Men's 2010 Hair Trends: Styles, Cuts, Colors

All fashion trends are cyclical, and in recent years have gradually modernised the looks of the 20th Century and planted them firmly in the 21st. Such a modernisation of past styles is especially true of men's hair trends in 2011: it's out with the new, and in with the old. Or at least an old hair style with a new twist.

2011 sees men's hair styles fall into two distinct categories: school boy and rocker. But while the rocker look is certainly a 20th Century creation, the resulting hair style finds its roots (if you'll pardon the pun) distinctly in 19th Century Britain. And so it is in 2010; while the odd 2010 runway collection featured something akin to a grunge revival, the majority of us will live out 2010 with a refined, classically inspired hair cut.
If you're looking for women's 2011 hairstyle, click the link to read more. If you'd like to receive all the men's hair trend updates, along with all our other trend and fashion picture updates, subscribe to Fashionising.com's free fashion newsletter or our RSS feed.

2011 men's hair trends: 2011 men's hairstyles

Men's fringe hairstyle trend

The men's fringe is the dominant hair trend for gents in 2011. And while it was also on-trend in 2010, 2011 offers up three variations on the men's hair trend:

1. the well-groomed, wept fringe
2. the textured, et fringe
3. the curly fringe

Straight fringe

Continuing on from last year's men's hair trends, the men's fringe remains a major feature of men's hair trends in 2010. But, naturally, this is a hair trend that has evolved. While the men's fringe in 2009 was all about close-to-eyebrow length, in 2010 we have more options.

How To Cut The Fringe
Thankfully, the men's fringe trend in 2010 comes in a variety of lengths, so you're going to be able to play with the look to suit your face shape. While you'll be looking to keep shorter back and sides (British grade 4-5), the way of truly making it your own is to play with the length of the fringe itself. No better example exists than the Bottega Veneta Men's Spring-Summer 2009 catwalk which provided two fringes in stark contrast to each other:

Of the two, the latter side swept fringe is the more preferential, with the cropped fringe looking a little too nondescript. If the side swept fringe does look like a hair style you might wear, be sure to check out marni's mens wear fall (autumn)winter 2009/2010 catwalk collection where it was a look sported by most of the models.
Personally, I'd recommend something far more current and cut your fringe with texture and at brow length as seen on Burberry Prorsum's Men's spring/ summer 2009 catwalk (below).

How To Style The Fringe
Whether you take a straightening iron to your hair or enjoy naturally straight hair, the men's fringe trend in 2010 is all about texture. I'm not talking about afro-inducing curls akin to those spotted on Alexander McQueen's fall (Autumn)winter 2009/2010 runway (those were horrible) but light, layered detail. And in giving us the best length, Burberry Prorsum also featured the best textured styling for the men's fringe:
This textured hair style, with its longer fringe, is the 2010 incarnation of the 'Caesar cut', named after the hair style Roman dictator perpetuus Julius Caesar who is frequently depicted wearing his hair in a similar fashion. For a similar reason, it's also become known as 'the Clooney Cut' after actor George Clooney. While cut to bring hair from the temples and crown towards the forehead, the overall effect depends largely on using a matte wax or pomade to create the rugged texture and is quite akin to something sported by men in the Regency era.
And if it's a rugged texture you're after, particularly if you have wavy or curly hair, then look no further than Gucci's Men's Fall(autumn)winter 2009/2010 catwalk where the models oozed sex with a take on 2010's fringe hair style trend.

Wet fringe

Men's curly fringe

Back in 2008 when a fringe wasn't school boy straight it was only ever one other thing: messy - think a messed up rocker post groupie session and you're shan't be far off the mark. That style came in 2008 and then it went. But amongst 2011's men's hair styles are looks that move away from the genteel and, thus, the messy fringe returns in another form: curly hair. While cut curly all over, the trend for men's curly hair in 2011 is to wear it with length in the fringe, which should be the dominant focus of the hairstyle.
As for the exact length of this curly hair trend, it's whatever suits you best. Chaps whose curly hair permits length without the need for a lot of hair product may opt for something 1970's (the decade with the biggest impact on 2011 Fashion trends) inspired, while those in need of more product may opt for a less voluminous take on the hair trend. Both of these styles are pictured, respectively, directly below and were seen on Gucci's S/S 2011 catwalk.

 If neither of those curly hairstyles are suited to your mane then the shorter version, with its ability to be styled with much more hair product than the former two styles, may be an option.