Last month I introduced you to my cycling friend Adam and his insistence on only using fake tan on the parts of his body that are exposed to the sun whilst riding out his bike.
He’s been up to his tricks again. The other day he sauntered into the salon, plonked himself into one the stylist’s chairs and asked for a ‘Brian Holm’. Previously, he has requested a ‘Marcel’, which caused no end of confusion. It turned out he didn’t want a hairstyle from the 1870’s but one replicating that of German cycling superstar, Marcel Kittel.
It seems that, where his age and lack of talent has put-paid to a career as a professional cyclist, Adam believes he can pass himself off as one via his barnet. A bit of chit-chat revealed that Brian Holm is a former pro, who sports what most normal people would call ‘a short back and sides’. In other words, a perfectly acceptable and yet, on-trend, haircut for a bloke in his fifties.
This prompted a discussion about what is and isn’t acceptable when you’ve reached a certain age. I recently saw a man whose hairline had retreated to the middle of his head but at the back of it he wore a long ponytail. He was well into his 60s, his hair was entirely grey and looked daft. In contrast, Paul McCartney is 75 and dyes his hair chestnut brown. A fan of the Beatles I may be, but not his hairstyle.
Of course, once you’ve gone north of 40, it doesn’t mean that you have to be boring and conservative. Simply recognising that, now you’re into your mature years, your hair is likely to be greying, possibly thinning and receding men should prompt you to consider changing your regular style, such as a side parting, modern comb over, short crop, and messy textured top.
The key to looking like a silver fox, rather than run-over badger, is how to style your hair properly and then wear it with confidence. Remember, shorter hair needs more maintenance to keep it looking ‘sharp’.
Over time your body and face changes – to a greater or lesser extent, depending on your lifestyle – so don’t stick rigidly to what you’ve previously worn. I think there are four basic styles that just ‘work’ for guys over 40; the classic Close Crop, the Scissor-Cut Side-Sweep, Short-on-the-Sides, Long-on-Top and the Short & Textured.
Best avoided are Very Long, the Peaky Blinders Undercut and footballer-inspired Creative Clipper Work. After all, the people who tend to rock these looks don’t have your job. Or a mortgage that needs paying…