Five SS13 Menswear Staples
Men’s SS13 Fashion Trend: Statement Tailoring
Men’s Sunglasses & Face Shapes Guide
Editor’s Introduction
Today we have an article from a new contributing member on Fashionbeans. Robert is a professional hair stylist and so adds an extra dimension to our ever expanding team, as we know that many of you have particular hair questions that we haven’t been able to answer as accurately as we have liked before. An exciting time for everyone and we hope you enjoy his series on everything to do with men’s hair styles; the latest trends, recommended products, how to get a particular look, what to ask for when you visit the salon and much more. So let’s give you a quick run-down of his credentials…
Robert Baker
With many years of experience working for some of the top names in the industry, such as Toni and Guy and Vidal Sassoon, Robert now combines his hairdressing and business knowledge in his role as head of business development with successful and progressive salon group Jas Hair based in the south of the UK. He still has a very creative element to his career, whether tending a very busy male and female client list or working on commercial photo shoots and campaigns as a stylist.
His passion is simply hair, but he has a particular interest in the male market including men’s hair and grooming products… “My mission is to make the whole experience for men visiting the salon a fantastic one, not just the quick trim culture that still exists in some places.”
How To Get The Very Best From Your Salon Trip
If you don’t ask, you don’t get… But if the man isn’t listening at all then it’s time to look elsewhere for a new hair style creator. Have you ever left a hair salon looking like you did the time before, the time before that and the time before that? Or stepped on to the street with the wax you bought bulging out of the back pocket of your skinny jeans and the bag it came in over your head? Well you get the picture.
We all know buying a new hairstyle isn’t like buying a new shirt or jacket – you don’t get to try on half a dozen before you purchase and you definitely can’t exchange it if you don’t like it. However, if you do a bit of research and preparation beforehand, then you are halfway there to making the whole experience a success.
Top Tips
Firstly, check out the salon before you commit. Don’t be afraid to ask for a chat about your hair with a stylist a day or two before you book – personally I welcome this from all clients old or new, as if you are a bit nervous or apprehensive, this will give you time think it through and you will also get a feel for the salon and the stylist. Do they know what they are talking about? Do understand the look you are trying to create and are confident about how they will achieve it? Do they take time to listen to your questions and answer them thoroughly? This is going to be a very personal relationship and you need to be able to trust your new hair stylist if you want to get the best cut time and time again.
Don’t be fooled by fresh cappuccino and leather sofas. Surroundings and the experience are important but the aim of the stylist is to send clients out of the salon looking and feeling fantastic – not high on caffeine.
Take along some pictures; these are great for clearly getting across what you are looking for and a good icebreaker. The hairstylist should ask what you would like to have done with your hair before it’s shampooed, listening to your thoughts on what should be done, and if needed help you get your thoughts across, as well as making some suggestions. What you shouldn’t hear is “just a quick trim today then” – either this guy thinks you’re a privet hedge or he’s just plain lazy. Remember you want to leave looking and feeling fantastic with the wax in the bag.
Finally, once you have decided on the style you want, and BEFORE the hair starts coming off, make sure you’re clear about the length. Most styles have room for adjustment, so talking about how much you would like left on is as important as what you would like cut off. Think about how short you would like the top compared to the sides? If the sides are going to be short, then how short? Do you want some skin showing or a less severe look?
Even when the haircut is under way if something needs tweaking don’t be afraid to ask. The aim for you is to leave happy and for the hairstylist it’s for you to return happy. Hopefully when the cutting has stopped you look and feel fantastic… and yes you leave with the wax in the bag.
Check points:
- Do your research: ask around, get personal recommendations, and if you see someone with a great haircut just ask them where they had it cut.
- Go armed with some pictures: hairdressers are visual people and it makes life easier all-round.
- The hairstylist should listen, be enthusiastic and brimming with ideas.
- Think about length and detail: a good hair cut should be personalised to suit you.
- Any worthy stylist will show you how to style your hair and recommend the right styling products – this is essential for achieving the look at home.
Current Hair Trends
So before you hit the salon, you might want to know some of the current hair trends we are seeing for men. Well here are a few styles that a very popular right now:
Short, masculine styles (with a small m) seem destined for our heads in 2011. Seeing traditional English menswear designs making a comeback; such as double breasted tailored jackets and 30s cut trousers reminiscent of Chariots of Fire – for those who can remember – means that we are looking to shorter, sleeker, and overall chicer hair styles for 2011. We will also see the 50s sleek quiff and Don Draper from Mad Men look still being worn.
So to get the look, have the hair cut very short at the sides and back, and then wear the top sleeked with a varnished finished.
In order to style, try the Hairbond Moulder Professional Hair Shaper [below]:
- Apply moulder about the size of a ten pence piece by rubbing onto palms of hands and fingers.
- Push the moulder through hair with fingers.
- Create a low side parting and smooth hair with either flats of hands or a fine brush.
Alternatively change the look entirely by using the Hairbond Sculptor Professional Hair Putty [below], style by applying in same way as the moulder above and then sweep back away from the face with fingers for a 1930s preppy look.
Products Of The Moment
These are some of the best hair products on the market at the moment and those I recommend personally to my clients:
- Hairbond Moulder Professional Hair Shaper 100ml
- Hairbond Sculptor Professional Hair Putty 100ml
- Kms California Headremedy Clarify Shampoo 300ml
- Toni & Guy Detox Shampoo
- Truefitts Frequent Use Shampoo 365ml
- Truefitt & Hill Hair Management Replenishing Conditioner
Good luck… and if you want to ask me anything personally please feel free to do this in the comments section.
Dealing With Men’s Thick, Wavy Or Unruly Hair
Picking A New Men’s Hairstyle
Men’s Hair Trends For Spring/Summer 2013
Hairstyle Trend: Men’s Long Hair
Back To Top
Hi Robert, welcome to Fashionbeans! I’ve been hoping the inclusion of a hair expert within the writing team might have been in hte pipeline, so am glad that has come to fruition!
I have extremely think hair and a lot of it. It also grows at an unfathomable rate whereby the short look I tend to go for completely grows out and becomes unruly and shapeless in a matter of two to three weeks, to the continual distress of my wallet. The conclusion I have come to is to go grow my hair out and go for a much longer loosely slicked backed style on top along the lines of that Mark Ronson is sporting above which would have a longer lifespan. However, I have tried this look in the past and have found that due to the thickness and weight of my hair, it was almost impossible to give it any lasting lift and hold day to day. Am I just not using the write product, or can some hair types be too heavy to achieve this look? What would you recommend? Thank you!
Hi Robert welcome on board and thanks for a great first article! Whatever style I try and go for it always seem to blow around quite a bit and end up a bit fuzzy. My hair is about 2-3 inches long at present and I’m using American Crew fiber. Am I using too little product (or too much)? Or could it be my hair type? (I think there’s plenty of it but it’s fine hair)
Also, I’m really never sure what the key differences are between gels, waxes, puttys, etc. For example, in your recommendations what is the difference between the shaper and the putty?
Thanks so much for any help and thanks again for an excellent article!
Hey all, I’ve been attempting to pull off the ‘slicked back side part’ for a while now and despite having thick, course hair can generally get good results by leaving it to dry with conditioner in- just as long as I don’t even consider touching it for the rest of the day, don’t perspire and don’t so much as dream of humidity haven nightclubs on a Saturday night!! How can I achieve this style in a more livable way with hair that has authority issues?
Cheers, Patrick.
Hello,
I am a 20yr old guy with fine hair. Even though i am not going bald, i look like i am due to the fact my hair parts in two different directions at the back (i.e a double crown). What can i do to stop me looking so bald ?
Michael Scott
Hi Robert,
On a more general note than the posts above, I would love to see a hair equivalent to the Men’s Fashion Basics series, covering choosing/adapting styles based on face-shape, hair type etc, and guides to the different products (as someone mentioned above). Those articles have helped me a great deal, but my hair is lagging behind my style!
as much as i like the hairstyles shown above, i just cant seem to pull them off without looking geeky. i know geek chic is well in, but i just dont feel like it suits my style and so not my usual confident self. i like to look fairly rugged and so i’ve had to return to a shorter messy textured style. i have dark thickish hair and although thats supposed to be a blessing for these top heavy classic cuts – it just doesnt work for me! after a week my shortish quiff would turn into a full on out of control mini jedward :(
@mansy, Im no expert on the matter but i use to suffer from the exact same problems as you do and have the same hair type (fine hair but lots of it), at first I must of experimented with every styling product that was stocked in boots and superdrug, but nothing worked. I was at the beach on a really windy day and after about an hour my hair became thick and amazing for styling, following this I made a sea salt spritz and that worked really well but after about 2 weeks my hair was incredibly dry so decided it wasn’t worth doing any more. Finally I was recommended by a friend to use a high quality hair thickening shampoo (i bought MOP lemon grass volume shampoo) that was about 8 months ago and not had a single problem with my hair since.
@AVM thanks ever so much for the tip! I will definitely check the product out! all the best
Hello everybody … I also have a problem with the hair, are after showering my hair dry. A day later I can make my hair very badly … what do you recommend me? And like her, the hair from the back? In my case they resist tipping back …
Hey Rob,
Great article, but I have a question, personally I’ve always had short shaved hair (my mum thought it looked neat) as a result my hair grows outwards pseudo-fro style and looks terrible long, is there anything I can do with shorter hair?
Thanks a lot
Joe
recently i have had longer hair swept over the eyes at the front as shown on one of your images. I am now considering a change and wondered about an alice band – do readers think this is a good idea to keep longer hair in place?
Which shampoos and conditioners work best for Black American men hair? I cannot find anything
robert, any chance of a future article on long hair for men? as in… 8 inches or longer…. im trying to grow mine but styling is can be hard at times. cheers
Hi AMS,
If you have got thick hair what a blessing so don’t be too hard on yourself, it may be that you hair will not work in the Mark Ronson look but there are a few things you could try before you change style. When you next get your hair cut ask the stylist to remove some of the thickness – also known as texturising – cutting away small pieces of hair at midway along the length on top. This can also be done with thinning scissors if used carefully without removing too much.
When finished your hair will have shorter lengths running throughout taking some of the weight away. It also makes the shorter lengths stand up and support the longer lengths.
Try using a moulding gel mixed 50/50 with a putty – rub together then apply. The gel will give hold and the putty keeps some pliability. Use SCHWARZKOPF OSIS TEXTURE GELASTIC as your gel – this is the Stella of the gel world and Hairbond Moulder [shown in article above] use about 50p size. Maybe push the hair back but then let it fall to the side a bit like third picture in my look book.
Let me know what you think.
Hi robert
Thanks for the article…
I like having a quiff and have had one for about a year now…
I have blonde hair and have yet to find a product that doesn’t either make my hair dull/matt or shiny/greasy!
Can you suggest something?
Thanks
Tom
Just wondering w
WHAT ABOUT BLACK DUDES!!!
C’mon!!
thanks for that robert, i was just wondering, i’ve had the same kind of style for a while now, just pushed across my face, i suppose similar to the zac effron kind of thing except a bit longer, and i like it but i want it shorter and it is becoming very common. would you recommend getting the same style or mixing it up a bit, and how so? i have gingery blond hair which is relatively thick. thanks
im sure this is a great article for all the caucasian males and other straight haired people out there, but what happens if like me you are not and have curly hair? No.1 all over is gettin a bit boring…
please help!
Hi Mansy
Appreciate all your comments believe me I was very nervous as this is my first time. I will do my best to answer as many comments as I can – hopefully promptly – but I was amazed at how many questions I ‘ve received and may be future articles will address some of your comments in detail.
Mansy you didn’t say if your hair was wavy or straight but controlling fine flyaway hair does take some doing. Avoid using waxes, these tend to be oily and will flatten your hair plus it wont be a good look, Hairbond Moulder which I wrote about in the current trends and product of the month part of my article truly is a great product – rub a 10p piece amount between your hands and then apply pushing your fingers through your hair, add more if you need to. There are limits to what hair will do, the only other suggestion is after applying the Moulder spray on some hairspray, use about 10 inches from head and evenly cover the head for about 5 secs.
Hi all,
Sorry in my last post I meant to thank everyone for their comments, it has been a long long day. @Dajaun S and ghanaBOY: very quickly I will do some research into products and styling, I have never really worked with afro hair so I’m going to contact a friend who does it regularly and will get back to you. Many thanks
Hi Robert thanks so much for your post. My hair is straight and I will definitely try the Hairbond Molder!
Thanks again and I really look forward to reading your future articles! All the best
I never know which hair product to use. I have about 10 different ones ranging from waxes to putties, every time I go and get my haircut, they put on me something that smells nice and I end up buying it but later on it doesn’t work as well… I don’t like my hair to look “greasy” or very shiny when it comes to styling it; I even bought this weird powder that dries the hair and keeps it in place but this one as oppossed to the others I have tried, makes my hair look white…Any ideas of what products might be good to make my hair stay in place and not look super greasy or super dry?
Hi all
Once again thanks for the comments. Really want to try and answer all your questions, some of you say you have problems getting the look you want when you style it at home and also getting it to stay in. It does sound like most have got products that should work, it’s possible that what’s needed is some blow-drying.
I know it sounds hard and it means having to get up 15 minutes earlier but but a quick towel dry isn’t always going to work – and to be honest I don’t do much more myself apart from position it and apply product – but some hair types and when worn with certain hairstyles need it. I will include a article soon on how to blowdry guys hair but for now try this:
- You need to be standing this makes it easier. First ask which way do you want your hair to go? If it’s up then simply blow dry it upwards.
- For a perfect quiff blow the hair up slightly and to one side then repeat in other direction until hair is dry – then give the hair a very quick blast upwards and finish with product.
- It you want to get a sweeping to one side look then blow in both directions against the head and finally in the direction you want it. It’s not easy to explain blow-drying without showing you exactly how to do it so I will in the future try and put something on youtube.
Remember to also ask the hairstylist who cuts your hair for detailed advice (or get them to show you), as I said in my article you are paying for the whole service so they should be showing and telling anyway. Good luck. Rob
Parry DON’T do an alice band. They look completely female unless you are athletic & have a practical reason for one.
David. I HIGHLY recommend FISH styling wax moulder (blue tub)!! When I had shorter hair it was a blessing. I have searched far & wide myself for a decent hair product & went through every thing over years but it is beyond what I could expect from one (plus delicious scent!) Theres some magical properties in it haha. Its not greasy at all & holds well, washes out with ease. I still use it now & my hair is shoulder length but fine so adds some bouf!
Hi all,
I have quite thick hair and unfortunately a cowlick on the front right handside of my hair, forcing my hair to the left. My hair is also black so applying too much wax to try and tame the cowlick makes it look really oily. I’ve tried it short, but it stands up and too long causes a hideous middle parting.
Basically, I went for a haircut the other day and asked the stylist to help tame my cowlick. He must have misunderstood has he took a pair of clippers and completely trimmed it down to about 2 cm. I was so annoyed and looked like a proper idiot, so the only solution was to clipper it all off. My hair is about 2 cm on the top and 1 cm on the side. I look like a boiled egg.
Thankfully my hair grows back quite quickly, but I was wondering what other solutions or hairstyles I could attempt to try and tame the cowlick.
Please help!
Thanks so much :)
Hi Shiv
Just read your message I will have to come back to you either later tonight or tomorrow, I’m just trying to finish next article. Sorry to hear that you had a bad experience, giving you a straight answer will be tricky with out know at least a little about you features-face shape hair texture is it thick straight wavy-and are you confident with short hair, I know its very short already but you may need to go shorter. Come back to me when you can.
Pleased to help. Robert B.
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your reply. I have a round face, with quite defined features. It’s thick hair which is straight everywhere except for where the cowlick is, which causes the hair to be a little bit wavy. I am North Indian (so fairly fair) so my hair does stand out quite a bit. I am confident with short hair, although I would really prefer not to go shorter than this. I know that this look is quite passé and despite having a cowlick, I would like to try and stick with a more current look.
Reply whenever you get a chance to. I’m in no rush as I’m still waiting for my hair to grow out :/
Thanks,
Shiv
Hi Robert,
My hair has finally grown out a bit and was wondering if you had any suggestions?
Thank you,
Shiv
THESE ARE SIGNS WHEN YOU SHOULD CHANGE YOUR STYLIST (OR SALON):
1. EVERYTIME YOU TAKE IN A PICTURE HE/SHE NEVER REALLY LOOKS AT IT PROPERLY AND FAILS TO DISCUSS ITIN DETAIL. THIS IS WHAT MY TONI & GUY STYLIST DID EVERY TIME I TOOK IN A PICTURE. SHE SORT OF GLANCED AT IT AND GAVE IT BACK TO ME ALL WITHIN ABOUT 10 SECONDS! NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
2. WHEN YOUR STYLIST DOESN’T WORK WITH YOU TO IMPROVE AND PROGRESS THE IDEAS YOU HAVE IN MIND BUT TRIES TO GO IN HER/HIS OWN DIRECTION WHICH IS COMPLETELY DFFERENT TO WHAT YOU WANT AND MOST LIKELY WILL LOOK RUBBISH ANYWAY. THIS TO ME IS JUST PURE STUBBORN AAND A SIGN OF A REALLY BAD STYLIST.
3. HE/SHE NEVER MENTIONS OR TAKES FULL USE OF THE RANGE OF PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THE SALON. THIS HAPPENED TO ME ALOT. EVEN WHEN I LOOKED AROUND I SAW ALL SORTS OF MOUSES, PASTES, WAXES, GELLS, POWDERS AND SPRAYS – ALL BRILLIANT LABEL M PRODUCTS BUT IF HE/SHE DOESNT EXPERIMENT OR GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ABOUT THEM WITH YOU THEN THE STYLIST IS A COMPLETE WASTE OF YOUR TIME AND MONEY.
4. THIS IS PROBABLY THE WORST. THEY TRY TO SELL YOU THE SAME CUT EVERYTIME. THIS TO ME TELLS ME THEY AREN’T AWARE OF THE LATEST TRENDS OR AREN’T VERY KNOWLEDGABLE OF THE SMALL LITTLE CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE TO A SIMPLE STYLE OR CUT WHICH CAN REALLY BOOST IT, AND GIVE THAT EDGE, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT IN MEN’S HAIR.
I’VE EXPERIENCED ALL THIS FOR THE PAST YEAR AND IT WASNT UNTIL LAST WEEK THAT I WENT INTO TONI & GUY, ASKED THE STYLIST FOR A TAPERED LOOK AROUND THE EARS AND NAPE AND WALKED OUT WITH ABOUT 2 AND HALF INCHES OF HAIR STILL GROWN AROUND MY EARS AND STILL HAD THE LONG WAVY HAIR ON MY NECK THAT I HAD BEEN GROWING (I ASKED FOR THIS TO BE TAPERED SHORT) STILL IN TACT THAT I THOUGHT THIS GIRL DOESNT HAVE A CLUE! WHICH LEDS TO NUMBER 5…
5. YOUR STYLIST DOESN’T UNDERSTAND HAIR DRESSING TERMINOLOGY. SO IF YOU GO INTO A SALON AND USE NICE, HELPFULL TECHNICAL HAIR DRESSING TERMS, THAT YOU’VE TOOK TIME TO RESEARCH, TO DESCRIBE THE CUT YOU WANT AND HE/SHE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT YOUR’E TALKING ABOUT THEN IT’S TIME TO FIND SOMEONE BETTER.
u r article has great and helpful. my hair’s are silky and thin ,because of which i cannot apply different style’s even with gel.so, please suggest me what kind of hairstyle will suits me well .