Over the last few years, the pompadour hairstyle for men has gained lots of popularity across different continents. This very stylish hairstyle has been in existence since the eighteenth century.
The style seemingly disappeared from the scenes for a while. But, regained popularity in the 1950s by the hands, or the hair, of Elvis Presley. One of the most desirable attributes of the pomp hairstyle is the versatile nature of the hairstyle. Wear any of the variants of this hairstyle and you are bound to stand out as unique.
What Do We Know About The Pompadour Hairstyle
Though it is regarded as a renaissance hairstyle, a lot of skill and creativity has been infused to develop modern variations. In other words, barbers and stylists have put in a lot of effort to ensure that this hairstyle has evolved. From being medieval to being one of the most acceptable in modern times.
The versatility of pompadour hairstyles makes them a guy’s best friend. As you can get a rugged, sleek, clean, or natural look with this style. It all depends on your sense of style and how creative you can be. You can also achieve this style with various hair lengths or textures.
An undercut or a taper fade also adds some spark to this hairstyle. The unique styling of the top hair gives it that trendy and elegant look that is cool anytime, any day. In this post, we will be bringing you several styles to choose from along with a few bonus info about pompadour hairstyles.
Defining Pompadour
The first question that comes to mind when you hear the term for the first time, “what is a pompadour?” This famous haircut is defined by the longer hair at the top and the shorter hair at the back and sides.
You could term it dramatic and voluminous because of the length of the hair in front which comes together to form a “pomp.” This pomp can be styled in a variety of ways to give a unique creative haircut. The length of the hair becomes shorter as you progress backward and sideways, it looks like it was cropped in some instances.
These days, there are many variants of this hairstyle. While some folks prefer wearing a short pompadour, others would go for a longer one, and yet another set would prefer a mid-length pompadour. We haven’t even highlighted the undercuts, disconnected, or faded pompadour styles.
There is no specific way to wear this hairstyle, it all depends on what you like and what fits your frame best. If you can style it properly and maintain it adequately, you have a perfect way to show off your class and personality on your hands.
Historical background of the pompadour hairstyle
If we decided to take count of how many men have influenced hairstyles in history, we might run out of time to achieve that feat. There are too many icons that have played key roles in forming the basis for the hairstyles we have today.
But when you look at the history of the pompadour, it is amazing that it was not invented or influenced by a man. Surprised? Almost everyone is when you come to think of it. The name Madame de Pompadour comes to mind whenever the history of this hairstyle is discussed. Who was she and how did she invent what has come to be one of the most famous hairstyles of the century?
Of course, from her name you know she was not a man. Madame de Pompadour existed in the eighteenth century and served as the chief mistress to the French King at the time. Despite her status, her towering hairstyle became the template for one of the most widely worn hairstyles since its invention.
What we have these days is an evolved version of what she wore. While we have modern pompadour haircuts involve sweeping the hair backward in a mound, hers was a more upstyle on acid towering design.
More on the Pompadour Hairstyle
Here’s another secret. Until the 1950s, the pompadour was actually a hairstyle worn by women. The first modern man to wear this hairstyle was Elvis Presley, a man who loved his hair to be like his diet, greasy.
Presley, who we all recognize as the King of Rock n Roll, was among the first men that believed that this hairdo was versatile enough to be worn by men. Others that followed his steps around that period were Little Richard, another musician, and James Dean, the actor. By the 1960s, it was clear that this hairstyle wasn’t just meant for girls, a classic case of “what is good for the goose, is good for the gander.”
It has been argued by several schools of thought that Presley must have been attracted to this hairstyle because it was recognized as mainly for women. The regular belief was that his penchant for this style cemented in his exaggerated larger-than-life persona. But, then again, women wore the style so elegantly, he probably thought, why shouldn’t men?
It is obvious that all the men in the 1970s wanted to do with their hair was wash it from time to time, allow it to grow, them wash again, nothing more. This is probably one of the reasons why the pompadour fizzled out, almost to extinction, in their time. The next decade wasn’t that “lazy” or maybe they were just more stylish as this hairstyle began to find its way back, a situation that is traced to the emergence of psychobilly.
Comparing the modern styles to the classic pompadour, it is safe to say the original hairstyle has gone almost extinct. The modern styles are, however, among the most displayed hairstyles by men these days cutting across all professions, races, and social strata.
Factors to consider before getting a pompadour hairstyle
Are you interested in getting a pompadour hairdo? You probably are if you have read this far. There are a couple of factors that you should consider before getting this hairdo. Let’s check out the most important below:
Hair type
Okay, let’s establish a simple fact before going ahead. If your hair is not at least 4 cm around the fringe and a decent length in the other parts of the head, this style isn’t for you. You need a lot of hair to achieve this hairstyle in its full splendor. If you have lots of hair but notice that it is receding fast, it is better you go for another hairstyle like the French Crop.
According to Lloyd Hughes, this hairstyle works better with men of straighter hair. This does not imply that curly or wavy hair wouldn’t work, it is just that the shape or look might be slightly altered.
To achieve a classic pompadour, the hair needs to be finer and straighter, it makes it easier to achieve. If your hair is curly or thick, then you need to be open to more textured variations.
Hair length and cut
Without a perfect cut, you may never get the perfect pompadour hairdo. To get the perfect haircut, you need to have the perfect hair length. They work hand in hand. The weight distribution of the hair is key to getting this style done properly. The hair must be long enough in the right places, especially at the top.
Face Shape
Most people, including Hughes, have agreed that this hairstyle fits a face with high cheekbones and a wide jawline better. However, if you are not so blessed in these areas, the onus is on your stylist to become creative to help give you a variation that works well with your features. This might including creating certain illusions to boost the width or length of your face.
You will need some more hair on the sides if you have a long face. The hair should then be clipped at a point below the crown. This way, the dramatic contrast that should have been noticed between the top and the rest of the head is eliminated in the most subtle manner.
The hair needs to be kept shorter around the back and the sides of the head if you have a round face. The short hair can be clipped to resemble an undercut, this way the face has some more height than width.
Facial hair
History tells us that a cleanly shaved face is the pompadour’s best friend. These days, however, many blokes who are faithful to their beards have proven that a face full of hair looks just as good with the hairstyle.
The beard has a way of accentuating the hairstyle, as long as there is a balance between how it is in relation to the hair at the top of the head. Your stylist is in pole position to give you necessary advice regarding how to create this much-desired balance.
Types of Pompadour haircuts
Classic pompadour haircut
Did you at any point fall in love with Elvis Presley’s look and wish to wear it one day? If you did, then this classic variant should top your list of to-do hairstyles. Though it looks very good today, it is regarded as a major throwback to the truest nature of the pompadour.
In 1950s men had more time to whip their hair into shape and carry out necessary grooming procedures. The fast-paced nature of life these days has cut that time down considerably. This means that for you to sport this hairstyle, you must have enough time to care for it daily.
This hairstyle requires a lot of hair and it is known for its high-shine and voluminous nature. The hair is usually scissor cut at the back and the sides while the hair which makes up the fringe at the crown is longer.
To efficiently style the hair you may need some strong hair product. This will help you achieve that brilliant, slick finish.
Modern Pompadour haircut
This style is quite different from the classic style in that rather than the use of scissors on the hair at the back and sides, a clipper is used to achieve a finer finish. The hair may be clipped to a uniform length or it may be in layers starting at very short and progress in length towards the crown.
This style does not require as much grooming as the classic pompadour. This implies that it would be a great pick for you if you do not have so much luxury with respect to time.
Short Pompadour haircut
This is a great alternative to the classic style, you just need to shave off some inches from the hair on the crown. This style does not require as much commitment as the others. You don’t need so much time for grooming and the hair does not need to be too long to achieve the haircut. The hair on the crown needs to be just about 4 cm long while the hair at the back and sides are faded or cut to a uniform length.
You’ll save a lot of product with this haircut since you will be working with less amount of hair. This is a perfect hairstyle if you are not interested in spending too much time or product on your hair.
Textured Pompadour haircut
If you feel like the regular pompadour styles are too simple for you, then you should try this one. A bit of rough is added to make it a bit more attractive.
It is perfect for guys with wavy, thick, or curly hair. There is a swap of a tousled, matte look for the traditional high-shine and clean lines of the classic style. It gives one the impression that you have been riding a motorbike at 120 miles an hour.
Instead of using hair pomade, the best products for this style are texturizing paste or clay. And rather than using a comb, you may want to use your hands instead for styling.
How to style your pompadour
Regardless of what you want, textured or classic slick, the styling method is about the same. Let’s check the simple procedure to style your pompadour.
- Make sure the hair is washed fresh and conditioned effectively to remove all excess oil, product residue, and dirt.
- Dry the hair with a neat towel. Then use a dryer and a comb on the hair. As your blow-dry, you run the comb through the hair backward from the forehead. As you comb, ensure you drive the comb from the roots to the tip of your hair.
- Get some hair product and apply a pea-sized amount first and rub it in thoroughly using your palms.
- Making use of the combing style stated above, you can begin combing the hair again. This time as you comb through, use the other hand to pat down the hair. This will smoothen the hair further.
- Create a quiff using your free hand. This is the point where you shape the hair just the way you want it to be.
- Once you are satisfied with the style, use a strong hold spray on the hair judiciously. This way the hair is kept in shape.
Best pompadour hairstyles
10. Short Pompadour with lines
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