Current hairstyles for men: Long on top, sides cut short

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Q. What is your take on matching a certain hair- style to what a man wears? When I part my hair on the right, I would wear a tuxedo or a suit. Parting my hair on the left would call for a sports coat or business casual wear. No parting of the hair (combed straight in the middle of the head), I would wear Western wear or extremely casual clothes.

A. It is always interesting to see that even after writing my book and this column for so long, I can still be surprised by a question.

Certainly, there's no doubt that a good haircut from a knowledgeable stylist (or barber) can make a tremendous difference in a person's looks. Because women have known this for years, they are often willing to spend outrageous amounts on their haircuts and styling. Men, on the other hand, are only recently realizing what a huge difference a good stylist can make.

With the help of several such stylists, I will try to give you an answer.

First of all, let me say how lucky you are to be able to make those choices. Most men might have difficulty switching their part from one side to another, because hair that has constantly been parted on one side tends to get used to being styled that way. And, of course, the bane of so many men's existence is that they do not have enough hair to allow for much flexibility.

The one point about men's haircuts that all the world agrees on is that nothing is more unappealing than a comb-over style, one that attempts to hide a receding hairline or a balding head. Fortunately, that does not seem to be a problem for you.

Time was when men had one look and stayed with it. During recent years, parting the hair at all (no matter on which side) has been less popular. But men's hair-styles do change from time to time. Now, the side part is enjoying a renaissance; it is the look of the moment. If you check out photographs of such style icons as David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ryan Gosling, you will see a return to the Mad Men style: the neat, almost tidy look of a side part that is not too defined, with the hair swept to the opposite side and the loose hair brushed back behind the ears (perhaps using a bit of product, such as gel and even a very little hair spray).

Because men are wearing their hair so much longer on the top, it almost becomes necessary to use some product. The look is somewhat casual; usually guys don't want to look too neat or too tidy. A quick-and-easy fix is just to part it and let it do its own thing.

The stylists I spoke with told me that the newest, most popular haircut is short on the sides and in the back and long on the top. They also told me that the one person whose haircut they are most often asked to copy is Justin Timberlake.

One style now is to have the hair combed straight back. The smoother the hair, the dressier. But they tell me that these days style-aware men are doing as you say -- that is, matching the way their hair is styled to the way they are dressed. If it is very short on the sides and the back and long on top, then a side part makes the hair dressy, and going without a part makes it more casual.

Every person has a side where the hair lies down more; so if parting it on one side gives a little bit of a pompadour, that would work for a dressier, black-tie effect. The more it lies down, the more conservative -- a going-to-work look.

Everything has to be balanced.

I do have some advice about getting a haircut. Just as you make it clear to the salesman and the tailor in the clothing store that you are in charge of your appearance, so you will want to have a similar relationship with your "hair person." Once a month or so you are putting a key aspect of your appearance in his hands. He is skilled in his trade, and you value his advice, but you must make the decisions, and your haircut should proceed unhurriedly to exactly the finish you have described.

Once you have arrived at the style that's best for you, and you know that this person is capable of achieving it, stay with him. "Just like last time" is what you say, and a reminder of last time's special points: "not close over here, a little bit longer here and here, and don't touch the top." You're in his hands, but you're watching carefully in the mirror. And in his hand, when he has done that perfect job, goes a tip generous enough -- about 20 percent -- to guarantee he will remember you next month.

The truth is, I am a longtime proponent of dressing in a way that makes you feel your most comfortable. Something must have compelled you to make these hair decisions for yourself and, obviously, they work for you. How we dress and how we make our grooming decisions are personal choices that help us project our own individual style.

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High Profile on 07/13/2014