In 2014, a buzzcut was kind of a rubbish lad group gag; hoards of boys would go on holidays to Ayia Napa and return with one member vaguely resembling Shaun Fields from This is England’s after he joins a skinhead gang. Usually, they’d be grounded – and/or dumped for the dramatic transformation. But just over a decade later, buzzcuts are increasingly cool again.
The big one is, of course, Erling Haaland. New season, new look. The Man City striker swapped his famously golden tresses for a markedly more aerodynamic look last week. “You look about 10 years old,” his teammate Jack Grealish told him. “You’re lucky to have hair,” the former Man City manager, Pep Guardiola, reacted. “I would’ve loved to have it.”
Haaland isn’t the only one. Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie stepped out at the 78th Emmy Awards without his signature curls, after admitting he was “ready” to shave them off last December. Presenter Jake Shane buzzed to mark the end of summer, with fans immediately drawing comparisons to Jeremy Allen White as Lip Gallagher in Shameless.
The buzzcut has been a fixture for famous faces for a while: Timothée Chalamet, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael B Jordan, and Robert Pattinson have all been spotted rocking the look in a professional and personal capacity. And of course, who could forget David Beckham’s in the summer of 2000. When the midfielder told his hairdresser, Tyler, of the plan, the response was dubious: “Are you sure? You really want to do that?” he asked. Much to his, and Alex Ferguson’s surprise, yes – he was.
open image in galleryFollowing the introduction of electric hair clippers in the early 20th century, buzz cuts have been persistently associated with the military – and along with it, generalised ideas about masculinity and strength. During World War II, the style was widespread among soldiers in the US and Europe as it was practical, easy to maintain, suited helmets, created a uniform appearance and reduced the risk of head lice spreading.
By the mid-Seventies and Eighties the close shave had begun to mean almost the exact opposite. Punks, skinheads, and other street subcultures opted for the look over carefully styled haircuts as a symbol of rebellion.
In 1987, the then-20-year-old Sinead O’Connor shaved her head as an act of defiance against the music industry attempting to commodify her looks. Similarly, Britney Spears picked up the electric clippers in front of a group of paparazzi in 2007 and showed them that enough was enough.
But largely, from the Nineties to now – thanks to adoption from actors and sports stars – the haircut has shifted from political to aesthetic. Although the style, thanks to its history, always has an air of unbothered cool, it’s no longer attributed to one defining group, with barbers offering a nearly shaved number one buzz, to grades three or four.
open image in gallery“It gives you a bit of edge,” says Supply91 barbershop co-founder Luke Davies. “The reference picture people always go back to is Brad Pitt in Fight Club. Obviously, he’s a gypsy boxer in that film. So, 100 per cent the shorter you go, the more boisterous it can be. A lot of people can actually pull it off – and I’ve seen it give men a real confidence boost.”
Sports psychologists have previously concluded that haircuts can boost player’s self-confidence, and transmit that energy to spectators. So far, Man City have won all three of their opening games of the season, with Haaland scoring their only goal in the last match.
“It’s iconic that Haaland has gone from one extreme to the other,” concludes Davies. “Especially with the person he is and the pressure that he’s under with football. If he doesn’t perform well this season, superstitious fans might go back to him shaving his hair off. If he’s unbelievable, it’ll go the other way.”
open image in galleryIn the age of looksmaxxing, it’s unsurprising that Davies suggests that more men are becoming more invested in personal grooming. “More importantly, they’re learning about their head shape and what kind of style suits them,” he adds. “I think people are just being more bold.”
The style also has the capacity to restore self-esteem in customers who’re losing their hair. “A lot of guys are getting transplants,” Davies concedes. “But there are a lot of men who can’t afford that, or have a bit of facial hair, where a buzzcut can transform their look. Especially, if it works with your sense of style.”
Generally speaking, “a good jawline and a square shaped head” is perfect for a buzzcut, while a thinner head shape or large forehead might be red flags that it’s not the move. Simultaneously, strong eyebrows and facial hair can also complete the look.
open image in galleryNotably, the modern buzzcut is less severe than the skinheads of the past. “I think gone are the days where someone’s literally gonna wet shave their head,” says Davies. “People want it to look ever so slightly grown out, so that it’s intentional and effortless at the same time.”
For this, he suggests anywhere between a number four down to a two on the top, and anywhere between a zero or a 1.5 at the shortest point,
“But the sideburns are essentially faded up to where the curvature of the head starts to round,” he adds. “You want to work with the hair that you’ve got to get that square shape.”
It’s difficult to talk about hair without speaking a little about identity, As Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s exasperated Fleabag character declares in season two: “Hair is everything. We wish it wasn’t, so we could actually think about something else occasionally, but it is.”
open image in galleryBoth Haaland and Storrie were recognisable for their long hair before they opted to shave it off. Much like teenagers choosing to cut a fringe after a bad break up, this shearing after the summer marks a new era in the public eye. A reinvention at the hands of the clippers.
But Davies warns against anyone out there who thinks they can do it themselves a la lockdown. “It’s quite a technical haircut,” he says. “When I’m doing it, I start the top off long and then go shorter and shorter each time a client comes in, to see how bold they want to go.”
And, if you do take the leap, prepare for the attention. If there’s one thing the buzz cut is — it’s a conversation starter.