Monday, January 9, 2012

Men's haircut trends for 2012

Men’s hairstyles aren’t like women’s. Women’s hair trends are short lived, often lasting no more than a year. On the other hand, men’s hairstyle trends evolve slowly – and that’s the key to men’s hair trends in 2012. Each and every one of them has its roots in the hairstyles that were popular in 2010 and 2011, but each and every one of them also has evolved for 2012. Some have subtly evolved, others have split into several different hairstyles.

Return of the undercut.  It was only a few short years ago that it would have been considered a haircut solely for the young and the daring. Thanks to the popularity of a select TV show and the return of an interest in all things 1920s, the undercut returns to its original, classic roots.

What to ask for:

The first thing you have to ask your hair dresser / stylist / barber / drunk friend with a pair of scissors (actually, insist the latter stays the fuck away from you) is whether it’s going to work for your hair. Yes, we recommend this step for all the hair trends we write about, but a haircut that requires short sides and a long top isn’t going to work for every guy out there.

For those whom it is, we’ve again turned to Melbourne stylist Annika Bowen for advice on precisely what you should be asking for.

When it comes to asking for your sides to be cut, you have two main options. The first is to have them cut with scissors over comb. The second is to have the sides cut short with clippers. Annika recommends the latter, with the clippers giving a much better effect – having the clippers on number 2 is preferential for this kind of undercut, however, number 3 will still work for those not wanting to go quite as short.

If you do have a thinner temple akin to the second photo above, you can opt to have the sides trimmed extra short at the front temple area. Specifically you’re after a number 1 cut in front of your ears, with that shortness blended into a number 2 or 3 on the rest of the sides and on the back of your head.

While it has to be left long, you have a few more options when it comes to the top. The key rule to the top is this, however: it has to be long, and more length (within reason) is better.

Unlike most other haircuts for the coming seasons that use clippers, this undercut is one that doesn’t require any blending between the sides and the top. You could, however, opt to have it the top blending with the crown depending on how your hair sits. But in short, take a picture of the style that you prefer when you go to get your haircut.

Final tip: this is a hair cut that’s depends on the sharpness of the outline, so when your hair dresser passes the mirror to the sides and back of your head, double check to see that it is precisely finished, particularly on the back of your neck and around your ears. If it’s not, ask them to touch it up. And if they don’t give you the final once over with a mirror, don’t go back.