These Are North Koreas 28 State-Approved Hairstyles

It looks a lot of this year’s male Oscar winners wouldn’t survive the Communist state of North Korea without a haircut.

The Telegraph reports that the world’s favorite hermit state is implementing state-sanctioned haircuts for men and women. Women are allowed to choose one of 14 styles; married women are instructed to keep their tresses short, while the single ladies are allowed let loose with longer, curlier locks. (We’re partial to no. 6 on the ladies’ list, which pays homage to the fabulous feathering that dominated so much of 1980s.)

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Men are prohibited from growing their hair longer than 5 cm — less than 2 inches — while older men can get away with up to 7 cm (3 inches).
Oddly enough, the list falls short of including its young leader Kim Jong Un’s current look — a variation on the high-and-tight that may be too much of a power ‘do for North Korea’s non-elite.

David Guttenfelder / AP

Photos showing example hair styles hang inside a barber shop in Pyongyang, North Korea on Feb. 20, 2013.

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But hair conformity is nothing new in North Korea. The Daily Mail reports that in 2005 state TV aired a five part series on haircut guidelines for today’s modern socialist lifestyle, and it seems the concept is reemerging under North Korea’s new leader. There are a couple theories as to why this mandate is in place, including that Kim is not a fan of previous styles. Perhaps he just wants to avoid having to grow a pompadour like his father’s.

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