38 Men's Haircuts That Are Longer On the Top and Shorter On the Sides (2024)

While men's hairstyles come in a variety of shapes and lengths, the most common barbershop request is to keep the sides lean. Shorter sides complement most face shapes and accentuate the jaw-line or facial hair handsomely. But narrow edges don't mean your choices are narrowed, too. There are quiffs, pompadours, Caesars, and braids—a plethora of fades and buzz cuts—and even then, barbers can get extremely creative depending on what the client is looking for. But be sure to keep your lifestyle in mind. "The shorter the haircut, the more maintenance it will require," asserts Texas-based barber Wayne Wildrick, so make sure to take that seriously ahead of making your choice of cut.

Other than that, it's all about personality and what type of look you want to wear. So, we tapped Wildrick and hairstylist, Giovanni Vaccaro, to share the 38 best haircuts for men that have longer tops and shorter sides. From Chris Hemsworth's signature preppy look and Travis Scott's braids to Charles Melton's wavy quiff and Bradley Cooper's swept-back style, find them all below.

Meet the Expert

Wayne Wildrick is a stylist and barber at Scruff's Barbershop in Austin, Texas.

Giovanni Vaccaro is the artistic director for hair at Glamsquad, an in-home hair, makeup, nail service based in New York.

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Draped Waves

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Timothée Chalamet's carefree curls are so heavily requested, that the haircut has its own article devoted to it. Shaggy layers optimize his natural curl pattern, but by keeping the sides short, all the weight (and movement) are concentrated at the front.

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Curtain Cut

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The 90's resurgence has brought back a lot of sleeper trends, and curtain layers may be chief among them. Lucas of K-pop supergroup, SuperM, sports shorter sides and wispy bangs worthy of any 90's boy band.

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Undercut With Fade

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Arguably the most high-maintenance look on the list, the undercut requires much longer hair on top, with hair shorn down (in some cases, faded) on the sides. Just how short you go on the sides is best determined by natural bone structure. "Some clients may have bone protrusions on the sides and the back of the head," says Wildrick. "Generally, we don't expose them, so this is where your barber would decide where the fade placement should be to compensate for those irregularities that we all have as humans."

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Long Quiff

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Quiffs are a classic amongst men's haircuts, offering a neat-and-tidy approach that complements most. Henry Golding's long quiff is scissor-cut on the sides, with extra length at the top for styling.

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Combover Taper Fade

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One of the trendiest cuts amongst athletes? The combover. We're as surprised as you are, but we can't deny Christiano Ronaldo's taper-faded iteration looks particularly suave.

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Mid-Length Layers

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Brad Pitt's medium-length strands are dubiously narrowed at the edges. While longer layers at the top fall around his temples and tuck behind the ears, the sides are kept shorter for a tidy shape that tapers toward the nape of the neck.

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Spiked Top

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This is a good example of how the long on top/short on the sides cut can be worn for versatility. In this shot, Liam Hemsworth's longer hair is styled in a loose, spiky style.

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1950's Greaser

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Made popular by devil-may-care leading men of the 50's, the Greaser cut champions a more rebellious nature. Joaquin Phoenix's effortless waves showcase the cut perfectly, with close-cropped sides ascending to longer, loose waves.

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Modern Fade

Singer Khalid's modern curly fade brings out his texture. The result (balanced with a slightly grown-out beard) is the perfect natural look. Be sure to invest in ahydrating conditionerto ensure the hair on top stays moisturized.

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Short Afro

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Embrace your natural texture and let the side grow out instead of getting them tapered regularly. Donald Glover's short Afro retains its height without adding bulk around the face.

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Swept-Back

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Bradley Cooper's elegant, swept-back style is one of the most-requested among Vaccaro's clients. "This style is probably the most popular, and my clients always bring in a photo of Bradley Cooper for this one," he says. "It looks good on most men and most textures." To replicate the look, he recommends "keeping the sides wispy but not super tight." In other words, "no barber fades here."

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High and Tight

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Faded sides with just a bit of length on top equates to a low-maintenance and plenty of sophistication. Will Smith's version is accompanied by a well-groomed goatee, to balance the look.

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Wavy Pompadour

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For this shot, soccer star Radamel Falcao's hair is styled up and back to create a pompadour effect. The hair on top is worn a bit loose with separation for a more casual look.

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Disconnected Sides

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This is considered a classic men’s cut; short on the sides and back and left long and thick on top. Justin Timberlake's soft scissor cut blends the shorter sides to create a smooth transition with the length on top.

Byrdie Tip

As with any style, keep in mind that some looks are better on specific face shapes. This particular style looks best on a narrower face.

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Short Sides With Locs

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Soccer star Gabriel Barbosa's hair is kept short on the sides—but his long, blondelocsoffer plenty of interest. The key here is to keep hair on the sides faded, so the look accentuates his locs.

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Texturized Top

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Jamie Dornan's versatile style, which can be worn messy with a bit of styling paste, emphasizes texture at the top. A mousse is also a great styling product for men and it can be used to style all hair types.

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High Skin Fade

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Highlight your coils with a high skin fade on the sides like Cuba Gooding Jr. If this is too much, opt for a low skin fade, which leaves a bit more hair on the sides, but it's still faded enough to create a stylish profile.

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Wavy Quiff

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Give wavy hair an ultra-tousled look by growing out the top section of your hair and using a curl-enhancing product, such as a mousse, like Charles Melton. It'll help maintain the integrity of your natural wave while reducing unwanted frizz.

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Rounded Crop

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Kevin Hart's short cut is rounded, allowing his hairline to take center stage. A slight taper on the sides lends trendiness and a longer goatee adds extra style.

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Lean Sides

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For this style, Chris Hemsworth's hair is cut aggressively short on the sides and back and left long on top. The top and front are cut with a razor to create movement, texture, and separation.

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Braids

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Copy Travis Scott's braids for a high-contrast, high-impact look. The rapper typically dons about 10 braids that stem from the top of his head while leaving the rest of the hair buzzed close to the scalp.

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Shattered Bangs

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For Ashton Kutcher's style, the hair is cut short on the sides and back while a razor is used in front to give the bangs a deconstructed look.

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Afro Fade

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Usher's style combines an afro fade and a mohawk with hair kept extremely cropped on the sides, and higher through the middle. To replicate this look, you'll want to get a trim every four to six weeks. "If you are considering a fade, look up inspiration photos of people who have hair similar to your type and color," says Wildrick. "In my experience, I have generally found that clients with dark and thicker hair can get away with low to high fades whereas clients with light and less dense hair look more suitable with a low fade."

Byrdie Tip

A low fade allows for more gradience, which you can’t get with a mid or high fade.

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Casual Separation

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For this long-on-top style, Zac Efron's hair is razor-cut on top and in the front to add lift and a piecey texture. A bit of styling paste enhances the suave style.

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Sleek Bangs

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Cillian Murphy's signature fringe is cut close on the sides and back and worn parted neatly in the center. Pomade will help to add shine and control.

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Locs

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The Weeknd's locs are shaped into a mohawk and feature tightly trimmed sides that match the length of his facial hair. The temple-to-beard gradient is especially superb.

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Disconnected Bangs

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Actor and model Lucas Till is often seen wearing his hair short on the sides and back, with exaggerated length on top. For this style, the front is disconnected from the sides, and the hair is worn brushed forward and to the side.

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Wavy Top

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Kit Harington wears his natural wave pattern combed back, but for a more natural look, the hair can be allowed to fall on its own, without the use of any products.

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Slicked-Back With Side Part

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Here, Joe Alwyn's cut is short on the sides, longer up top, parted, and slicked back with a paste. The look errs on the retro edge of the spectrum but particularly flatters Alwyn's bone structure.

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Line Up

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Michael B. Jordan combines a lineup—where the natural hairline is straightened in the shape of a line—with a mid-fade. This style of fade lands below the temples and just above the ear. As Wildrick explains, how short you go with a fade depends on how often you plan to maintain it. "Suitability is always the word," he says. "The best way to maintain a fade (or any look) is to find one conducive to your lifestyle. If you go in for a skin fade, it will show signs of growing out within a week. If you are trying to maintain that look, you will need to be back in the shop every one to two weeks."

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Sky-High Pompadour

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Give the top of your hair some major volume with a retro-inspired pompadour à la Bruno Mars. Unlike Falcao's wavy iteration, Mars opts for scissor-cut sides over a buzzed fade to retain a softer appearance.

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Short Sides With Bangs

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For more of a boyish look, copy Paul Mescal's signature bangs with short sides. The fringe can be worn straight across like this, swooped to the side, or swept up for a more lived-in vibe.

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Curly Shag

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Shags work wonders on hair of all textures, but Dev Patel's grown-out layers really come to life courtesy of his springy curls. The style is especially low maintenance, typically air-drying into formation.

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Full Top

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Miguel's thick hair is cut in long layers; this style can be worn loose or styled neatly with products for a more formal look.

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High Fade With Buzzed Sides

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As seen on professional basketball player, Steph Curry, a buzz cut keeps hair tight up top, and a high fade raises the hairline. The resulting look is masculine with a bit of an edge.

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Perfectly Disheveled

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Robert Pattinson effortlessly pulls off this perfectly tousled hairstyle. In fact, he’s known for it. You can mimic his disheveled 'do by coating your hands with mousse and running them through your hair to impart volume. Add in a bit of hair paste or hairspray for a little more height on top, but keep hair piece-y– messy even–to keep from looking overstyled.

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Curly High Top Fade

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Odell Beckham Jr.'s high top fade is similar to Steph Curry's, however he keeps the top longer to emphasize his coils. He also bleaches the ends to give it a bit more drama. Work in a light hold styling balm to provide moisture and a natural finish.

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Messy Textured Top

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Pete Davidson's hair matches his personality—cool, quirky, and approachable. To copy his look, use a light hand with products to retain the no-fuss style. Work in some hair paste or hairspray for more volume on top, but keep it slightly messy. (Hair bleach and sunglasses are recommended, but optional.)

38 Men's Haircuts That Are Longer On the Top and Shorter On the Sides (2024)

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