There are many things you can tell about a guy from his haircut. Some guys grow the long, flowing locks and do all they can to look like Thor. Or if you are a bit older and are a Gen X or Millenial, you may know who Fabio is. Other guys like to go a little shorter and get the soldier look, rocking the Jason Statham or Bruce Willis look. And still, some of us know we can’t pull off either look and opt to land somewhere in the middle with a more executive look. But there is a great look that can give you the hair you want on top while keeping the clean-cut, off-the-ear look you want; that is the mid fade.
The mid fade is characterized by beginning with a near skin fade at the bottom and fading into something longer somewhere above the years but short of the natural part. It combines the classic looks of the side part, the pompadour, and the slicked-back looks with the modern look of the shorter styles. Of course, we at The Manual can’t just tell you about a trend, we feel compelled to give you examples so you can communicate with your barber or stylist and get the look you are going for. Here are the best mid-fade haircut looks for you to pull off.
The Baywatch
Let’s be honest: Baywatch is not about the hair. And if we went through all the hard work Zac Effron did to our bodies to stand toe to toe with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shirtless only for people to be talking about our hair, we’d probably be a little stymied. But the High School Musical alum was all grown up, jacked, and sporting a killer mane in the movie, and it is a great example of the longer example of what a mid fade can do for you.
One of the biggest issues with having long hair is that no matter what you do to the top and how styled it is, it can look disheveled around the ears and the back of the neck. Keeping it short in those areas and having a drastic fade to a long cut on top allows you to keep it well put-together around the edges and style however you choose on top. If you want to comb it over for an executive look or push it back for the straight-off-the-beach vibe, go for it. We’ll let you guess which option High School Musical chose in this film about lifeguards.
The Elba
Ok, we get it; this is another example of, “Why is anyone looking at his hair?” But hear us out: Idris Elba does some great things with short hair. Whether you watch him in Luther, Pacific Rim, or any of the countless great performances he has turned in over the years, there is always something constant. While your date may be looking at his eyes, listening to his voice, and generally swooning, you can be taking notes on how to pull off a great short version of the mid-fade.
Have you ever watched a movie with Jason Statham or Bruce Willis (Maybe you watched The Expendables so you could see them both) and envied the fact that they could pull off their hat and not worry about how their hair looked? But at the same time, know you don’t have the dome for the bald? Easy peasy, cut it short on the side, almost a skin fade, and then gradually lengthen all the way up until you have just enough to cover the odd-shaped melon you want to hide but just short enough so you can sport a hat flawlessly. That is the essence of the short mid-fade.
The Tyler Rake
When you started reading that we would be talking about short hairstyles, you may have subconsciously dropped Chris Hemsworth from your mind as he came to fame due to his Norse-worthy, unshorn look. But he had another look that perfectly embodies the middle ground between the two looks above. In Extraction, he may have been protecting a young boy from danger, but he was also protecting us from bad hair days for the rest of our lives. If you don’t want to put a ton of effort into the top of your hair like The Baywatch may require, and you need a little more on top than The Elba allows, then the Tyler Rake is the perfect look for you.
This look is characterized by the same short skin fade beginning as the other two on the back and sides but allows for a longer look on the top, perfect for a side part look. If you aren’t in the mood to style the side part, that is completely fine, this style is short enough to look great just laying naturally. A shaggy look with a put-together feel. Sign us up for lazy style.
