Men’s hairstyles have swung between extremes of length, volume, and rebellion for the past century, each decade producing a look that still gets referenced and revived today. Understanding where these styles came from helps explain why certain cuts keep resurfacing in barbershops decades after they first appeared. This guide walks through the defining men’s hairstyles decade by decade, from the slicked-back looks of the 1920s through to the return of shorter, cleaner cuts in the 1990s.
1920s: slicked, structured and hat-ready
Hats were a near-universal part of men’s daily dress in the 1920s, and hairstyles were shaped around that reality. Hair was worn slicked flat and shiny against the head, kept short and neat, with facial hair largely limited to thin moustaches. This practical, structured approach to grooming reflected the wider formality of men’s fashion in the decade.
1950s: the pompadour and rock and roll rebellion
The pompadour became the defining men’s hairstyle of the 1950s, featuring volume swept back from the forehead and built up to real height at the front. Closely associated with the rock and roll and greaser subcultures of the era, the style carried a genuine sense of rebellion against the more conservative grooming of previous decades. The quiff, a related style combining elements of the pompadour with a flattop, also emerged from this period and would resurface repeatedly in later decades.
1960s: long hair and counterculture
The 1960s marked a dramatic shift towards longer hair among men, closely tied to the counterculture and peace movements of the decade. The mop-top look, with its rounded fringe and covered ears, became emblematic of the era’s more relaxed, youthful aesthetic, a sharp visual break from the short, structured styles of the previous forty years.
1970s: the shag and the mullet
The 1970s carried the longer hair of the 1960s forward while adding more texture and layering. The shag haircut, with its choppy, layered structure, embodied the casual, free-spirited feel of the disco era. This decade also saw the emergence of the mullet, short at the front and sides with length left at the back, a style that would become a genuine cultural touchstone in the years that followed.
1980s: bold, dramatic and heavily styled
Men’s hairstyles in the 1980s embraced volume and drama in a way not seen before, with the mullet reaching peak popularity alongside the high-top fade. Hair products played a much bigger role in daily styling routines during this decade, reflecting the wider maximalist aesthetic that defined much of 1980s fashion.
1990s: a return to shorter, cleaner styles
The 1990s saw a genuine pendulum swing back towards shorter, more conservative haircuts after two decades of increasing length and volume. Grunge and alternative music culture introduced a simpler, deliberately messier aesthetic in the early part of the decade, while the second half saw a move towards tidier, closely cropped styles that would carry into the 2000s.
Why these styles keep coming back
Fashion, including hairstyles, tends to move in cycles, with each generation rediscovering and reinterpreting the styles of decades past through a contemporary lens. The undercut, first popular in the 1920s, saw a major resurgence in the 2010s, and the quiff has been revived repeatedly since its 1950s origins, each time updated with modern cutting and styling techniques. Recognising this pattern is part of why a barber today can genuinely recreate a decade-specific look on request, using techniques that have simply been refined rather than reinvented.
Frequently asked questions
Which decade’s hairstyle is easiest to recreate today?
The 1990s cropped, short styles translate most easily to modern barbershops, since they require minimal daily styling and closely resemble many contemporary short haircuts already in common use.
What products were used to achieve volume in vintage hairstyles?
Pomade was the standard styling product for structured, high-volume looks such as the pompadour, prized for the strong hold and glossy finish it gave, in contrast to the more matte, lightweight products commonly used for texture-based styling today.
Is the mullet actually back in fashion?
The mullet has seen periodic revivals since the 1970s and 1980s, often reworked with more modern tapering and texture rather than reproduced exactly as it originally appeared, making it a recurring rather than a permanently fashionable style.
Our recommendation
If a vintage-inspired look appeals to you, bring a clear reference to your barber and be specific about which decade’s version you want, since styles like the quiff and pompadour have been reinterpreted many times over the decades and can look quite different depending on the era being referenced. A modern barber can typically recreate any of these looks with contemporary tools while keeping the styling manageable for everyday wear.