- Hairstyles for men
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Staying in good shape is not as easy as it seems. From perfecting your tie knots to keeping your toenails from growing out, the official list of requirements for looking good seems to be growing by the day.
You can make the task of always looking mysterious easier with four simple words: short, back, and sides. Like a perfectly tailored suit (only less expensive), choosing this king of cuts is your quickest way to looking good without even trying. You save time and can hit the snooze button a few more times in the morning: you don’t need us to tell you it’s a winner.
However, not all short back and sides hairstyles are created equal. Here are the basic men’s hairstyles to consider if you want to look smarter.
French crops
The French crop requires minimal maintenance, is a fuss-free cut and is still flexible enough to be adjusted to taste. “French cuts are basically a short haircut, not quite military-inspired but very narrow at the sides, and generally the hair is put forward on top as a short fringe,” says Charlie Cullen, international artistic director at British hairdressing brand Toni & Guy. “Styling this cut can be simple because the hair is short and swept forward and is not fussy.”
Ask your hairdresser or barber to cut the hair very short in the back and sides, leaving the hair on top a little longer (a few inches at most). The “crop” part of this style’s name comes from the cropped, textured top.
As for the front hairline, you can either ask to cut the ends of your hair short and neat or keep some length to style it forward across the forehead.
Classically, this men’s French crop suits men of any age and any face shape, provided your hairdresser or barber makes minor adjustments to suit it. Round faces, for example, will benefit from particularly short, sharp sides and lots of texture in the top section to add some height; Meanwhile, longer faces are best framed with longer sides (to add width) and a slightly flatter top section.
How to style
For French styling, always remember to apply the product to wet or dry hair. “I recommend using a matte paste for a natural, dry texture, so it shows texture without going overboard with heavy products,” says Colleen.
However, for a shinier, shinier finish, use a pomade or styling cream that is rubbed with your fingers randomly through your hair.
The Coif
It is an innately natural look, which almost every man has experienced at least once in his life, and its beauty lies in the fact that it can be worn as subtle or extreme as you want. Any noteworthy hairstylist or barber will know that it’s all about length and volume in the front, so striking balance is key when it comes to this cut.
“Ask for enough length in the front so you can wear it and style it away from the face,” says Colleen. “If it’s too long it will flop. In general, a strand works best when it doesn’t have too much texture — and when it has too much texture it doesn’t look elegant or classic.”
If you particularly tape the back and sides while leaving a lot of length at the top, your locks will look more dramatic due to the extreme contrast – so have a clear idea in mind of how you want your locks to look before your hairdresser or barber starts cutting. The crown area of your hair should also be cut shorter to allow for a testicle shape to appear.
How to style
Unlike short, preppy, slicked-back and side-swept hairstyles, the quiff likes to be in place and stay there: you’ll need a little skill and a lot of precision to style it well.
“To style a quiff, apply a thick tonic to wet hair, then use a small fanning brush to stretch out the roots of your hair while using heat from a hair dryer to create volume and roundness at the ends,” says Colleen. “To avoid going too old-fashioned and Elvis-esque, undo the style afterwards a bit by running some soft wax through it.”
Airtight and retractable
If you’re more bed-headed than carefully sculpted Lego hair, a low, “undone” hairstyle is probably your best bet.
“The short back and sides cut you should choose depends on the thickness of your hair,” says Colleen. “If it’s going well, don’t cut it short with a fade on the back and sides as it will expose your scalp. Ask for the top to be a tapered cut or cut with a razor to create a more tousled, tough texture – think ’90s Brad Pitt classics.”
With its relaxed construction, the undone style frames most face shapes well. However, to ensure that your hair looks its best, whoever is cutting your hair must maintain the right balance between the length of the hair on top and the length of the hair at the back and sides to keep your cup unhappily balanced.
How to style
You can also iron out any natural quirks in the header using =design. If you want to add length to your head, give it some height by applying a volumizing product to the roots first.
But, if you’re into that, get up and get on with life, fortunately you can do practically nothing with your design and it will still look decent in the end. “Apply a sea salt spray to your hair, run your hair through your hands, then let it dry naturally or use a hair dryer,” says Colleen. Bish, bash, bush.
Modern Fox Hawk
A kind of subtle understatement, the faux hawk falls somewhere between the ease of a French crop and the signature style of a pompadour. “It’s a bit like the Mohican but more modern – think former manager Zayn Malik for inspiration,” Colin says.
Whether you choose to make the back and sides very short to emphasize your faux look, or keep it a little longer for a more balanced model, it’s essential to leave the front section—the focal point of this look—longer than the rest, but within reason. “Although the haircut has to be left longer in the middle to qualify as a faux hawk, you only need a few inches of length, so it’s not [much like] “David Beckham’s extreme mohawk from the 2000s,” says Colin.
How to style
When it comes to design, the FaxHawk is surprisingly versatile; Keep the front neat and tidy for a smarter, work-appropriate look or go more messy if you don’t like (or need) to look too put together.
“It’s quite a textured haircut that needs styling to keep the center looking its best. I’ll use a detangler or texture paste to style the hair messily toward the center without making it look uniform or ‘sticky’ in appearance.”
Side parting
Sleek and elegant, the side parting is the undisputed father of smart hairstyles, but it takes some preparation to make sure your style is in place.
Before cutting your hair for a side part, take time to determine the direction of your hair so you can cooperate with Mother Nature. “Look at your natural growth pattern at the front of your hairline – it’s better to work with the hair than against it, so look at the direction your hair naturally pushes towards and cut and style your hair accordingly,” advises Coleen. “Ask for a slightly longer length in the fringes, but it shouldn’t be too short on the sides, as few mistakes come too close to literally mimicking the Peaky Blinders style.”
It’s a good idea to discuss with your barber or hairdresser how prominent you want your hair parting to be as well, as this will affect how your hair is cut. By having them narrow your back and sides tightly, your side parting will look more noticeable. And if you want your parting to be the focal point on the short, back and sides, ask for a strong parting to be shaved.
How to style
The way you should style your parting depends on your face shape. If you have a round face, try to avoid creating a too sleek or flat parting as its clean lines will look contrasting with your face. Instead, use a hair dryer and blow-dry a portion of your hair.
When it comes to choosing a product, comb on something like wax for a glossy, red-carpet-worthy finish, says Colleen. Alternatively, if you’re not a fan of a wet look, a less shine setting paste will look chic without looking sleek or overly greasy.
5 classic ways to wear shorts from the back and sides
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We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services offered appear in no particular order. If you click on the links we provide, we may receive compensation.
Staying in good shape is not as easy as it seems. From perfecting your tie knots to keeping your toenails from growing out, the official list of requirements for looking good seems to be growing by the day.
You can make the task of always looking mysterious easier with four simple words: short, back, and sides. Like a perfectly tailored suit (only less expensive), choosing this king of cuts is your quickest way to looking good without even trying. You save time and can hit the snooze button a few more times in the morning: you don’t need us to tell you it’s a winner.
However, not all short back and sides hairstyles are created equal. Here are the basic men’s hairstyles to consider if you want to look smarter.
French crops
The French crop requires minimal maintenance, is a fuss-free cut and is still flexible enough to be adjusted to taste. “French cuts are basically a short haircut, not quite military-inspired but very narrow at the sides, and generally the hair is put forward on top as a short fringe,” says Charlie Cullen, international artistic director at British hairdressing brand Toni & Guy. “Styling this cut can be simple because the hair is short and swept forward and is not fussy.”
Ask your hairdresser or barber to cut the hair very short back and sides, leaving the hair on top a little longer (a few inches at most). The “crop” part of this style’s name comes from the cropped, textured top.
As for the front hairline, you can either ask to cut the ends of your hair short and neat or keep some length to style it forward across the forehead.
Classically, this men’s French crop suits men of any age and any face shape, provided your hairdresser or barber makes minor adjustments to suit it. Round faces, for example, will benefit from particularly short, sharp sides and lots of texture in the top section to add some height; Meanwhile, longer faces are best framed with longer sides (to add width) and a slightly flatter top section.
How to style
For French styling, always remember to apply the product to wet or dry hair. “I recommend using a matte paste for a natural, dry texture, so it shows texture without going overboard with heavy products,” says Colleen.
However, for a shinier, shinier finish, use a pomade or styling cream that is rubbed with your fingers randomly through your hair.
The Coif
It is an innately natural look, which almost every man has experienced at least once in his life, and its beauty lies in the fact that it can be worn as subtle or extreme as you want. Any noteworthy hairstylist or barber will know that it’s all about length and volume in the front, so striking balance is key when it comes to this cut.
“Ask for enough length in the front so you can wear it and style it away from the face,” says Colleen. “If it’s too long it will flop. In general, a strand works best when it doesn’t have too much texture — and when it has too much texture it doesn’t look elegant or classic.”
If you particularly tape the back and sides while leaving a lot of length at the top, your locks will look more dramatic due to the extreme contrast – so have a clear idea in mind of how you want your locks to look before your hairdresser or barber starts cutting. The crown area of your hair should also be cut shorter to allow for a testicle shape to appear.
How to style
Unlike short, preppy, slicked-back and side-swept hairstyles, the quiff likes to be in place and stay there: you’ll need a little skill and a lot of precision to style it well.
“To style a quiff, apply a thick tonic to wet hair, then use a small fanning brush to stretch out the roots of your hair while using heat from a hair dryer to create volume and roundness at the ends,” says Colleen. “To avoid going too old-fashioned and Elvis-esque, undo the style afterwards a bit by running some soft wax through it.”
Airtight and retractable
If you’re more bed-headed than carefully sculpted Lego hair, a low, “undone” hairstyle is probably your best bet.
“The short back and sides cut you should choose depends on the thickness of your hair,” says Colleen. “If it’s going well, don’t cut it short with a fade on the back and sides as it will expose your scalp. Ask for the top to be a tapered cut or cut with a razor to create a more tousled, tough texture – think ’90s Brad Pitt classics.”
With its relaxed construction, the undone style frames most face shapes well. However, to ensure that your hair looks its best, whoever is cutting your hair must maintain the right balance between the length of the hair on top and the length of the hair at the back and sides to keep your cup unhappily balanced.
How to style
You can also iron out any natural quirks in the header using =design. If you want to add length to your head, give it some height by applying a volumizing product to the roots first.
But, if you’re into that, get up and get on with life, fortunately you can do practically nothing with your design and it will still look decent in the end. “Apply a sea salt spray to your hair, run your hair through your hands, then let it dry naturally or use a hair dryer,” says Colleen. Bish, bash, bush.
Modern Fox Hawk
A kind of subtle understatement, the faux hawk falls somewhere between the ease of a French crop and the signature style of a pompadour. “It’s a bit like the Mohican but more modern – think former manager Zayn Malik for inspiration,” Colin says.
Whether you choose to make the back and sides very short to emphasize your faux look, or keep it a little longer for a more balanced model, it’s essential to leave the front section—the focal point of this look—longer than the rest, but within reason. “Although the haircut has to be left longer in the middle to qualify as a faux hawk, you only need a few inches of length, so it’s not [much like] “David Beckham’s extreme mohawk from the 2000s,” says Colin.
How to style
When it comes to design, the FaxHawk is surprisingly versatile; Keep the front neat and tidy for a smarter, work-appropriate look or go more messy if you don’t like (or need) to look too put together.
“It’s quite a textured haircut that needs styling to keep the center looking its best. I’ll use a detangler or texture paste to style the hair messily toward the center without making it look uniform or ‘sticky’ in appearance.”
Side parting
Sleek and elegant, the side parting is the undisputed father of smart hairstyles, but it takes some preparation to make sure your style is in place.
Before cutting your hair for a side part, take time to determine the direction of your hair so you can cooperate with Mother Nature. “Look at your natural growth pattern at the front of your hairline – it’s better to work with the hair than against it, so look at the direction your hair naturally pushes towards and cut and style your hair accordingly,” advises Coleen. “Ask for a slightly longer length in the fringes, but it shouldn’t be too short on the sides, as few mistakes come too close to literally mimicking the Peaky Blinders style.”
It’s a good idea to discuss with your barber or hairdresser how prominent you want your hair parting to be as well, as this will affect how your hair is cut. By having them narrow your back and sides tightly, your side parting will look more noticeable. And if you want your parting to be the focal point on the short, back and sides, ask for a strong parting to be shaved.
How to style
The way you should style your parting depends on your face shape. If you have a round face, try to avoid creating a too sleek or flat parting as its clean lines will look contrasting with your face. Instead, use a hair dryer and blow-dry a portion of your hair.
When it comes to choosing a product, comb on something like wax for a glossy, red-carpet-worthy finish, says Colleen. Alternatively, if you’re not a fan of a wet look, a less shine setting paste will look chic without looking sleek or overly greasy.
