Cilangkap, Jakarta , website = , commander-in-chief = Joko Widodo , ...

member is indicated by this haircut; it is also worn by students of other service academies in the country. Officers of general rank rarely wear the high and tight, with a notable exception being Minister of Defense

Ryamizard Ryacudu General Ryamizard Ryacudu (born 21 April 1950) is an Indonesian politician who served as the Minister of Defense of Indonesia from 2014 until 2019. He previously served as Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army The Chief of Staff of the Indo ...

Variations

Horseshoe flattop

In this version of the high and tight, the top of the head is clipped in a

flattop A flattop is a type of haircut where the hair on the top of the head is cut and styled upright to form a flat profile when viewed from the front or side. Styling In the most classic and mainstream style of flattop for men and boys, the hair ...

style, with the hair short enough that the scalp is plainly visible along the centerline of the anteroposterior axis of the head. This creates the distinctive appearance of seemingly having a horseshoe-shaped hairstyle. The exposed scalp is sometimes referred to as a "landing strip".

Recon

This version has higher boundaries, with the only hair present starting well above the crown of the head. The name is a reference to the haircut's association with

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

units of the U.S.

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

, and

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

. The "recon" can also be cut short on the top to incorporate the look of the horseshoe flattop.

References

External links

* {{Human hair Hairstyles Military life 1990s fashion 2000s fashion 2010s fashion