Quiff

The quiff is the men's cut with short sides and longer top, styled forward and up at the front. Distinct from a pompadour (which sweeps higher and farther back) and a slick-back (which goes straight back), the quiff sits in the middle — front pieces styled up and forward, with the top of the head higher than the sides. David Beckham (again) and a generation of 2010s-2020s footballers wore versions.

It flatters oval and square faces — the height at the front balances oval shapes and softens square jaws. Straight and wavy hair show the quiff cleanest; coily hair can wear an adapted version but the lifted front shape is typically straight-hair-default. The cut is the more wearable cousin of the pompadour — needs less length on top and less product daily.

Medium daily maintenance — sea-salt spray and pomade through the top, lifted forward and up at the front. Five to seven minutes. Re-cut every five weeks to keep the sides short and the top in proportion. The quiff went mainstream through the 2010s with the broader 'classic men's grooming' trend and has stayed in rotation as the dominant short-sides-longer-top cut for men. Ask for 'short sides and longer top — about 6-8 cm — styled forward and up at the front.'