Written by Samuel Hickey in Hair on the 20th September 2021

As we head into the autumn season we’ve tapped Samuel Hickey, shop manager and barber at The Hoi Polloi in Newcastle, to bring you his top five men’s haircuts for the autumn and winter season ahead. Samuel previously worked at Murdock London and with a barbering career spanning over 10 years, he’s been involved in the hair styling of designer fashion photoshoots in both the US and UK.

Longer, layered cut

Think, Kit Harington for this one. Effortlessly cool. The hair would be cut to sit just above the shoulders keeping a choppier, more textured perimeter to ensure a less blunt finish. The texture will bring through a more masculine, rugged look in comparison to a pristinely cut blunt line. Outer layers will help create movement and flow whilst the internal structure should be kept strong to ensure the hair doesn’t end up looking overgrown too quickly. To style, apply some The Hoi Polloi Texture Spray to damp hair and let it dry naturally. Don’t feel pressured into using a hairdryer, this could in fact make the hair fluffier and frizzier than you’d like!

The Textured Crop 

For this one, you’d be looking to create a messy, heavily textured top with a clean, sharp back and sides. In terms of the sides of the hair, either work with clippers or a shorter scissor cut. The clipper cut is more uniform whereas the scissor work is softer. Once you’ve found the desired length, you’ll work towards a slightly longer top. Keep the top choppy by asking the barber or hairdresser to create texture in the hair through point cutting, channel cutting or even using a texturising razor. Avoid thinning scissors as this will make the hair fluffy within a couple of weeks. Keep the style matte finish to avoid it looking greasy. I would style with EVO Haze, a matte finish powder which’ll bring through textures and volume.

The Slick Back 

Keeping it classic, this style is timeless and quite easy to maintain. Creating a strong structure through the back and sides will ensure you can slick the hair back with ease and allow you to style the top as you wish. Personally, I would be looking to cut the back and sides with scissors and tapering out the nape and sideburns with clippers. This will create a clean edge to the hair. Some like an undercut with this style but for longevity I would go for a fully joined through style. Style this slick back with a pomade of choice. I would recommend Reuzel Green for this one! It’ll give the hair a sheen, a strong hold and something you can rework if needs be!

The Skinfade 

A staple around most barber shops now, keeping it nice and tight around the back and sides. When asking for a skin fade, you need to think about two things. Firstly, how high do you want to take the fade on the back and sides? Also, you need to consider if you want to go down to zero, trimmers or foils. They are varying levels of ‘skin’, with zero leaving some hair, trimmers leaving less and foils keeping it completely clean of hair. This style will always be around, and you’ve probably seen them walking out of barbershops where you live. A skinfade will work with most styles, be it a clipper cut on top, a choppy crop or even a quiff.

The Parting 

A constant through the hair world. An also easy addition to most haircuts, the parting can give you more volume and height to the hair. By working the parting through the natural recession point of the hairline back towards the crown, you’ll create a neat separation between side and top. Historically, it’s a classic style adopted by many a man and it’s a style going nowhere. Combining a parting with a quiff, it’ll give you height, movement through the hair and relatively easy style to manoeuvre if it falls out of place. You’ll need a trusty comb to keep the parting in place and style this with The Hoi Polloi Two for a medium hold, low shine finish.

Longer layered cut, Textured Crop, Slick Back, Skinfade, and Parting are among the 5 Best Men’s Hairstyles for Autumn 2021 by Samuel Hickey from The Hoi Polloi in Newcastle.