Men’s Quiff Hairstyle and How To

The last time we saw the quiff popular as a men’s hairstyle trend it as infused with rock overtones. With the indie haircut dominating the music-orientated hairstyles, the quiff becomes something altogether more refined in 2012. It’s still infused with attitude, but, as far as men’s haircut trends this year, it’s a very different attitude. Read our guide to the new quiff for a run down for all the different quiff cuts, vintage inspiration, and styling and product recommendations.

Good for: straight hair, wavy hair, curly hair that can be relaxed

The quiff style in 2012.
One quiff, two styles.

We’ve seen it cut mid-length, we’ve seen it cut long, but for all the variations on a theme the quiff boils down to only two distinct looks in 2012: the slick quiff and the rock quiff.

The slick quiff is the quiff for the year and it’s defined by one, dominant attribute: it’s for straight hair. Or it’s at least for those guys who know their way around a blow dryer or a set of GHD irons in order to make their hair straight.

The rock quiff will prove to be the rarity of the two styles. It’s for those guys daydreaming of living a post-Elvis rock star life or embracing an untamed biker boy look. With its just-out-of-bed appeal it’s still a striking look, and we list it as the rarer of the two hairstyles for one good reason: it’s the more extreme of the two. And whenever it comes to the extreme in menswear, you’re guaranteed a rarity. That’s why you’ll continue to see the rock quiff on the likes of song-man Alex Turner and in editorials aplenty, but with far less gusto on the street.

Louis Vuitton gave a sophisticated edge to the quiff on their spring / summer 2012 runway, with a toned down take on the quiff that match the brand’s tailoring without playing to any of the Mad Men themeing that continues to impact upon men’s fashion. With their trimmed, obedient strands held back with sea salt spray and anti-frizz mousse, these boys are strictly on the job. The point of difference is in the directional styling of this look – it’s an important distinction that none of the lads have a vertically erect quiff. It has been steered to the side to create an illusion of tidiness and accuracy. Consider the quiff for a non-chalant day.

Side quiff on the runway at Louis Vuitton, S/S 2012

The quiff: how to

To help you get a grasp of both the slick quiff and the rock quiff we asked many a question of Melbourne hairstylist Annika Bowen. For what follows we owe her much credit.
Understanding the style is where it all starts; you need to see what your hair type is and which look from the examples is going to suit your hair. For example, those with intertwined curly locks will find the rock quiff easiest, those with wavy hair will find the Blanco example straightforwards, while those with straight hair can pretty much have whatever they like. Of the two interpretations, the slick quiff has an added bonus over the rock quiff in that it’s more versatile; it can be worn down as a side fringe.
Whichever you pick, though, remember that the quiff isn’t the easiest of hairstyles to maintain. It’s going to take effort in the morning and many a follow-up visit to your hairdresser. From the outset you need to decide if the style’s demands are viable with your lifestyle.

Hair type

Both styles of the quiff need a relatively fuller hair line at the front, so they aren’t necessarily an ideal hairstyle for those with a receding hairline.
For a rock quiff, the shape of your head is an important factor to consider. The side of the head will be relatively less dense, in terms of volume of the hair, so take that into consideration. It works best with curly or heavily waved hair, and hair that has movement. The rock quiff also needs plenty of texture, so works best on thick hair.
The slick quiff is about transforming the Brit-rock fringe look into an upward standing quiff. The style works best if the hair lacks a parting, however, as shown in the Louis Vuitton example above, it does flatter when styled alongside a side-part.

Hair cut

Even though the hairdresser has the tools for the trade, you still need to be aware of what’s happening up there in order to recreate the quiff.
If you’re going to make the rock quiff your own the best way to visualise this cut is as a teardrop shape at the front with short sides. If you’re after making the look dramatic, as your hairdresser is going to want to trim the sides super short with clippers on number 2 or 3.
For a slick quiff, the ideal length to cut the sides is about 1cm or at fingers’ depth. The cut should be kept square and weight should be kept around the horseshoe area at the front of the head where men recede. Your hairdresser will need to maintain the length at the front of the hair of your head, but have it cut to a point that’ll help in creating the bend and height for an eventual quiff. If you want to maintain long sides, ask to have them blended into the centre of the quiff in the styling stages.
Once done, ensure that you book a follow-up cut for 6-8 weeks after the first cut as it’ll get challenging to maintain and style post that period.

Styling

The cut is merely an asset to the quiff; the real magic lies in its styling. The hairdresser might give you a top-notch style straight after a cut, but you have to be able to re-create it at home.
The main styling step that’s common for all hair types is using a sea salt spray. It gives a dry, matt hold with beach-like texture from the scalp. This is vital, especially when you don’t have time to go through the other styling steps.

1. Spray sea salt spray all through the hair until it feels rather wet. If your hair is already damp, make sure you work enough product into the strands.
   
2. Blast a blow dryer on high and use your fingers to work the hair upwards while drying.
   
3. Pull the hair forward and then bend it back so you get the quiff shape, and ensure you don’t miss the roots while drying.
   
4. The main trick is to keep working your fingers through the roots; this will create an insane amount of movement from within. You need that.
   

If you want to stop here, make sure you’ve achieved the desired shape of the quiff before spraying the strands with hair spray. If you’re after more precision with the styling of your quiff, however, keep going with the styling steps below.

For thick, curly hair:
Contemplate relaxing your curls / waves by first stretching out the hair whilst blow-drying. However you can wear it curly too, it all depends on how curly your hair is at the front. Defer to your hairstylist for advice if you’re unsure what works best.

For fine hair:
To give definition to the locks, fine hair requires an incredible amount of volumising mousse and/or sea salt spray in the early stages of styling. Once you’ve created the desired shape, take a dollop of non-shine hair gel (our preference is with American Crew) and work it in the same motion as your quiff. The consistency of the hair gel will hold the style for a long duration. If needed, you can also use some hair spray, though keep in mind that when the hair spray and gel eventually dry up you’ll be left with a brittle feel to the hair.

For frizzy hair:
Start with sea salt spray, shape the hair into the desired quiff shape and then work hair wax or clay from the roots upwards. The hair wax will keep the flyaway hair strands at bay, and it’ll also last longer.