Barbershop Blog

WHAT'S THAT LOOK - A HAIRSTYLE GUIDE

July 16, 2019

Most established hair styles have a well known name or nickname that is broadly used to categorise the style. That name may vary from place to place but usually the names are derived by association to well known figures, early adopters or popular culture.

Barber Styling Young Boys Hair, The final touches.

We have composited a quick list of popular hairstyles and thrown in the Australian colloquial equivalents for the more pompous and un-relatable ones. Because seriously,

who is going to walk into the barbershop around Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle or the Hunter Valley and ask for a pompadour or a quiff?

Buzz Cut

This one is just as it sounds, clipper cut short all over, not for those with a bumpy cranium but great for those who are balding. When cut in the low grades this style can be worn with some serious attitude. The double zero version is known as a skinhead, if you’re unsure of what that is you may refer to Russel Crowe’s breakthrough role as Hando in the 1992 film Rompa Stompa.

Crew Cut

Just a little longer than a buzz cut, but a long ways more presentable, the back and sides are usually clippered and the top is trimmed and layered with scissors.

Pompadour

Say what? The hair on top of the head is styled upward to form a “pomp” above the forehead, this is the highest point and then the length gradually falls towards the back. Strange name but a killer look, especially with a mid skin fade and a hard part. Best to mention rockabilly if you can’t bring yourself to say pompadour.

Quiff

The quiff is closely related to the pompadour and is technically another undercut style. The most defining difference is the messy nature. The hair is often slanted to take on a wavy appearance and finished rough instead of slick and rigid like the pompadour. The quiff is super versatile and there are endless variants to the style so best just to talk this one through with your barber.

Fauxhawk

Not to be confused with the ‘fake hawk’ that was employed to control renegade magpies at Parliament House!! More on that here. Think David Beckham circa 2003. Like the chilled out brother to the real mohawk, extra length on the sides softens the look and makes it much more approachable and versatile.

Ivy League

Also known as a Harvard Clip or Princeton, this is basically a crew cut with enough length on top to style with a part. In Australia it is probably best not to mention those first three and just go with short back sides instead.

Mullet

An Australian Icon, Sometimes described as "Business in the front and a party in the back” Think Warwick Capper, Steve Irwin or Reg Reagan. Not often requested and only for the brave.

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