High and tight - wikipedia High and tight This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( November 2016 ) A Marine sporting a high and tight haircut. 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 United States. 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 `` Walker '', meaning that the back and sides are shaved to the skin and the top is blended or faded into slightly longer hair. Contents 1 Styling 2 Usage 2.1 In Indonesia 3 Variations 4 See also 5 References 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. Sometimes the back and sides of the head are 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 ''. Usage Beginning in the late 1980s, it crossed over into civilian life, being embraced first by mostly young black males ( see hi - top fade ), then spread to other groups. From the 1990s and to date, the hairstyle has also been popular among Middle Eastern youth, namely those of Lebanese and Assyrian descent. In Indonesia The `` High and tight '' haircut is known as Cepak ( pronounced `` Cheu - pak '' ) in Indonesian worn by all military personnel in Indonesia and some police personnel, particularly those serving in paramilitary units. The national identity of an Armed Forces men in Indonesia is by having this haircut. Students of other service academies in the country also wear this haircut. Officers of general ranks rarely wear this haircut but some still manage this haircut such as Ministry of Defense Ryamizard Ryacudu. Variations An airman with a `` recon '' style haircut 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 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. See also Buzz cut Butch cut Flattop References Jump up ^ https://books.google.com/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 Jump up ^ https://books.google.com/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 Jump up ^ Air Force Instruction 36 - 2903, 2014 Human hair List of hairstyles / facial hairstyles Classification by type Lanugo Androgenic Terminal Vellus by location Nose Ear Eyebrow Eyelash Underarm Chest Abdominal Pubic Leg Human hair color Hair color Black Blond Brown ( varieties : Chestnut Auburn ) Red ( varieties : Auburn Titian ) White / Grey Hair coloring Blue rinse Grecian Formula Hair dye stripping Hair highlighting Henna Hydrogen peroxide Blue hair Other Disappearing blonde gene Fischer -- Saller scale Fischer scale Melanocortin 1 receptor Hairstyles Afro Afro puffs Asymmetric cut Bald Bangs Beehive Big hair Blowout Bob cut Bouffant Bowl cut Braid or Plait Brush cut Bun ( odango ) Bunches Burr Businessman cut Butch cut Buzz cut Caesar cut Chignon Chonmage Chupryna Comb over Conk Cornrows Crew cut Crochet braids Croydon facelift Curly hair Curtained hair Devilock Dido flip Digital perm Dreadlocks Duck 's ass Extensions Feathered hair Finger wave Flattop Fontange French braid French twist Frosted tips Hair crimping Harvard clip High and tight Hime cut Historical Christian hairstyles Hi - top fade Induction cut Ivy League Jewfro Jheri curl Kinky hair Kiss curl Layered hair Liberty spikes Long hair Lob cut Marcelling Mod cut Mohawk Mullet 1950s 1980s Pageboy Part Payot Pigtail Pixie cut Pompadour Ponytail Punch perm Princeton Professional cut Queue Quiff Rattail Razor cut Regular haircut Regular taper cut Ringlets Shag ( Shaggy hair ) Shape - Up Shimada Short back and sides Short brush cut Short hair Spiky hair Straight hair Standard haircut Surfer hair Taper cut Tonsure Updo Undercut Waves Wings Facial hair Beard Chinstrap Designer stubble Goatee Moustache Fu Manchu handlebar horseshoe pencil toothbrush walrus Shenandoah ( Chin curtain ) Sideburns Soul patch Van Dyke Hair loss Cosmetic Removal waxing threading plucking chemical electric laser IPL Shaving head leg cream brush soap Razor electric safety straight other Alopecia areata totalis universalis Male - pattern hair loss Hypertrichosis Management Trichophilia Trichotillomania Pogonophobia Haircare Products Brush Clay Clipper Comb Conditioner Dryer Gel Hot comb Iron Mousse Pomade Relaxer Rollers Shampoo Spray Wax Haircare Techniques Backcombing Crimping Curly Girl Method Hair cutting Perm Shampoo and set Straightening Documentaries My Nappy Roots : A Journey Through Black Hair - itage ( 2008 ) Good Hair ( 2009 ) Related Topics Afro - textured hair ( Kinky hair ) Bearded lady Barber ( pole ) Eponymous hairstyle Frizz Good hair ( phrase ) Hairdresser Hair fetishism ( pubic ) Hair follicle Hair growth Hypertrichosis Trichotillomania Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=High_and_tight&oldid=847356237 '' Categories : Hairstyles Military life 1990s fashion 2000s fashion 2010s fashion Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from November 2016 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Ελληνικά Русский Slovenščina Edit links This page was last edited on 24 June 2018, at 19 : 08 ( UTC ). 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Question: where did the high and tight haircut come from
Answer: the armed forces of the United States