Men’s Haircuts and Styling
Wake up and sniff the hair gel, folks! We’re about to embark on a follicular voyage back in time—men’s haircuts and styling. At first glance, you might think hair is just the stuff that keeps your head warm or why you keep a comb handy. But hair, precisely men’s hair, has always done much more than that.
It has rocked out to the 50’s rebellious vibe, kept it calm with the 60’s counterculture, donned the groovy shag in the 70s, and shown some severe attitude with 80’s spiked punk. It’s plunged into the textured crop in the 2020s, and lord knows what’s next!
Fashion? Culture? You bet your last hairpin is deeply intertwined. Elvis didn’t just happen to have slick hair. It was the era that styled him, and he, in turn, defined it. But remember, folks, style is a personal statement. It’s as unique as your thumbprint or how you secretly dance when no one’s watching. So, whether you’re a pompadour devotee or a buzz-cut enthusiast, let’s celebrate the glorious history of men’s hair. Hang on to your hats (or hairnets?); things are about to get hairy!
The 1950s: Greaser Glory
Alright, folks, set your time machines to the 1950s, an era where the music was jazzy, the cars were flashy, and men’s hairstyles were delightfully rebellious. Picture this: Elvis has just made his grand appearance on the stage. His hips are moving, the crowd is swooning, and what’s that atop his head? It’s the pomp and splendor of the iconic greaser look. Yup, the pompadour and quiff were the stuff of legend. Men would slick back their locks into these high-volume hairstyles as effortlessly as they would slip on leather jackets. Oh, and tuck a comb in your back pocket. You know, for a quick hair fix during a dance-off.
And when you thought hairstyles couldn’t get any cooler, enter the ducktail. Those guys used to style the back of their heads to resemble a duck’s rear end. Sounds quackers. Ducks were the unexpected hair influencers of that time. It’s probably where the term “duck face” originated. (Okay, maybe not.) But seriously, I cannot wait to leap into the next era of hair history. Brace yourselves for the hippie vibes of the ‘60s!
The 1960s: Hippie Vibes & Mod Style
After slicking and ducktailing our way through the ’50s, we moseyed right into the 1960s, where the shears of convention got snipped and buzzed into oblivion. Peace signs were high, pants were low, and hair? Well, hair went wherever it darn well pleased. The revolution of this decade oozed into every follicle, with long, unkempt hair and beards becoming the main event. It screamed nonconformity louder than a hippie at a silent meditation retreat.
But let’s not brush over the mod squad. Just when you thought every guy was out to prove their scalp‘s worth in hair farming, the mod look swooped in with its sleek geometry, proving that some chaps still fancied a comb through their locks. This yin and yang of the ’60s ‘do-scape was less about following the herd and more about expressing your inner flower child or dapper gent. The trends shifted as the sands in an hourglass held by a particularly indecisive beachgoer.
So, whether you were letting your freak flag fly with a beard that could double as a wildlife sanctuary or slicing through the air with that razor-sharp side-part, the ’60s had you covered. And if you weren’t too busy avoiding haircuts, you might notice those mod influences subtly trimming the edges of the next shagadelic decade.
The 1970s: Shaggy Disco Fever
Hold onto your bell bottoms because the 1970s were a wild ride for men’s hairstyles. It was a decade of disco, questionable fashion choices, and an overdose of – you guessed it – hair… lots and lots of hair!
Enter the shag – the hairy hero we didn’t know we needed. Picture this: long, layered locks with an optional center part cascading down like a hairy waterfall (mesmerizing, isn’t it?). The shag looked as if it had risen from the ashes of a thousand poorly-crafted wigs, and for reasons that remain a mystery, people LOVED it. Stars like David Bowie and Rod Stewart somehow rocked this style, and we can’t help but – regrettably – admit that the shag made these dudes look cool.
Now, for the pièce de résistance of this decade… the undeniable Mulletravaganza.
Embodying the “business in the front, party in the back” vibe, the mullet had its roots in the shag but took it to a new level of questionable taste. Picture this haircut as a rebellious teenage sibling who couldn’t quite figure out what it wanted to be. Short at the front and sides, with long hair gracefully swinging at the back like a hairy pendulum. Deliciously tacky and oh-so-memorable, the mullet gave rise to a feverish craze that would take the world by storm (and then haunt us in awkward family photos).
The 70s was a decade of experimentation, and our beloved hairy comrades did not stand alone. Big hair infiltrated every corner of pop culture, with everyone sprouting afros, perms, and rebelliously long locks in a hairy uprising against the neat cuts of yesteryear. We want to take a moment of silence for all the combs and brushes lost in this tangled mess.
So there you have it: a decade defined by more hair than common sense (kidding, mostly) and spectacularly peculiar styles that wrote themselves into the history books as the epitome of shaggy excess. Coming up next: hold on tight because the 80s and 90s are about to fade into a spiky whirlwind of eccentricity!
The 1980s & 1990s: Fade into Spiky Eccentricity
Enter the ’80s, and it was time to, quite literally, “cut” to the chase. The rise and influence of the fade became the talk of the town, and rightfully so. After all, who wouldn’t want to achieve the ultimate gradient transition from copious hair on top to the shorn sides and back? It was as if the men’s hairstyles had suddenly discovered the philosophies of Yin and Yang. A hairstyle that epitomized balance? Yes, please!
So, where did this quirky style come from? Let’s thank hip-hop culture for putting the “cool” in haircuts. It’d be safe to say that every time Will Smith and LL Cool J graced the screens with their fresh fades, the popularity of this hairstyle skyrocketed to astronomical levels. Their haircuts screamed, “I’m sexy, and I know it.”
Ah, the ’90s. The “*NSYNC-Y” era witnessed textured tops and spike styles taking the spotlight. David Beckham emerged as the ultimate poster boy of the perfect spiked cut, and men worldwide diligently tried (and probably failed) to achieve the same finesse. Quite frankly, the owl stare of admiration alone received from perfecting the Beckham-inspired spikes was worth all the hair gel-slicking in the world.
Whether it was the undeniable influence of hip-hop culture or the unwavering charm of the eccentric ’90s, one thing is sure—these two decades bravely paved the way for out-of-the-box hairstyles that future generations would continue to experiment with and embrace. In hindsight, the ’80s and ’90s were, quite literally, a hair-raising experience!
The 2000s & 2010s: Diverse Choices & Bold Buns
Ah, the 2000s, when we collectively decided that a faux hawk is the finest expression of fearlessly blending two worlds – the punk-rock mohawk and the “I’ve got a job interview” buzz cut. And let’s not forget the buzz cut itself, which served as the symbol of a low-maintenance lifestyle that sent the message, “Hey, I’m too busy achieving goals to spend time on hair care” or, you know, “I lost a bet.”
Now, enter the 2010s, a decade that brought us the oh-so-stylish undercut and the infamous man bun. The undercut proved to be a barbering masterpiece, a versatile haircut that anyone could pull off from a hipster in Brooklyn to a leading man in Hollywood. Meanwhile, the man bun became the hairstyle equivalent of socks with sandals, simultaneously loved and loathed around the globe. Love it or hate it, though, the man bun did undeniably put long-haired gents back on the hairstyle map.
During these two decades, men’s grooming experienced an expansion in diversity like never before. From lumbersexuals to urban dandies, you could find someone rocking almost any hairstyle you can imagine. These years taught us that it’s okay to have a hairstyle as unique as your identity, even if it means experimenting with looks that may earn you a side-eye from your grandmother.
So, cheers to the 2000s and 2010s for opening the door to boundless hair possibilities and making our visits to the barber more exciting.
The 2020s & Beyond: Textured Crop & Au Naturel
As we sashay into the 2020s, hairstyles change like our unpredictable weather. Enter the “textured crop” – a shorter style with that irresistible tousled finish, making bedhead a fashion statement. But wait, there’s more! Bald is the new black, with guys rocking smooth scalps for that low-maintenance, sleek look. So, what does the future hold for men’s hairstyles? Probably an endless runway of innovative cuts and bold experiments, where every man finds his hair-spiration. Let’s toast to the trendsetters and laugh at the follicular faux pas that keep our lives as hair-raising fun as possible.
Conclusion
Hop on the time machine, folks! We’ve journeyed through the hairy (pun intended) trails of men’s hairstyles, narrating tales of greaser glory, mod-style magnificence, and shaggy chic. We’re landing in the 21st century, signifying the rise of the individual in hair styling. The past shows us the power of chia pet-like shags, punk rocker mullets, and sassy spikes. But the future? It lies beyond the scissors’ edge, nestled quietly in your hands. Or on your heads, instead. Remember, the strongest hairstyle statement starts with confidence, not a coiffure!
