The Official Quiff Thread

Hi guys, thought this style deserves its own thread seem as its predicted to hang around at least for 2012. I recently got the style myself. I'm going for a sort of James Dean or (god forbid) Joey Essex sort of thing with the hair flicked back slightly to one side.

How do you guys style your quiff? At the moment the best result I'm getting is by simply using mousse to dry my hair hair backwards. My hairs slightly wavy so I'm always very wary about using other products although I have in the past used matte clay to add definition. Hair spray always ends in disaster for me.

Any advice or just general observations you want to share are welcome!

My hair varies daily, however when having a quiff a tend to go for either a quiff with more definition and less shine or slicked back with shine.


For the matte quiff i straigten my hair with GHDs upwards with a root lift. I then apply this: L'Oréal Professionnel Tecni Art Full Volume Extra Mousse 300ml - feelunique.com and blow dry my hair on a low heat. I then finish off my hair with TIGI Bed Head for Men Matte Separation Workable Wax 75g - feelunique.com. I also don't use hairspray i as don't think it adds much except brittleness to my hair, anybody got suggestions for one that leaves my hair feeling natural to touch?

For the slicked back quiff I apply the mousse to towel dried hair then blow dry my hair on a high heat - high speed setting, then use American Crew Pomade 85g - feelunique.com.

Both give great looks, however, i feel i can touch my hair throughout the day without being worried i'll ruin it with the first look.

My quiff is currently a longer, stylish, more gentlemanly swept over to the side quiff, something like:

http://vickybonline.com/admin/data/u...m-033011-4.JPG

http://themurdockman.com/wp-content/...ck-wooster.jpg

http://www.hairfinder.com/haircollections/mens03.jpg

Depending on what look I'm after, either more height or more swept back and sleek, I use different products.

For height I use label.m sea salt spray on damp hair, blow dry it (hanging your head upside down as you do it helps with lift as does curling it over a vented brush). I then use Hairbond Moulder to create the shape and fix it using Redken spray.

For a sleeker, slicker look, I dry it without any product in and the use Baxter's Hard Water Pomade which gives a shine, again fixing it with the Redken spray, being careful to create a razor sharp side parting.

Cheers guys, that picture of Becks on Jays post is the closest to what I'm aiming for.

The main thing I struggle with is securing the side parting. I don't mind it looking a bit devil may care, but I would prefer it to be fairly structured.

How would I actually go about applying a matte clay like product to dry hair? Would I rub it in or delicately apply it or run my hands through the hair?

Cheers

I would recommend working it through your hair from root to tip, kind of scrunching your hair with your fingertips, I then take individual clumps of hair and twist them in to position.

Cheers man. I've just given the clay ago, running it back over my hair and then fiddling with individual hairs. It's really solved the problem with my side parting.
The holds not amazing but I'm slightly reluctant to use hairspray as it tends to make my hair go too rigid and flat.

If hairspray is making your hair rigid and flat, you're doing it wrong or have the wrong product.

Firstly, buy a salon quality spray. The particles are much finer and won't clag up your hair, stick it together and make it feel like cardboard. When spraying, keep the nozzle a good couple of feet away from your hair, so that it separates into a fine mist before reaching your hair (use short sharp bursts of spray so you don't overdo it). And finally, and most importantly, don't run your hand over your hair while the spray is drying.

Too much spray, too much handling and poor quality spray is what makes hair rigid and flat.

Cheers guys, I think I've nailed it (and all in under 15 minutes). I've gone for quite a slick look, although I would like to try the more rocky quiff at some point. It would suit my hair type but I'm not sure I'm bold enough to try it haha. Maybe when I've got a killer outfit, I'll try it.

I've got something similar to Jay's/Becks' version. Mine's a little long, to the point at which it flops over a little. Like a miniature Matt Smith :p And in the absence of a decent wax, clay, or pomade, I've simply been spritzing it with sea-salt spray, drying it and going. No longevity, but easy, textured and boyish.

Nath - the wavier, more tousled rock and roll quiff is easier to pull off than you might think; I actually happen to believe that the slicker version is the more daring statement, particularly for younger gents like us. Make sure the sides aren't too big, which is a problem I had as I learned the craft (lots of learning yet to do), and you should be good to go; the main trick is using your fingers rather than a comb, which gives you a rougher texture. Try styling the quiff by gently twisting it towards a point - if your quiff involves a side parting (I.E. Becks, as opposed to, say, James Dean) this can help to structure it.

Even though I've wittered about my lazier, foppish style, I'm going to move back to a more 50s James Dean informed style next time I get it cut. All I really want from life is to be James Dean.
Failing that, Morrissey!

Sam, I was considering sometimes just drying my hair with mousse and using a bit of hairspray. Sometimes I think my clay actually lets the look down a little bit by bringing out all the kinks and waves in my hair.

And the Morrissey look is so tempting! I think you're right though, sometimes I feel like I'm making more of a statement when I slick it back. My mum did tell me I looked like "something out of an Agatha Christie novel" the other day.