For the past five years we have seen a realdomination in men’s hair and grooming asa whole, really hitting off with the PeakyBlinder trend, inspired by the BBC seriesand prohibition film Lawless - this kickstarted men to dress in formal threepieces as everyday wear. This style wassported with post 20s war aggressive buzzcuts with a real 21st Century feel wherethe fade had only a small amount ofblend. This was due to men wanting backtheir masculinity, slicking their hair backwith pomades for ultra-shine and hold,using the likes of Sweet Georgia Brownand Brylcreem again.

Then saw a movement of the 50s comeback with men starting to add height totheir hair, inspired by the Elvis pompadour,today this is the most commonly worn haircut in different variations – with sleeknessor broken texture inside the style to addseparation and movement. Alex Turnerfrom the Arctic Monkeys was a key icon inthis sweeping trend, nodding to the 50swith his defined curls and shine, whichenhanced length to his style and was areal statement.

B A C K T O T H E F U T U R E

Carl Thompson begun his journey in men’s fashion by launching London shirt makersHawkins & Shepherd back in 2013, swiftly followed by his Men’s Style Blog in 2014 todocument his personal style journey. Carl offers style advice on tailored formalwear aswell as casual attire, luxury and High Street. Over the years his blog has transformed intoan encyclopedia of everything men’s lifestyle and recently invited journalists to join himin this journey creating an online magazine with content that every man needs. Here heshares with us the journey of men’s hair trends, taking us into the future, so we’re ready!

Men are now taking extra time to styletheir hair, picking up a hairbrush andasking for tips from their stylist or barberon how to achieve the same look at home.This has seen the rise of men buying intomore hair products to make the style theywant easier and their looks more versatile,for example adding a side parting to thehair for an instant change.

Suddenly a burst of the 90s pushedaway the 50s, bringing harsh crop offfringes and added length on top to createtexture. Topman was a key influence in thismovement, bringing a raw version of theBrit Pop boy back with a strong inspirationbeing the ‘acid house raver’.

Inside all of these trends andmovements has been its own standalonecategory of guys getting in touch withtheir femininity, rocking a small ponytail ontop of their fades, taking a relaxedapproach to grooming and really doingnothing to complement their style or faceshape. Men can easily transition from cityboy in the week to a rough, ready andrelaxed feel for the weekends.

All these trends have massive up keepfor the modern day man, with constantand regular visits to their hairdresser orbarber required on average once everythree weeks. This has caused an influx ofcool barbershops popping up on everystreet corner where men can now go graba coffee, beer or juice and talk about theirday to day stresses.

Moving forwards and looking to thefuture of men’s hair trends, a real classicAmerican approach to men’s hair is beingbrought in, with a change in length allround. Say goodbye to your clippers andthe frequent visits, grooming is going tobe having a laid back makeover.

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This new trend is all about sex appeal with men growing out their hair. It serves as astatement to masculinity and to the man who wants to be the leader of the future trends ofmen’s hair. This look projects confidence and strength. It is worn by a man who knows who heis, with a more lived in approach to his everyday attire. This hair style will have softer edgesand less height, with hair falling onto the face. The product will have softer control and beless rigid. Partings will fall more naturally and will be less defined, with a classic college boyhaircut featuring traditional sides that have growth touching the ear.

Ryan Gosling is leading the way with current men’s style, competing with David Beckhamas one of the most asked for looks.

The use of more cream based products to help moisturise and nourish the hair so the stylelooks effortless is on the rise. Even the curly haired gentleman is wanting the new longer andgrown out shapes so they can embrace their curls rather than fight them. Curly haired mencan now walk with freedom and confidence, adding oils and leave in conditioners for theirwash and go looks.

Men’s hair styling has evolved to embrace a more relaxed feel, with guys caring moreabout the condition of the hair itself and treating it with more high end and professional haircare ranges. We can see that current brands are expanding with new product lines specificallyfor men, as well as professional brands hitting the market at High Street level in retail shopssuch as Selfridges, John Lewis and Harvey Nichols so men are incorporating their haircareinto their overall style shop, leaving the store with bags loaded full of hair, skin and body care.So the skin fade is gone… men’s hair is moving on!

Check Carl out at, carlthompson.co.uk hawkinsandshepherd Carl23B