The top hair trends for 2016, from those who know

The haircut is a tricky thing. A bad chop and you’re facing a sudden bout of PTSD related to the bowl cuts, bad fringes and way, way too much gel that shaped your formative years. This and a fear of the unknown means that most us on the male side of the species stray away from anything too drastic in the follicular department, sticking with the same trim for years, even decades, on end.

Yet the world of fashion moves at a fast pace and hairstyles have been roped along for the ride ever since Kevin Keegan somehow persuaded the public a perm was a good idea and David Beckham put a mohican on every child’s head. Thankfully, hair trends these days aren’t quite drastic or sartorially misplaced. These are the cuts, trims and styles a modern gentleman needs to be aware of as we bid farewell to the rollercoaster that was 2015.

Textured short, back and sides

Grooming expert at Covent Garden barbers Ruffians, Adam Brady, tells us that:

“2015 saw a move away from the skin fades and hard parts of 2014, into more natural, texturised looks – the most popular styles being a simple short back and sides with a choppy, messy and textured top.

“In 2016, we will see a continuation of these textured looks, perhaps with more contrast – so the back and sides will get shorter and the top will get longer. It’s a low maintenance style with minimal product application – all you need is a hair powder or salt spray (dry look) or a styling paste applied with hands (for a stronger hold and glossy finish).”

Ruffians Styling Paste, £14.95

L’Oreal Professionnel Tecni-Art Beach Waves, £12.70 from Look Fantastic

Fringes

That textured look will serve you all year round from the harsh winter into the warmer weather, as the choppy top gets pushed forward into a stylised fringe, as Brady elaborates:

“I imagine we’ll be seeing plenty of fringe varieties – but this probably won’t happen until the spring, as having a fringe in windy winter weather is a nightmare to keep in place!”

The quiff

The quiff maintains its place in the pantheon of men’s hairstyles de rigueur as an alternative styling to the contrasting short back and sides, as Mayfair barbers Gentlemen’s Tonic note:

“What we are seeing so far, the main style is slightly longer on top and shorter at the sides which is also known as the textured quiff. We are seeing clients coming in who are wanting a mixture of lengths on top.

“The more conservative are going for a slightly shorter quiff on top with the sides blended in. With this style we would use our Matte paste as this will create a more natural look.”

Gentlemen’s Tonic Matte Paste, £14.00

“The younger and what we would call the more ‘trendier’ clients are leaving their hair longer on the top and the sides and back are a lot sharper. In this case we would use our Structure.

Gentlemen’s Tonic Structure, £14.00

“We get asked for easy to maintain styles and creating a few layers will add texture, and using our Structure product will enhance the layers. Hair can be left to dry naturally or styled with a hairdryer.”

Slicked back and wet look

There’s also a certain pragmatism affecting the way men approach their hair with the current unsavoury climate, harking back to the power-dressing days, as Brady explains:

“On the smarter side of things, we will see a lot of slick wet looks – again, the seasons will affect this: all the storms we’ve been having are not the easiest on the hair, so a simple, slick back look is a good way to embrace the rain. Using a strong hold water based pomade means that adverse conditions won’t ruin your look, as you can simply carry a comb with you and touch up any hairs out of place throughout the day.”