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 (4 answers total)

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, 2008

Response by poster: 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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008