Paul Favre
The right haircut does more for your appearance than any product, any outfit upgrade, any grooming routine. I have been on both sides of this topic — obsessing over cuts before going bald, and still finding it fascinating after — and the conclusion holds: a good hairstyle is a genuine asset in life.
Here are the ten cuts worth knowing, what each one asks of you in maintenance, and who it suits. Once you have a shortlist, narrow it by your hair type: straight, curly, or going long.
1. Crew Cut
The military classic: short sides, slightly longer top. It flatters most face shapes and hair types, needs near-zero styling, and always reads as sharp and intentional. If you want one cut that works everywhere from boardroom to weekend, this is it.
2. Buzz Cut
Hair cropped close to the scalp, all features on display. It rewards strong jawlines and bone structure, works with any hair density (including thinning — see how to thicken hair for why shorter often looks fuller), and requires nothing but a clipper pass every couple of weeks.
3. Undercut
Short sides, long top, sharp disconnection between the two — Viking-old and Peaky Blinders-revived. The top is a blank canvas: slick it back, push it into a quiff, or leave it tousled. The most versatile choice for men who like changing their look without changing their cut.
4. Quiff
Volume swept up and back off the forehead, shorter sides. The quiff carries 1950s DNA with a modern finish, works formal or casual, and adds visual height. It asks for a few minutes and a product with hold each morning — the right ones are in best hair gel for men.
5. Pompadour
The quiff’s dramatic older brother: more height, more sweep, more presence. It suits straight, wavy and curly hair, elongates round faces, and makes a statement in any room. The trade-off is real daily styling time and a committed product routine.
6. French Crop
Short sides, short-to-medium top brushed forward, often with a straight fringe. Roman soldiers wore it for practicality; it survives because it is sharp, hides a receding hairline better than most cuts, and needs almost no styling. Ideal for fine or straight hair.
7. High and Tight
The most disciplined cut on the list: very short sides taken high up the head, a short controlled top. Military in origin and in spirit — crisp, clean, zero-maintenance. It puts the face front and center, so it favors defined features.
8. Side Part
A century old and never wrong: hair parted cleanly to one side, polished finish. The side part adapts to almost any length and hair type, moves seamlessly between office and evening, and signals a man who has his details handled. A comb and light product keep it in line.
9. Textured Crop
Credit: @savillsbarbers
The modern default: short sides, choppy textured top with a matte finish. It thrives on thick hair, adds movement without fuss, and currently tops most barbers’ request lists. A fingertip of clay or matte paste is all the styling it wants.
10. Ivy League
The crew cut’s preppy cousin: enough length on top to part and style, tight clean sides. It is the cut that never looks wrong in a professional setting, works for straight and wavy hair, and asks for only a light touch of product.
Worth a mention
The modern comb-over (a softer side part with more length), the slick back (all-back sophistication, best with a pomade), the tousled/messy top (deliberate carelessness for casual settings), and spiky texture (youthful, easy with short hair). Each is a variation on the ten above — find the base cut that fits, then let your barber adapt it.
How to choose
By maintenance honesty. A pompadour styled daily beats a neglected one; a crew cut never betrays you. Choose the cut you will actually maintain.
By hair type. Thick hair carries texture cuts; fine hair favors shorter, denser-looking styles; curls change the rules entirely — see the curly guide.
By face shape. Round faces gain from height (quiff, pompadour); long faces from side volume and fringe (French crop); square jaws carry short cuts (buzz, high and tight) effortlessly.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the most popular men’s hairstyle right now?
The textured crop leads current barbershop requests, with the crew cut as the timeless runner-up.
What is a “number 1” haircut?
Clipper-guard language: a number 1 leaves about 3 mm — essentially a buzz cut. Numbers go up roughly 3 mm per guard.
How often should I get a haircut?
Every 3–4 weeks for short, structured cuts; 6–8 weeks for longer styles. The cut growing out is what makes a good style look accidental.
What product should I style with?
Depends on the cut: matte clay for textured crops, pomade or gel for slick styles and quiffs, little or nothing for buzz and crew cuts. The full toolbox is in best hair gel for men.
The bottom line
Pick the cut that matches your hair, your face and — honestly — your willingness to style it. Then keep it sharp with regular trims and the routine in the complete hair care guide. A great haircut, maintained, outperforms an ambitious one abandoned.
