Summer and festival season are officially here!
That means men are looking for low-key, effortlessly cool summer hairstyles that are equally at home in the mud at Glastonbury as they are on the red carpet.
Here are three looks for lads that are peaking right now:
Man Bun
Bradley Cooper, Machine Gun Kelly, and Jason Momoa can't be wrong: The man bun is an iconic hairstyle ideal for this time of year, when men want to get their hair off their face whilst looking trendy. This option gives them the opportunity to customize their look and pair it with faded or shaved sides for extra polish.
The man bun can be worn in a variety of ways, including towards the back of the head, on the nape, or like a pineapple up at the crown.
There's one DON'T to this look: Do not use it as a way to hide a snarled mess. (You're not fooling anyone anyway!) Detangle the hair and give it a bit of product before pulling it back into the bun, smoothing down flyaways.
I particularly like this style with an undercut, slicked down to the back of the head using a comb and a high hold- and- shine product (like American Crew Superglue).
Braided Rat-Tails
Not for the faint-hearted, this quirky style was most notably sported by Matt Smith recently at the Armani runway show in Milan. For guys with longer hair, it's a fun look to experiment with, particularly at festivals.
Braiding the hair down the middle into a fauxhawk creates an eye-catching style whilst keeping hair tamed all day and night. Try it with one or two super-short sides (as Matt has) for extra edge.
To add more glam to the look, accentuate the rat-tail at the back with a pop of bold color.
Broccoli Top
As the hottest style among Gen Zs, this cut definitely gives a youthful vibe as it plays up natural texture. It's laid-back and relaxed, yet still feels polished and bold.
The broccoli top looks best with tapered sides, creating a seamless transition to the top of the head, where the hair is left longer — the more volume, the better. With this style, it's all about flexing those glorious curls and waves.
Make the texture the star by working a hydrating curling cream (like Label M Curl Define Cream) through damp hair whilst separating and twirling the curls, to maximize their definition. Scrunch the hair as it dries (via Mother Nature or a dryer with a diffuser attachment).
Finish with a sea salt spray when dry to enhance volume and give the finished look a more natural feel.
U.K.-based Jim Shaw is a grooming expert, influencer, and men's hair educator. Among other accolades, he has been named British Hairdresser of the Year, Barber of the Year, and International Men's Hairdresser of the Year.