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The high and tight is a military variant of the crew cut. 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.^[1] 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".^[2]

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 1⁄16 inch (1.6 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 (1⁄4–3⁄8 in), 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 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."^[3]

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) 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 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.

Variations

Horseshoe flattop

In this version of the high and tight, the top of the head is clipped in a flattop 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 units of the U.S. Army, Marines, and Navy. The "recon" can also be cut short on the top to incorporate the look of the horseshoe flattop. ^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Wright, Stephen L. (15 July 2014). Air Force Officer's Guide. Stackpole Books. ISBN 9780811760157 – via Google Books.
^ Taylor, E. Kelly (12 November 2009). America's Army and the Language of Grunts: Understanding the Army Lingo Legacy. AuthorHouse. ISBN 9781452042435 – via Google Books.
^ Air Force Instruction 36-2903, 2014

External links

The dictionary definition of high and tight at Wiktionary

[1] Wright, Stephen L. (15 July 2014). Air Force Officer's Guide. Stackpole Books. ISBN 9780811760157 – via Google Books.

[2] Taylor, E. Kelly (12 November 2009). America's Army and the Language of Grunts: Understanding the Army Lingo Legacy. AuthorHouse. ISBN 9781452042435 – via Google Books.

[3] Air Force Instruction 36-2903, 2014

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Hairstyle}}
-{{Refimprove|date=November 2016}}
-[[File:Soldier running in water.jpg|thumb|200px|A [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]] sporting a ''high and tight'' haircut.]]
+[[File:Soldier running in water.jpg|thumb|180px|The high and tight as seen on a [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine]]]]
-The '''high and tight''' is a military variant of the [[crew cut]]. It is a very short hairstyle most commonly worn by men in the [[armed forces]] of the U.S.<ref>https://books.google.se/books?id=dLZDBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA146&dq=High+and+tight+military&hl=sv&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiy-aOzorDQAhUGCSwKHT_1BX4Q6AEIQDAF#v=onepage&q=High%20and%20tight%20military&f=false</ref> It is also popular with law enforcement officers and other public safety personnel. Although "high and tight" is a term commonly used within the military and law enforcement communities, the same haircut is sometimes referred to by civilians as a "skin fade", meaning that the back and sides are shaved to the skin and the top is blended or faded into slightly longer hair. An older name for the haircut is "whitewall".<ref>https://books.google.se/books?id=ErJzEWR5-dYC&pg=PA165&dq=High+and+tight+hair+military&hl=sv&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwju8OaTo7DQAhWIESwKHXapBugQ6AEILTAC#v=onepage&q=High%20and%20tight%20hair%20military&f=false</ref>
+The '''high and tight''' is a military variant of the [[crew cut]]. 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 [[United States Armed Forces|U.S. armed forces]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dLZDBQAAQBAJ&q=High+and+tight+military&pg=PA146|title=Air Force Officer's Guide|first=Stephen L.|last=Wright|date=15 July 2014|publisher=Stackpole Books|isbn=9780811760157|via=Google Books}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ErJzEWR5-dYC&q=High+and+tight+hair+military&pg=PA165|title=America's Army and the Language of Grunts: Understanding the Army Lingo Legacy|first=E. Kelly|last=Taylor|date=12 November 2009|publisher=AuthorHouse|isbn=9781452042435|via=Google Books}}</ref>
 ==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 {{frac|1|16}} 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 ({{frac|1|4}} to {{frac|3|8}} inch), but sometimes left long enough to comb. Sometimes the back and sides of the head are shaved completely with a razor.
+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 {{convert|1/16|in|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 {{convert|5–10|mm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}}, but sometimes left long enough to comb. The back and sides of the head are sometimes shaved completely with a razor.
-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).
+According to [[U.S. Air Force]] 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."<ref>Air Force Instruction 36-2903, 2014</ref>
 ==Usage==
-Beginning in the late 1980s, it crossed over into civilian life, being embraced first by mostly young males (see [[hi-top fade]]), then spread to like-aged men in other groups. From the 1990s and to date, the hairstyle has also been popular among Middle Eastern youth, namely those of [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]] and [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] descent.
+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]]) 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]] 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]].
 ==Variations==
-[[File:Highandtight.jpg|thumb|right|An airman with a "recon" style haircut]]
+[[File:Highandtight.jpg|thumb|right|An airman with a recon]]
-;Horseshoe flattop: In this version of the high and tight, the top of the head is clipped in a [[flattop]] 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".
+===Horseshoe flattop===
-;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]] units of the [[United States Army]], [[United States Marine Corps]], and [[United States Navy]]. The "recon" can also be cut short on the top to incorporate the look of the horseshoe flattop.
+In this version of the high and tight, the top of the head is clipped in a [[flattop]] 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]] units of the U.S. [[United States Army|Army]], [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]], and [[United States Navy|Navy]]. The "recon" can also be cut short on the top to incorporate the look of the horseshoe flattop. {{citation needed|date=July 2020}}
 ==See also==
-*[[Buzz cut]]
 *[[Butch cut]]
+*[[Buzz cut]]
 *[[Flattop]]
+*[[List of hairstyles]]
+*[[List of established military terms]]
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
+==External links==
+*{{Wiktionary-inline}}
+{{Commonscat|High and tight}}
 {{Human hair}}
@@ Line 29: / Line 42: @@
 [[Category:Hairstyles]]
 [[Category:Military life]]
+[[Category:Military slang and jargon]]
 [[Category:1990s fashion]]
 [[Category:2000s fashion]]