Men’s hairstyles aren’t like women’s. Women’s hair trends are short lived, often lasting no more than a year. On the other hand, men’s hairstyle trends evolve slowly – and that’s the key to men’s hair trends in 2012. Each and every one of them has its roots in the hairstyles that were popular in 2010 and 2011, but each and every one of them also has evolved for 2012. Some have subtly evolved, others have split into several different hairstyles.

2012 men’s key hair cuts & hairstyles

Men’s hairstyles for 2012

Short waves / short curls

Long, curly hair with short sides on the Dolce & Gabbana men’s spring 2012 catwalk
Of course, the nature of curls is that they come in all degrees of severity, some tight and compact, others softer but no less prone to doing whatever the hell they like no matter how much product you seem to put in your hair. The dominant men’s curly hairstyle of 2012 is a look that captures some of what the quiff offers, but it does so with far less height and with little effort to relax or straighten the curls.

Wavy hair with short sides on the Dolce & Gabbana men’s spring 2012 catwalk
Who it is for

• A natural hairstyle for those naturally curly, or at least those with a head of seriously wavy hair. Don’t try and fake curls – this is a hairstyle that will work with natural, curly hair only.

How it’ll be cut

• Like most of 2012’s men’s hair trends, it’s going to be cut shorter on the sides and longer on the top. The length will all come down to what suits you best, however.
• If you have tight curls and are after that is something easy to manage, ask your hairdresser to use clipper 1 and chop off your curls really close to the scalp. This would be easier to manage.
• Other option is to keep the length, as this would give each hair strand its curly bend.

How to style it

• Styling is essential here. Curly hair is most prone to frizzy ends, especially during the summer months. To prevent this, apply a curl controller cream to wet hair and run your fingers through it.
• While other 2012 hairstyles make great use of it, stay away from hardening gels with this particular hairstyle as they’ll solidify and make the curls look brittle.

Short curls hairstyle with short sides on the Dolce & Gabbana men’s spring 2012 catwalk

Slicked hair with a side part

The slicked back undercut isn’t the only 2012 men’s hairstyle that is something of a classic haircut revived. Nor is it the only hairstyle that requires a sumptuous amount of product to achieve its slick look.

Straight hair, slicked to the side with a defined parting but no volume from Dolce & Gabbana men’s autumn / fall 2011 / 2012 look book
The men’s slicked hairstyle with side part enjoyed its major revival around 2009 / 2010 when Mad Men first impacted upon the global psyche. Courtesy of the man’s man connotations that Don Draper gave the style it soon became the go-to hairstyle of many a man, the likes of actor George Clooney included. But where it was once for the older, stylish gent, the side parted, slicked hairstyle has become just as much a look for the young. As such it was quickly appropriated by many a designer for the styling of their catwalks. You equally won’t be hard pressed to find it worn, somewhat knowingly, by style conscious chaps on the streets.

The same men’s hairstyle from a front-on angle
Who it is for

• This is a hairstyle ideal for men with relatively straight hair as the hair is more likely to sit flat on the head complimenting the hairstyle’s ‘slick’ shape.
• Those with curly hair can straighten or give it a straight blow-dry before commencing styling.
• If you have a receding hairline or fine hair and are self conscious of either, then discuss this with your hairdresser before getting your hair cut. This is a hairstyle that can highlight areas where men recede – though that’s not a problem for everyone.

How it’ll be cut

• This style is all about the cut. If it’s not cut so that it can be styled neat and tidy, the classic overtones of the hairstyle will fade away.
• The thumb-rule to this look is having a clean side part, with shorter sides and relatively longer hair towards the centre.
• Your hairdresser must cut the fine hair around the ears, above the neck and around the hairline. There’s no scope for casual untidiness. When you’re checking your haircut before paying, double check these areas – they must be cleanly cut.
• A razor can be used to trim the hair at the base of your head for an even more refined and tailored look.
• Book a follow-up appointment with the hairdresser, six-weeks after the first cut.
• If you have straight hair: stick to a longer cut on top.
• If you have wavy hair: opt for a short length of hair on top, perhaps a few inches in length depending on the strength of your wave.

How to style it

• Keep the parting straight.
• For a wet slicked look: apply hair gel before parting the hair and then work the product with a comb all through the hair strands.
• For a natural matte finish look: Part the hair first, spray some hairspray on a brush and gently comb through the top layers of the hair. This will resist flyaway strands.
• If you’re after the classic finish to the look popular in both the 1930s and again courtesy of Mad Men, then your product of choice will be Brylcreem.

A wavy version of the side part with more volume and elements of the quiff.

Curly mop top

Not tight enough to be an afro and with the mop top a hairstyle more akin to the Brit-rock than anything else, it’s hard to give this hairstyle a name that connotes exactly what it is. So, despite the naff sound to it, please forgive us: we’re labelling this evolution of one of last year’s men’s hair trends the curly mop top.

Long, curly hairstyle from Umit Benan’s spring / summer 2012 look book
This is the curly kind of hairstyle that you’d wear to an indie gig or to a Bohemian festival. Scrap that. This is the curly hairstyle that you’d wear with bucket loads of confidence. But it’s not just confidence that’s required, but also the ability to style what is one of the trickiest hairstyles for 2012. The challenge here is to maintain the out-of-control curls, so it doesn’t look like you’ve just spent 18-months on a deserted island. Nailing the 1970s revival vibe, Gucci perfected the look on their spring 2011 catwalk choosing to concentrate on the front and offer the hairstyle with both short and long curly hair.
Who is it for

• This curly men’s hairstyle works best for those with natural curls and plenty of length. As with all curly hair in 2012, we don’t recommend that anyone endures a treatment to make their hair curly.

How it’ll be cut

• When at the hairdresser, ask for a blunt cut without compromising the length; you’re aiming to get a clear shape. It works better if the cut is uniformed and hair has the same length throughout.

How to style it

• Before styling, ensure your hair is clean. An oily scalp won’t give you perfect results.
• Use a curl cream or sea salt spray to create texture in the hair. But remember to always apply these before running a hair dryer through the hair.
• Attach a diffuser to the hairdryer for best results. It won’t distort the curls.
• Once hair is dry, use a product that sticks on without ruining the texture or becoming too greasy. We recommend fibre wax, as that has a spiderweb like texture. Massage the product in the hair, concentrating in the scalp area.
• For additional curls, invest in a small curling iron. Or go the natural way and twist the hair around your fingers. Do the latter when hair is semi-wet.

Men’s haircuts for 2012

You’ll find that our list of men’s haircut trends for 2012 is rather short, and with good reason – the men’s looks that have emerged for 2012 have far less to do with a particular cut, and far more to do with the way the hair is styled. If anything, 2012 is a year in which one particular men’s haircut can be styled in a number of different ways, most inline with the hairstyles we’ve focussed on above. For men, 2012 is a year of haircut versatility.

The undercut

If you’ve already read the in depth list of men’s hair trends above, the fact that the undercut is a key haircut for 2012 will come as no surprise. That look in particular though is a slicked back undercut that relies just as much on its styling as it does on its cut. But because the styling is so particular, 2012 is a year in which other interpretations of the undercut abound.
In fact, as a men’s haircut the undercut sits as one of the most fashionable and versatile options in 2012, one capable of working with most of the hairstyles we’ve noted above. Take the Brit-rock indie hairstyle as an example – given that’s its swept from the side it’s easy to work the hairstyle in with an undercut, keeping the sides short and the long hair on top swept over and forwards.
That’s not the only option of course. Take this style for instance, which marries an undercut with a side swept quiff. The beauty of this style lies in its irony, as it’s about boasting the uncut parts of your hair whilst making it look like it’s a damn fine cut.

An undercut, largely styled without product, from AMI by Alexandre Matiussi spring 2012 men’s collection.
Who it is for

• Any man with straight or wavy hair capable of growing the top long.
• It’s also a great hairstyle to conceal a receding hairline, but make sure there’s enough thickness to support the quiff.
• This style is not for those who hate hair falling on their forehead or moving at all.

How it’ll be cut

• It’s all about the lengths – keep the sides short and your hair on top long.
• Ask your hairdresser to create a disconnection between the hair around the crown and top with the rest of the head. This can only be achieved with a hair cut at the salon.
• The sides and back can be cut with a clipper guard (number 2 or 3 work the best) or by using the scissor over comb technique for a tailored finish.

How to style it

• The undercut works with most every man’s hair type, be it straight, wavy or curly. If you have particularly thick hair, thin it down by styling with mousse.

Shoulder length haircut

Grecian God or not, shoulder length hair is never truly out, but it’s not always in either. The question for when it is in is always what style of man it’s being worn by. Is it popular the kick-back Indie kid, the guy whose life revolves around catching the next wave or an altogether different kind of man? In 2012, long, shoulder length men’s hair sits as a haircut with both a smart and sleek finish.

Straight and smooth, shoulder length hair.
You’ll note that there’s a big difference between long men’s hair as a surfer would wear it and as a guy would wear it into the office. While we’re under no illusion that you’re going to start seeing shoulder length haircuts around the boardroom table of the world’s stiffest financial institutions, it is a haircut that again has an office-edge. It just happens that it’s an office filled with creatives instead of bankers and accountants. Zegna took the lead with the sharp and somewhat conservative take on shoulder length hair at their spring 2012 showing.

From Zegna’s spring / summer 2012 showing.
Of course, just because it’s a haircut that is again the domain of the well heeled doesn’t meant that it’s naturally without its relevancy to those with a more relaxed attitude to life. Falke showed off just how that interpretation can work with long, wavy red hair in their spring / summer 2012 look book.

A casual version of long men’s hair for 2012, from Falke.
Who is it for

• Any man with long straight hair or managable waves not opposed to turning the heads of the sex they’re hoping to attract.

How it’ll be cut

• Ask your hairdresser to remove the just right amount of weight from the hair – you want it to sit and hang in a way that suits you, and a lot of this comes down to the weight.
• Particularly with long, straight hair layering the hair is an option, but do not forget that a layered take on this haircut will require frequent follow-up appointments.
• If layering, stay with longer layers that end at the shoulders. Don’t take the overall length of your hair too short as that’ll detract from the overall impact of the styling.
• Maintain one length for the hair; create one solid line that ends just where the collar starts. If any longer, it’ll be hard to manage.

How to style it

• When styling this look, create texture with a sea salt spray and a smoothing cream to eliminate frizz.
• If you have long, fine hair and don’t have time to properly style it, wear it back in a ponytail.
• The styling for this works best if the hair is one-day old, as scalp’s natural oils assist in the creating texture.