Fashion. Not the most important thing to a kid. Sure, I demanded to wear my Superman pajamas out in public (it had a cape, none of my other clothes had a cape) but other than that, my appearance was limited to what my mother deemed fitting (I now realize she dressed me way too long after it was seemingly appropriate to do so). Then, like noticing girls or realizing that Police Academy isn’t the funniest movie of all time, a flip was switched in my brain and I became… self-aware.

First it was the shoes; Air Jordans or Reebok Pumps. Then the pants, acid wash jeans or Zubaz only, but above all else it was the haircut: the magnificent, rounded, shaved on the side mushroom cut. No longer was my haircut limited to a few snips of the scissor and a lollipop to go, no, my barber needed clippers. How very adult. It wasn’t just a simple trim, my haircut had a name.

2 out of 3 have mushrooms and JTT got pumps!

The mushroom cut was a sign of cool-kid culture. Rider Strong, the late Jonathan Brandis, Tomtom from 3 Ninjas, and even 90’s preteen fashion icon Jonathan Taylor Thomas had rocked the same hair style once only reserved for the likes of Moe from the 3 Stooges. Somewhere in the mid to late 90s, the haircut evolved into the “long and parted in the middle / overgrown mushroom” before finally disappearing all together. Of course, like my mom dressing me and my Superman pajamas, I waited just a little too long to move on.

Zachary circa 1990

Zachary: Jordan, does this count as a mushroom cut?
Jordan: I would accept it, though I would say it’s a precursor to the mushroom.
Zachary: Yeah, it’s more of a “My Buddy“ hairstyle.