On Style: Hair...

This is a difficult place to start. How to style your hair and keep it looking clean and healthy depends entirely on your hair-type. There are plenty of specialist hair products to reduce the effects of dandruff – a must – and the purchase of a lint roller should be able to shift the flecks that seem intent on settling-down on your shoulders.

Obviously, the kind of gel/moose/dress that you use for your hair is dependant on your chosen style. For men, the short back and sides cannot be overlooked as the premier choice for a smart, crisp look.

But there are different ways to wear the style. If you are of a heavier build, shorter is wiser: it’s cooler, makes your head look smaller and looks right with a stacked body. If you’re of medium build – a regular man shape – let it grow a bit; say twice as long on the back and sides and three-four times as long on top. This is a versatile middle-ground: you can slick it back a la Don Draper at work, or allow the odd strand or two to invade your forehead for the Don Draper ‘hunched-over-a-pint-of-whiskey’ look. The first style should be held in place with matt-look putty – moose makes short hair too heavy and regular gel will leave you looking like a fourteen year old boy on his way to a school disco. If you don’t like the feel of hold products on your hair, try a leave-in conditioner to add a natural, healthy shine, and to subdue the stiffness of jutting dry hairs for a slicker look.

One of the more popular options – and the only other I would advocate for the smart look – is a slightly more rebellious; undisputedly more tussled look.

Go very short on the sides – say, a two. If you have a beard or stubble, shave it to the same length as your back and sides. For the top, keep it long – maybe four inches or so. Have an occipital bun-hugging fade (bet you’ve never heard that before) and ruffle the top increasingly from the crown forward. End with a side-swept, uneven fringe and just roll with and flicks and resilient strands. This look really works with skinny denim – both shirts and jeans – and the updated ‘James Dean’ swagger. It can be made smart too, with a good deal of moisturising hair dress that will not only keep your barnet smooth, but hydrated as well.


Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.

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