I can has good looks?

March 19, 2008 6:48 AM

HaircutFilter: Help me choose a men's haircut/style.

I'm a 26-year-old white guy with coarse, thick, black hair. I have a tendency to go far too long between haircuts, and dread them because I'm afraid that I'm going to get a bad haircut. It's irrational, because while I'm procrastinating, my hair looks pretty horrible, but at least I'm not wasting money, right?

Well anyway, I have an appointment today after work for a haircut, and I'm looking for ideas. I kind of like how Jeremy Davies looks as Daniel Faraday on Lost, and I have very similar facial hair, but my hair might be a bit thick compared to his.

Additional details: I wear glasses, I plan on keeping my beard (my fiancée loves it more than I do), and my hair is currently just a little longer than the Faraday picture on Wikipedia. I'm willing to go short, but not too short.

I work at a university, so I'd like to look relatively professional, but it can definitely be stylish and cool and still appropriate for work.

Pictures would be especially appreciated so that I might be able to print them out for my stylist tonight!

posted by explosion to clothing, beauty, & fashion (5 comments total)

As a guy with a beard and hip glasses, let me tell you what's worked for me.

Super short hair, one that you can keep short with a set of clippers at home, works wonders for a guy in this scenario. The second I cut my hair that short, everyone perked up and said "I had no idea your eyes were so intense". The compliments came from everywhere.

The short hair thing works with a beard because you can pull off a little scruff by letting your beard go a little bit and still pull off the professional look. You don't look like a fratboy; you look like someone who's a little edgy. It's neat.

This is what I look like with the beard trimmed a little bit.
posted by scabrous at 6:59 AM on March 19 [1 favorite]

If your hair is thick and you want the look you linked to in the photograph, you need to see a very good stylist. Jeremy Davies did not get that look from someone at Great Clips. That said, show your skilled stylist that photo, and talk with him/her about what you can do that will work.
posted by Medieval Maven at 8:25 AM on March 19

Scabrous, I've done that look, but my fiancée likes me having hair that's long enough to run her fingers through. I'm looking for a real style.

Medieval Maven, I'm going to Liquid Hair Studios in Boston. They're not super expensive, but far and away better than the mall barber shop. Mostly I'm just looking for ideas.
posted by explosion at 8:39 AM on March 19

I've recently come to the conclusion that good hair lies mostly in the styling. So when you're talking to the stylist, ask what products you should be using and what you should do with it. If you want a look like the picture, expect to put nice globs of stuff in your hair daily. If you're unwilling to do so, tell your stylist and try to find a cut that works with the amount of effort and product you're willing to put into it.
posted by advicepig at 10:31 AM on March 19

Go a little early and go through the books they have at the stylist. I spent forever trying to find mens' hairstyles online for my son a couple weeks ago and got precisely nowhere. The stylist will have these big dorky hardcover books full of haircuts in the waiting area - they all do. Pick two or three cuts that are relatively appealing and bring your Daniel Faraday picture and say, look, within the bounds of probability and the laws of physics, I want my hair to look more or less like these. Then sit back and pray. It's all anyone can do, really. FWIW, my son has gotten a couple of fairly decent haircuts this way. Oh, and advicepig is right - be honest and upfront about how much styling you will actually do. If you're just going to wash your hair every day and run out the door, some looks simply won't work.
posted by mygothlaundry at 12:24 PM on March 19