The Clear and Concise Guide to Men’s Haircuts

Who’s worn it well? Majid Al Maskati

The defining feature of a caesar cut is the horizontal bang across your hairline. The hair on the sides can be short but ideally not faded. In that case, the cut would be called a French crop. The caesar’s a simple, stylish option for men with strong features — and no aversion to fringe. Between a four and a six works on the sides, while the top can be as high as an 8 — but there must be bangs.

The easy way to ask for it: “Five all over with caesar-style bangs on the front.”

Who’s worn it well? Christian Pulisic

The undercut, though oftentimes slicked back, is represented by short, faded sides and a long, disconnected top. The two are blended together but the contrast between them is drastic. See: Brad Pitt in Fury, Christian Pulisic on the pitch.

The easy way to ask for it: “An undercut. Skin into a one on the sides and scissor cut up top.”

Who’s worn it well? Rhuigi Villasenor

The crop references both the caesar and a fade by mixing short sides with a blunt, front-brushed fringe. Rhuigi Villasenor, seen at Paris Fashion Week, has a medium fade that forms a sort of fauhawk shape — except his hairs worn longer and with more volume.

The easy way to ask for it: “A three fade on the sides and a brushed-forward crop on top.”

Who’s worn it well? Jason Sudeikis

The cornerstone of a side part haircut is a difference between lengths on top and on the sides. But, you don’t have to buzz either. A scissor taper cut can achieve a similar polish without exposing skin. Then, when you style, you’re combing or pulling hair in either direction at your part.

The easy way to ask for it: “A taper scissor cut with a side part.”

Who’s worn it well? Colin Jost

The quiff’s another classic, versatile haircut you can adapt to your liking. It’s defined as a close shave on the sides — say #1, 2 or 3 — and roughly three inches on top. It’s brushed forward and then tamed with product. The only prerequisite is hair that’s longer than three inches heading into your appointment.

The easy way to ask for it: “A three on the sides and scissor cut on top to around three inches.”

Who’s worn it well? Hasan Minhaj

The pompadour is the graduated quiff. It can be faded on the sides, marked by a close shaved into a mid-level fade or tapered with scissors. It’s typically sharp, too, as it’s often finished by lining up your hairline and defining your hair’s arches where they lead into your sideburns. The hair on top is often longer, more so in the front and shorter as you follow it back. Clarify your intention with the cut, though, as there’s certain skill required in cutting different parts at different lengths so it lays right.

The easy way to ask for it: “I’ll take a pompadour — with a #2 fade on the sides into a scissor cut on top.”

Who’s worn it well? Steven Yeun

The sides of a swept back haircut are shorter but neither faded nor shaved. Versatile and very cool, it’s kept tight along the ears, while the hair on top is longer so it arches and waves backward, whichever direction you wear it. There’s a soft part, as seen on Steven Yeun, but it isn’t as drastic as Jason Sudeikis’ do.

The easy way to ask for it: “Scissor cut on the sides and top with it a little longer there. Swept back instead of parted.”

Who’s worn it well? Brad Pitt

Think of the slicked back cut as an evolved swept back style. As your hair grows out, it’ll naturally fall back — as long as you train it to. Training it requires consistent style and perhaps a hat through the most awkward phases. Keep slicking it back until it sticks, but be conscious of how much product you’re using. Yes, a shiny polish on your hair might be ’50s-referencing, but it rarely looks right in modern settings.

The easy way to ask for it: “Scissor cut all over while keeping length and a little volume. I wear my hair slicked back.”

Who’s worn it well? David Beckham

The comb over, at least as a style name, has long been associated with balding. You might be picturing something semi-permanent – like a wig or a toupee — but it’s just the conscious styling of your hair to one side. David Beckham rocked the style well while promoting his whisky, but he usually wears it slicked back — and occasionally swept forward. A comb over can tame a longer mane for more formal occasions. Your hair must be longer at the hairline than it is in the back as to cover the entirety of your head when you comb it.

The easy way to ask for it: “A scissor trim, shorter on the sides and long on top, with a combed-in part.”

Who’s worn it well? Kingsley Ben-Adir

The natural look begins with a buzz — then it grows out. When it comes time for another cut, you’ll need to enlist a semi-amateur sculptor; or a barber confident they can cut Black hair. The sides are kept short, shaved if desired, and the top is shaped to it’s even all around.

The easy way to ask for it: “A shaped natural cut with shorter temples and arches.”

Who’s worn it well? Jordan Clarkson

Braids are an excellent way to tame a whole hell of a lot of hair. Look at fellow NBA-er Aaron Gordon, for example, who wears an afro far more significant than Trevor Noah’s (which you’ll see below) but braids shorter than Jordan Clarkson’s (seen here). You’ll have to take your mane to a trained professional for this look. It’s nearly impossible to braid or cornrow your own hair.

Who’s worn it well? Timothée Chalamet

Whether or not the bob works for you depends on how long your hair is and how you wear it. It’s typically defined by a nearly-center part, hair that flows past the ears and a similar length all around, although maybe a bit longer out front. It can be worn different ways — tucked behind the ears, pulled into an up-down and worn forward (like Timmy C. did here). Again, you’re going to need quite a lot of hair to get this look.

The easy way to ask for it: “Razor cut the hair for texture, while leaving the front a little longer than the back.”

Who’s worn it well? Logan Paul

I originally said co-founder of clothing brand Bare Knuckles, Cole McBride, had the best shag. Or maybe Keith Richards back in the day. But prolific internet-troll-turned-semi-professional-boxer Logan Paul, however annoying he may be, has great hair, too. It’s long in front, short over the ears, and then long again. It mixes the mullet, shag, and front-combed swoop. It’s a lot to convey colloquially, so a photo reference aids in translation.

The easy way to ask for it: “Tousled, textured, long hair styled forward.”

Who’s worn it well? Adam Driver

The mid-length layer works best with hair born with a bit of wave built in. Sprays and other products can recreate the texture, leaving you in charge of finding the right cut. No clippers are required for this one, as scissors work best for taking length off while retaining texture and volume.

The easy way to ask for it: “Layered scissor cut that lands at the end of my neck.”

Who’s worn it well? Trevor Noah

Growing and maintaining and afro requires patience and a few wide-toothed tools. Picks and other combs help hair gain volume. Contrary to most cuts, which lose their definition with repetitive fluffing, the act is essential to this style’s process. Proper moisturizing helps, too, a la durags, silken caps and leave-in conditioners, and usual cuts are required as well. “If you don’t consistently get haircuts, you’re going to combat split ends and long term damage, and that’s no fun,” celebrity groomer John Cotton told GQ.

The easy way to ask for it: “Trim the split ends without reducing volume or taming the texture and shape up my hairline.”

Who’s worn it well? Jared Leto

According to the CDC, your hair grows, on average, a half-inch each month. Growing it down to your shoulders, which is about a foot from your scalp, would measure out to 24 months of work. That’s a few awkward stages and plenty of patience — plus, lots of conditioning. Cutting to this length is rare, because few go past it, but doing so proves painless. You’ll just adjustment the measurement depending on how far past the shoulders you already are.

The easy way to ask for it: “Two inches off the bottom, parted down the middle.”

Who’s worn it well? Luka Sabbat

Donning dreadlocks oftentimes requires a visit to a professional shop or studio — or at least the assistance of another person. Hair stylist Ashley Adams explains that the style takes years upon years to develop. And she also says not to “trim your dreads for at least 6-12 months after starting them to prevent them from unraveling.” Once outside this window, you can cut one to two inches off at a time. If you’re done donning them, you need to cut them all off and restart. They cannot be undone.

Who’s worn it well? Evan Mock

What is it? Well, it’s whatever you want it to be. Dye your do; put it in a ponytail; shave the lightning bolts into the back of your head. Be smart, but treat your head like a blank canvas.

The easy way to ask for it: In response to, “Are you sure?” you say, “Yes.”