You ever notice how the best hair always feels like it wasn’t even trying? You see that guy walk into the room — his hair is doing its thing, not too polished, not too messy, just… perfectly undone. And you wonder, how does he pull that off? Well, that right there is the essence of modern men’s hair trends, and if none of your hairstyles ever felt “right,” this guide is going to be your playbook.
Understanding the Modern Hair Movement
Effortless Confidence vs. Forced Precision
Here's the truth: hair trends today have less to do with trying hard and more to do with understanding the natural state of your hair — and then enhancing it with intention, not control.
This is echoed by Andrew Doir, a Southern California-based celebrity hairdresser. After 20 years in the game cutting athletes, actors, models, and creatives, he breaks it down: Modern hair isn't about polish — it's about personalization and flow.
Trends by Age: What's In Right Now
Age 18–25: Disheveled Texture & Controlled Chaos
Young men are diving head-first into expressive, messy flow. Think natural waves, curls, and even perms if the DNA doesn’t deliver on its own. These aren’t your mom’s curls though — it’s the TikTok-fueled resurgence of ‘90s skater hair, often middle-parted, loose, and intentionally undone.
- Texture Over Tidy: Young clients often want waves or messy bends instead of polished comb lines.
- Clean Tapers – But Hidden: The sides might still be tidied up or faded, but the top screams chaos — a deliberate juxtaposition.
- Perms are Back: For straight-haired guys, perms are creeping back with strong momentum, creating a unique contrast to clean facial lines.
Age 25–35: Lived-In Luxury
This group seeks what Luke would call “effortless positioning.” The hair looks like you got a cut last week — perfectly matured, relaxed into your routine. The idea is natural elegance that doesn’t demand attention but gets it anyway.
- Short & Messy Buzz Cuts: Even when it's short, the vibe is unkempt. Think Ryan Reynolds energy — it looks like it just landed like that.
- Mullet Movement: The dirty, cool, chaotic mullet is back — not sloppy, but cleverly disheveled with shape maintained underneath.
- No Styled Styling: Forget the blow-dried perfection. The move now is “I woke up like this.”
Age 35+: Refined Rebellion
Here’s where things get iconically disruptive. The dominant force? Think 1980s business mogul — less Mad Men, more American Psycho. Shiny, slicked back, sharp — but not flat. There’s a power and dominance in these shapes.
- The American Psycho Cut: Still leading for mature clients. Suits well with layered, mid-length looks for a strong jawline presence.
- Long Layered Styles: More men are growing their hair and opting for long layers. This introduces movement and removes triangle shapes caused by one-length cuts.
What’s On Its Way Out
Goodbye to These Old School Styles
If we’re being real, modern fashion is often about knowing what not to do. Here are the styles getting gently pushed off the stage.
- Slick Pomades & Comb Lines: Tightly styled hair with visible comb tracks and glossy finishes is losing ground rapidly.
- Edgar & Broccoli Cuts: Considered memes of the internet world — unfortunately for their wearers. High maintenance and visually divisive.
- Old School Side Parts: The 1950s gentleman comb-over? Only for the truly committed classicist now. Most men are styling against hard symmetry.
- Hair Designs: Hairline etchings and patterns may still exist in niche barber artistry but are generally not trending.
The Rise of Purposeful Indifference
Lived-In is the New Luxe
High effort, low appearance of effort — sound familiar? The look today is accidental excellence. Clients even request cuts that look like “they got them last week.” It’s about radiant imperfection.
Techniques Supporting the Look:
- No Sharp Lines: Leaving necklines, beards, and outlines soft makes the haircut age gracefully — without frequent trips to the chair.
- Natural Textures: More men are proudly owning waves, curls, and coils — not straightening them out.
Layering: The Secret to Movement and Volume
Layering unlocks everything in men’s fashion-focused hairstyles. It’s the tool that adds air, character, and spontaneous volume to medium or long hair. If your hair grows down into a triangle shape: you need layers.
What Layers Do:
- Top vs Bottom Separation: Shorter top layers move freely while longer bottom layers support structure.
- Unlock Movement: Layers reduce weight and allow hair to wave, curl, and bounce naturally.
- Shape Transformation: Takes flat, growing-out hair into structured freedom.
Hairstyle + Beard Pairing
Beards are being treated like hairstyle extensions. No one wants painted-on, Instagram-perfect edges anymore. Instead, the fade works its magic here too.
What’s Hot in Beards:
- Natural Fades: Blend-out beards fade into skin at the edges — growing back gracefully without visible lines.
- No High Maintenance: Hard lines fall apart in two days. Clients want to avoid the upkeep.
- Embracing Scruff: Patchy beards? Scraggly styles? Guys are shockingly into it. Think “accidental charisma.”
Top Hair Products Right Now
The Big Three: Sea Salt, Dry Shampoo & Styling Powder
Sea Salt Spray
This is weightless control. It adds tactility to long or mid-length hair without OKG-glossy grease. Just a little stickiness lets strands anchor each other in place. Great for soft waves.
Dry Shampoo (But Not Just for Washing Less)
This stuff reinvents your style days after washing. Born out of necessity, now used as a high-level styling trick. Features:
- Absorbs root oils
- Refreshes hair without water
- Adds matte texture for volume
- Can even conceal thinning when appropriately pigmented
Texturizing Powder (Use Caution)
Think powdered styling espresso. Insane grit and dramatic hold. But use sparingly — overuse will make your hair feel like dry spaghetti noodles.
The Hair Matrix: Maintain Less, Look Better
Here's the formula: Wash less, cut less, style less. But when you do take action, do it with sharp intention. Use lightweight products that support natural texture. Seek cuts that go the distance over weeks, not just days.
Emulate Luke’s mindset — optimize for flow and signals. Because when your hair speaks the right language, the rest of your fit just plays in harmony.
Explore our collection of Korean-inspired textures and contemporary styles to align your hair with your entire wardrobe.
