If your hair is curly - or at least wavy - you might be tempted to grow it a little longer in order to give it weight and versatility. If you've got it to a mid-length, then it just comes down to knowing how to style it. Here's one take.
Men’s hairstyles
While the list of haircuts and hairstyles above is dedicated to leading men’s hair trends, they’re not the only ones setting the tone. As always with men’s hairstyles, there are variations on themes and altogether different looks that, while mainstream, aren’t fresh, or which specifically appeal to men with a particular taste. We sat down with Melbourne hair stylist
Annika to put together all the how to and styling information that you’ll need for each of the hairstyles. This is them:
Short waves / short curls
Over the past few seasons we may have been slowly introduced to a completely fresh decade, but its real exploration it’s only about to begin. If the last decade was all about buzz terms prefixed by man and metro (think manscaping and metrosexual), now we are all about exploring the masculine edge. Sure it’s refined, but there have been only a few periods in recent history where true masculinity didn’t come with a polished edge. Thus we leave behind a time when men and boy bands alike head to a hairstylist for the latest fandangled chemical straightening techniques and instead, for those of them with curly hair, the option of keeping things au naturel is making itself known. Natural, but never less stylish.
And natural is, effectively, where the short and curly hairstyle currently sits. Entangled, interlocked, and messy, it’s a hairstyle that not only connotes a relaxed lifestyle but it is relaxed itself.
Of course, the nature of curls is that they come in all degrees of severity, some tight and compact, others softer but no less prone to doing whatever the hell they like no matter how much product you seem to put in your hair. The dominant men’s curly hairstyle is based upon a look that captures some of what the
quiffhas to offer, but with far less height and with little effort pointed towards relaxing or straightening the curls.
Wavy hair with short sides on the Dolce & Gabbana men’s spring 2012 catwalk
Who it is for
- A natural hairstyle for those naturally curly, or at least those with a head of seriously wavy hair. Don’t try and fake curls – this is a hairstyle that will work with natural, curly hair only.
How it’ll be cut
- Like most of the ongoing men’s hair trends, the hair will be cut shorter on the sides and longer on the top. The length will all come down to what suits you best, however.
- If you have tight curls and you are pursuing something that is easy to manage, ask your hairdresser to use clipper 1 and chop off your curls really close to the scalp. This would be easier to manage.
- Other option is to preserve the length, as this would give each hair strand its curly bend.
How to style it
- Styling is of the essence here. Curly hair is most prone to frizzy ends, especially during the summer months. To prevent this, apply a curl controller cream to wet hair and run your fingers through it.
- While other hairstyles make great use of it, stay away from hardening gels with this particular hairstyle as they’ll solidify and make the curls look brittle.
Short curls hairstyle with short sides on the Dolce & Gabbana men’s spring 2012 catwalk
Slicked hair with a side part
The slicked back undercut isn’t the only evolving men’s hairstyle that is built upon the revival of a classic haircut. Nor is it the only hairstyle that requires a sumptuous amount of product to achieve its slick look.
Straight hair, slicked to the side with a defined parting but no volume at Iceberg fall 2013
The men’s slicked hairstyle with side part enjoyed its major revival back in 2009 when Mad Men first impacted upon the global psyche. Courtesy of the man’s man connotations that Don Draper gave the style, it soon became the go-to hairstyle of many a man, the likes of actor George Clooney included. But where it was once for the older, stylish gent, the side parted, slicked hairstyle has morphed into a look for the young as well. As such, it was quickly approached by many designers for the styling of their catwalks. You won’t be hard pressed to find it worn, somewhat knowingly, by style conscious chaps on the streets.
The same men’s hairstyle from a front-on angle
Who it is for
- This is a hairstyle ideal for men with relatively straight hair as the hair is more likely to sit flat on the head complementing the hairstyle’s ‘slick’ shape.
- Those with curly hair can straighten or give it a straight blow-dry before commencing styling.
- If you have a receding hairline or fine hair and are self conscious of either, then discuss this with your hairdresser before getting your hair cut. This is a hairstyle that can highlight areas where men recede – though that’s not a problem for everyone.
How it’ll be cut
- This style is all about the cut. If it’s not cut so that it can be styled neat and tidy, the classic overtones of the hairstyle will fade away.
- The thumb-rule to this look is having a clean side part, with shorter sides and relatively longer hair towards the center.
- Your hairdresser must cut the fine hair around the ears, above the neck and around the hairline. There’s no scope for casual untidiness. When you’re checking your haircut before paying, double check these areas – they must be cleanly cut.
- A razor can be used to trim the hair at the base of your head for an even more refined and tailored look.
- Book a follow-up appointment with the hairdresser, six-weeks after the first cut.
- If you have straight hair: stick to a longer cut on top.
- If you have wavy hair: opt for a short length of hair on top, perhaps a few inches in length depending on the strength of your wave.
How to style it
- Keep the parting straight.
- For a wet slicked look: apply hair gel before parting the hair and then work the product with a comb all through the hair strands.
- For a natural matte finish look: Part the hair first, spray some hairspray on a brush and gently comb through the top layers of the hair. This will resist flyaway strands.
- If you’re after the classic finish to the look popular in both the 1930s and again courtesy of Mad Men, then your product of choice will be Brylcreem.
A wavy version of the side part with more volume and elements of the quiff.
Curly mop top
Not tight enough to be an
afro and with the
mop top being a hairstyle more akin to evoke the Brit-rock rather than anything else, it’s hard to give this hairstyle a name that connotes exactly what it is. So, despite the naff sound to it, please forgive us: we’re labeling the evolution of this particular men’s hair trend as the
curly mop top.
Long, curly hairstyle from Umit Benan’s spring / summer 2012 look book
This is the curly kind of hairstyle that you’d wear to an indie gig or to a Bohemian festival. Scrap that. This is the curly hairstyle that you’d wear with bucket loads of confidence. But it’s not just confidence that’s required, but also the ability to style what is known as one of the trickiest hairstyles. The challenge here is to maintain the out-of-control curls, so it doesn’t look like you’ve just spent 18-months on a deserted island. Nailing the 1970s revival vibe, Gucci perfected the look choosing to concentrate on the front and present the hairstyle with both short and long curly hair.
Who is it for
- This curly men’s hairstyle works best for those with natural curls and plenty of length. As with all curly hair styles, we don’t recommend that anyone endures a treatment just to make their hair curly.
How it’ll be cut
- When at the hairdresser, ask for a blunt cut without compromising the length; you’re aiming to get a clear shape. It works better if the cut is uniformed and hair has the same length all throughout.
How to style it
- Before styling, ensure your hair is clean. An oily scalp won’t give you perfect results.
- Use a curl cream or sea salt spray to create texture in the hair. But remember to always apply these before running a hair dryer through the hair.
- Attach a diffuser to the hairdryer for best results. It won’t distort the curls.
- Once hair is dry, use a product that sticks on without ruining the texture or becoming too greasy. We recommend fibre wax, as that has a spiderweb like texture. Massage the product in the hair, concentrating in the scalp area.
- For additional curls, invest in a small curling iron. Or go the natural way and twist the hair around your fingers. Do the latter when hair is semi-wet.
Men’s haircuts
You’ll find that our list of men’s haircut trends is rather short, and within good reason as the men’s looks that have emerged so far have less to do with a particular cut, and far more to do with the way the hair is styled. If anything, we are experiencing a time when one particular men’s haircut can be styled in a number of different ways, most inline with the hairstyles we’ve focused on above. For men, this period is defined by the versatility of the haircut.
The undercut
If you have already gone over the in depth list of men’s hair trends above, the fact that the undercut is constantly perceived as a ruling haircut will come as no surprise. That look in particular though is a
slicked back undercut that relies just as much on its styling, as it does on its cut. But because the styling is so distinct, other interpretations of the undercut began flourishing.
In fact, as a men’s haircut, the undercut still sits as one of the most fashionable and versatile options, one capable of working with most of the hairstyles we’ve noted above. Take the Brit-rock
indie hairstyleas an example – given that it is swept from the side, makes it easy easy to work the hairstyle in with an undercut, keeping the sides short and the long hair on top swept over and forwards.
That’s not the only option of course. Take this style for instance, which marries an undercut with a side swept
quiff. The beauty of this style lies in its irony, as it’s about boasting the uncut parts of your hair whilst making it look like it’s a damn fine cut.
An undercut, largely styled without product, from AMI by Alexandre Matiussi spring 2012 men’s collection.
Who it is for
- Any man with straight or wavy hair capable of growing the top long.
- It’s also a great hairstyle to conceal a receding hairline, but make sure there’s enough thickness to support the quiff.
- This style is not for those who hate hair falling on their forehead or moving at all.
How it’ll be cut
- It’s all about the lengths – keep the sides short and your hair on top long.
- Ask your hairdresser to create a disconnection between the hair around the crown and top with the rest of the head. This can only be achieved with a hair cut at the salon.
- The sides and back can be cut with a clipper guard (number 2 or 3 work the best) or by using the scissor over comb technique for a tailored finish.
How to style it
- The undercut works with most man’s hair types, be it straight, wavy or curly. If you have particularly thick hair, thin it down by styling with mousse.
Shoulder length haircut
Grecian God inspired or not, the shoulder length hair is never truly out of style, but it’s not always in either. The question for when it is in, is always answered by the type of man who sports the look. Is it the popular kick-back Indie kid, the guy whose life revolves around catching the next wave or an altogether different kind of man? The long, shoulder length men’s haircut is complemented by both a smart and a sleek finish.
Straight and smooth, shoulder length hair.
You’ll note that there’s a big difference between long men’s hair as a surfer would wear it and as a guy would wear it into the office. While we’re under no illusion that you’re going to start seeing shoulder length haircuts around the boardroom table of the world’s stiffest financial institutions, it is a haircut that again has an office-edge. It just happens that it’s an office filled with creatives instead of bankers and accountants. Zegna took the lead with a sharp and somewhat conservative take on shoulder length hair.
From Zegna’s spring / summer 2012 showing.
Of course, just because it’s a haircut that is again the domain of the well heeled, doesn’t mean that it has lost its relevancy to those with a more relaxed attitude to life. Adding some deliberate grunginess or tousle creates a
textured long hairstyle for men that can work across different occasions and levels of casualness.
From Pistols At Dawn, Kimono collection 2013 campaign
Falke showed off another example of just how this particular interpretation can work with long, wavy red hair and matching beard.
A casual version of long men’s hair for 2012, from Falke.
Who is it for
- Any man with long straight hair or manageable waves, not running counter to turning the heads of the sex they’re hoping to attract.
How it’ll be cut
- Ask your hairdresser to remove just the right amount of weight from the hair – you want it to sit and hang in a way that suits you, and a lot of this comes down to the weight.
- Particularly with long, straight hair layering the hair is an option, but do not forget that a layered take on this haircut will require frequent follow-up appointments.
- If layering, stay with longer layers that end at the shoulders. Don’t take the overall length of your hair too short as that will detract from the overall impact of the styling.
- Maintain one length for the hair; create one solid line that ends just where the collar starts. If any longer, it’ll be hard to manage.
How to style it
- When styling this look, create texture with a sea salt spray and a smoothing cream to eliminate frizz.
- If you have long, fine hair and don’t have time to properly style it, wear it back in a ponytail.
- The styling for this cut works best if the hair is one-day old, as scalp’s natural oils assist in the creating of texture.
