Summer Hairstyles with Steven
We went into the studio with resident Classfare barber and stylist Steven Gosvener of Oranj Studio. Read on for images and styling of Mr. Gosvener’s three favorite summer cuts, why they work, and how to get them done right.
Summer is here (and winter is not coming any time soon – sorry, Jon Snow). It’s my favorite season here in the Pacific Northwest as a barber. It means camping, beach trips, drinking with friends, and barbecues. Unfortunately, it also means beanie season is over. We can no longer hide under our hoods and knit skullies as the sun beats down. It’s a season of change. Whether you want a totally new look or just something a little different, take the advice of Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders: “Get yourself a decent haircut man, we’re going to the races.”
Barbering, at its core, is a craft. Just as a woodworker or blacksmith use their tools to work wood or metal into a finished piece, barbers use scissors and clippers to work hair into a finished product. Yet so many many of us men view our hair one dimensionally. We look in the mirror straight on, throw some water or random gel in our hair, push it back, and head out the door thinking we look great when in reality, our coifs look more like Donald Trump than Don Draper. So quit being lazy – your hair has the potential to be your best accessory.
There is an old-school mens only barbershop in Rotterdam, Netherlands called Schorem Haarsnijder en Barbier. They are a big influence on how I approach barbering. Their philosophy is that “barbering should always be about style and perfecting haircuts that have proven themselves over time” and that’s just what this haircut is. They call this cut the Scumbag Boogie.
This haircut is a classic for a reason.
It looks good on anyone and works well on almost all hair types. A lot of barbers may know this haircut by name, but if yours doesn’t, this is what you want to ask for:
On top, leave at least 3 to 4 inches of length. Get it texturized enough so it will be easy for you to style but not so much so that it loses its shape. For the sides, ask for a high fade that follows the round of your head, and have your barber leave a bit of a weight line (the weight line is the point around the head where the longest hair falls). Too much of a weight line will just look like a bowl cut, but you want just enough to give it a little drama. For the length on the sides, I started the fade with a #0 guard, but if you want it a little longer, ask for a #1. Finally, this cut works best with a hard part. A hard part is where you shave in and straight razor the part line into the haircut. It makes styling your hair a lot easier since you don’t have to find where your part line looks best everyday. If you have a prominent recession or receding hairline, make sure not to have the part put in too high (it will show off your recession more). I would put the hard part in at the mid to low recession.
To style this haircut, I used Reuzel High-Sheen Pomade. Put a little in your palm, work it through towel dried hair and style as desired.
To keep this haircut fresh and clean, I would recommend getting it cut every three to four weeks.
This is the perfect cut for men
that don’t know what to do with
their curly or wavy hair.
You’re able to switch from professional to casual easily – just slick it back for a cleaner look on the job, then rough it up and give it more of a personality when you are out with friends. Using a strong disconnection in the lengths from the top of the head and the sides allows you to stretch out trips to the barbershop if you don’t have time to go in every month.
The length is up to you, but it will grow out better if you ensure there is a decent length difference between the top and sides. Ask for a slight fade on the sides – go as short as you are comfortable with (it’s summer, after all). Leave enough length on top for your curl to show. Curly hair is naturally thicker and coarser, so you’ll need to ask your barber to slice out a lot of weight to allow it to move and have character. Work with your hairline and ask your barber to leave it as is, rather than edging your hairline in. This creates a more natural feeling and grows out a lot nicer over time. When you are styling your hair, don’t fight with your cowlicks. Rather, work with them. In a battle between you and your curly hair, the hair always wins. Use a little R+Co Aircraft Pomade Mousse in towel dried hair and work through roots to ends to give your hair volume and hold. Let it air dry to keep as much curl as possible.
The maintenance for this haircut it all personal preference. You can get it trimmed up every month to keep it clean or you can let it go up to three months if you want to play around with having it a little longer.
While American culture oft associates longer hair with the fairer sex, long hair and masculinity have gone hand in hand in history and mythology alike (see: Thor, Samson, William Wallace). However, there’s a fine line between looking like a guy with long hair and a woman, so make sure you know what to ask for when you go in for a trim. There are usually two problems men have with long hair: it’s too long and/or it’s too heavy and thick. When your hair is too long and you want to lose some length, make sure you ask for the ends to be heavily textured. It will make your hair look more natural and keep an overall lived-in feeling to so it won’t feel like you just cut your hair. When your hair is feeling too heavy or thick, instead of having your stylist add some layers to get rid of the bulkiness, ask them to slice out some internal weight. This will help keep a masculine shape and maintain length.
There’s a fine line between looking like a guy with long hair and a woman, so make sure you know what to ask for when you go in for a trim.
For styling, lightly towel dry your hair, spray a little R+Co Rockaway Salt Spray, scrunch it in, and you’re set for the day. It’s okay if it’s still a little damp – letting your hair air dry lets your natural wave or texture show and won’t get frizzy. Wear it up in a bun, tuck it behind your ears, or just let it go.
Growing your hair out and maintaining it is a two-steps-forward one-step-back process. Regular maintenance is a must when growing it out. I would recommend going in about every four months for a trim and shape up until your hair is shoulder length. If you want to continue to grow it longer, you can stretch out your haircuts to every six to eight months once it hits shoulder length.