--- title: "Classic Men’s Haircuts" date: 2026-11-13 author: "" --- # Classic Men’s Haircuts ## Classic Men’s Haircuts [Home](/) / [Men’s hairstyles](/mens-hairstyles/) / Classic Men’s Haircuts# Classic Men’s Haircuts Classic haircuts for men are the cuts that were standard in barbershops long before fades took over, and that still get asked for every day. Most share one idea: short, tidy back and sides, more length on top, and a shape that grows out gracefully. Below are the eleven worth knowing, how they differ, and how to ask for each without a photo. ## 11 styles in this collection [![Grey-haired older man with a classic short back and sides and a side parting, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/short-back-and-sides-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Short Back and Sides** Grade 2 to 4 sides Side partingEvery 4 weeksSBS ](/mens-hairstyles/short-back-and-sides/) [![Man with a crew cut, a short top brushed up at the front over tapered sides, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/crew-cut-haircut-card-photo-b.jpg) **Crew Cut** Longer front Grade 2 to 3 sidesEvery 3 to 4 weeksCrew haircut ](/mens-hairstyles/crew-cut/) [![Man with an Ivy League cut, a longer front combed to the side over short tapered sides, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/ivy-league-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Ivy League** Longer front Side partingEvery 3 to 4 weeksPrinceton cut ](/mens-hairstyles/ivy-league/) [![Bearded man with a side part, a shaved parting line and short faded sides, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/side-part-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Side Part** Tapered sides Side partingEvery 3 to 4 weeksSide parting ](/mens-hairstyles/side-part/) [![Bearded man with a comb over swept to one side above short faded sides, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/comb-over-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Comb Over** Faded sides Combed acrossEvery 2 to 3 weeksComb over fade ](/mens-hairstyles/comb-over/) [![Man with a tall pompadour swept up and back over short sides, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/pompadour-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Pompadour** Low fade VolumeEvery 4 to 6 weeksPomp ](/mens-hairstyles/pompadour/) [![Man with a high and tight, the sides clipped close well up the head and a short top, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/high-and-tight-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **High and Tight** Short top Very short sidesEvery 1 to 2 weeksHigh and tight haircut ](/mens-hairstyles/high-and-tight/) [![Grey-haired man with a classic scissor taper and a side-swept top, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/taper-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Taper Haircut** Natural hairline No skinEvery 3 to 6 weeksClassic taper ](/mens-hairstyles/taper-haircut/) [![Man with a Caesar haircut, a short top brushed forward into a straight fringe, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/caesar-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Caesar Haircut** Even top Short fringeEvery 3 to 4 weeksCaesar cut ](/mens-hairstyles/caesar-haircut/) [![Man with a tall, level flat top on coily hair and closely faded sides, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/flat-top-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Flat Top** High fade Level topEvery 2 weeksFlattop ](/mens-hairstyles/flat-top/) [![Bearded man with dark hair slicked straight back over short sides, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/slick-back-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Slick Back** Long top Combed backEvery 4 to 6 weeksSlicked back hair ](/mens-hairstyles/slick-back/) ## £5 off your first delivery A fresh cut looks sharpest with a clean neckline and tidy sideburns. A sharp blade keeps them that way between visits without the razor burn. *This page has a form, which is not reproduced here. Use the page itself to fill it in.* £5 off your first subscription or VIP order – one per customer, unsubscribe with 1 click ## What makes a haircut classic There is no official list, but the classic men’s hairstyles have a few things in common. ![Man in a blue Oxford shirt with an Ivy League cut, the front combed to the side, in a barbershop](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/ivy-league-side-part-barbershop.jpg)The sides are short but rarely down to skin. Most are cut with a grade 2 to 4 (6mm to 12mm) or scissor over comb, and the neckline is tapered into the neck rather than squared off. That is why they look acceptable at three weeks and still respectable at six. The top carries the style. A centimetre or two gives you a crew cut, five or six gives you a side part, and ten or more gives you a pompadour. Same back and sides, very different haircut. They also suit almost every workplace. If you want a cut nobody will comment on in an interview, a wedding or a funeral, you will find it on this page. For the newer styles too, [the full men’s hairstyles directory](/mens-hairstyles/) covers everything else. ## The short end ### Short back and sides ![Profile of a bearded man in a white shirt with a short back and sides and a side parting](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/short-back-and-sides-side-parting-profile.jpg)The [short back and sides](/mens-hairstyles/short-back-and-sides/) is the traditional British barbershop cut and the base most of the others are built on. Grade 2 to 4 on the sides, 3 to 6cm on top, worn with a parting or combed into place. If you are unsure what to ask for, start here. ### Crew cut The [crew cut](/mens-hairstyles/crew-cut/) is shorter on top, about 1 to 3cm, and graded so the front is the longest part. It needs almost no styling and suits fine hair well, because short lengths make thin hair look fuller. ### High and tight The [high and tight](/mens-hairstyles/high-and-tight/) takes the sides very short, often down to a grade 0 or skin, and runs them high up the head, leaving a small patch of short hair on top. It has military roots and looks it. It is the most severe cut here and needs the most frequent visits. ### Flat top The [flat top](/mens-hairstyles/flat-top/) stands the hair on top straight up and cuts it level, like a deck. It needs thick, coarse hair that will stand on its own, and a barber who can cut a level surface with clippers over a comb. Fewer barbers do it well than claim to. ### Caesar The [Caesar haircut](/mens-hairstyles/caesar-haircut/) is short all over with a short, straight fringe brushed forward. It hides a receding hairline better than anything else on this list and takes seconds to style. ## The longer end ### Ivy League The [Ivy League](/mens-hairstyles/ivy-league/) is a crew cut left long enough on top, usually 3 to 5cm at the front, to take a side parting. It is the smart, slightly dressier version of the same shape, and where a crew cut ends up if you let the top grow. ### Side part The [side part](/mens-hairstyles/side-part/) is any cut worn with the hair divided on one side and combed across. Most of the classics can be worn this way. The page covers how to find your natural parting and whether to have a hard line shaved in. ### Comb over The modern [comb over](/mens-hairstyles/comb-over/) is a side-parted cut with more length on top, swept firmly to one side, usually over short or faded sides. It has nothing to do with covering a bald patch, which does not work, and the [haircuts for balding men](/mens-hairstyles/haircuts-for-balding-men/) page has the cuts that do. ### Taper haircut The [taper haircut](/mens-hairstyles/taper-haircut/) is the old way of finishing the sides, with scissors or longer clipper grades that get gradually shorter towards the neck and ears, with no skin and no fade line. It is the softest finish on this page and grows out the best. If you want a closer finish at the edges, that is a [taper fade](/mens-hairstyles/taper-fade/). ### Slick back The [slick back](/mens-hairstyles/slick-back/) combs the whole top straight back with little height, held with a shine or matte product. It needs at least 7cm on top and suits straight or wavy hair best. ### Pompadour The [pompadour](/mens-hairstyles/pompadour/) is the tallest classic: all of the top swept back with real volume at the front. It needs the most length, a hair dryer and a firm product. It is often confused with the [quiff](/mens-hairstyles/quiff/), which lifts only the front and lets the rest lie flatter. ## The classics side by side CutSidesTop lengthHow often to cutBest for Short back and sidesGrade 2 to 4 or scissors3 to 6cmEvery 4 to 6 weeksAnyone wanting a safe, tidy cut Crew cutGrade 1 to 31 to 3cmEvery 3 to 4 weeksFine hair, no styling High and tightGrade 0 or skin, highUp to 2cmEvery 1 to 2 weeksA very short, sharp look Flat topGrade 1 tapered, or a high fade2 to 5cm, cut levelEvery 1 to 2 weeksThick, coarse hair CaesarGrade 1 to 3, or faded1 to 3cm, forward fringeEvery 3 to 4 weeksReceding hairlines Ivy LeagueGrade 2 to 33 to 5cm at the frontEvery 3 to 4 weeksOffices, a smart parting Side partGrade 2 to 3 or scissors4 to 7cmEvery 3 to 4 weeksStraight or wavy hair Comb overMid or skin fade5 to 8cmEvery 2 to 3 weeksThick hair, a sharper look Taper haircutScissors or grade 3 to 4, down to a grade 24 to 8cmEvery 3 to 6 weeksGrowing out gracefully Slick backGrade 2 to 4 or faded7cm or moreEvery 4 to 6 weeksStraight or wavy hair PompadourGrade 2 to 3 or a low fade8 to 12cm at the frontEvery 4 to 6 weeksThick hair and patience The lengths are starting points. Your barber will adjust them to your head and how your hair grows. If faded sides are part of the plan, take a week or two off each cutting interval. ## Choosing between them Start with the length you actually have. Hair grows roughly a centimetre a month, so going from a crew cut to a pompadour is the best part of a year. The cuts in the short group are available today. The longer ones are something to grow towards. Then think about your hair. Fine hair looks fuller kept short, so a crew cut, Caesar or Ivy League is the usual answer. Thick hair gives you the full list, and the tall styles need it. Curly hair suits the shorter classics and a soft side part more than a slick back. The [hairstyles by hair type](/mens-hairstyles/hairstyles-by-hair-type/) page goes into this properly. If your hairline is receding, avoid anything that lifts the front up and back, which means the pompadour and slick back. A Caesar or a short crew keeps the hair forward and is far kinder. Last, styling time. A crew cut, Caesar or high and tight needs nothing. A side part needs a comb and a minute. A pompadour needs a hair dryer and five minutes every morning. ## How to ask a UK barber for a classic cut Barbers who have been cutting for a while know all of these by name, but the names are used loosely. Give them three things and you will get what you meant. **The sides.** Say the grade, or ask for scissor over comb. A grade 3 (9mm) is a sensible default. Say “tapered at the neck, no fade” if you want the traditional finish, because many barbers now fade by default. **The top.** Say how much to take off rather than how long to leave it. “Just a tidy on top” and “take a couple of centimetres off” are both clearer than a number in your head. **The finish.** Name the parting side, or say you want it forward, back or standing up. If you want a hard part shaved in, ask for it. If you do not, say so. A photo of the side and back helps more than one of the front, because the front of most classic cuts looks much the same. ## Frequently asked questions What are the classic men’s haircuts?The short back and sides, crew cut, Ivy League, side part, comb over, Caesar, flat top, high and tight, taper haircut, slick back and pompadour. All of them keep the back and sides short and tidy and put the style into the length on top. Which classic haircut is best for work?A short back and sides, Ivy League or side part. They look tidy for weeks between cuts, suit almost any workplace and take a minute to style. What is the most low-maintenance classic haircut?The crew cut or the Caesar. Both need no product and no hair dryer. The high and tight needs no styling either, but it needs cutting every week or two to stay sharp. What is the difference between a classic taper and a fade?A classic taper gets gradually shorter towards the neck and ears using scissors or longer clipper grades, and never goes to skin. A fade takes the sides down much shorter, usually close to skin at the bottom, and blends that up the side of the head. Do classic haircuts suit thinning hair?The shorter ones do. A crew cut, Caesar or short Ivy League makes thinning hair look fuller and keeps attention off the hairline. Styles that sweep the front up and back, like the pompadour and slick back, expose it. How do I grow out a crew cut into a longer classic style?Keep the sides cut every four weeks and ask the barber to leave the top alone. After two or three months you will have enough for an Ivy League or a side part, and after six to nine months enough for a slick back. ## Other ways to narrow it down [ 3 styles### Taper Fade Haircuts Low, mid and high tapers, and how they differ from a full fade. ](/mens-hairstyles/taper-fade/) [ 8 styles### Types of Fade Haircut Where the fade starts, how short it goes, and the shapes in between. ](/mens-hairstyles/types-of-fade/) [ 3 styles### Buzz Cut Lengths and Clipper Grades Grade 1 to grade 4, and the short cuts built on them. ](/mens-hairstyles/buzz-cut-lengths/) [ 5 styles### Medium and Long Hairstyles for Men Cuts that need length on top, at the front or at the back. ](/mens-hairstyles/medium-and-long-hairstyles/) [ 7 styles### Men’s Hairstyles by Hair Type Which cuts suit straight, wavy, curly, coily, thick and fine hair. ](/mens-hairstyles/hairstyles-by-hair-type/) [ 6 styles### Haircuts for Balding and Thinning Hair Short cuts that make thinning hair look deliberate. ](/mens-hairstyles/haircuts-for-balding-men/) [All 29 hairstyles in the directory](/mens-hairstyles/)