What’s one thing Tom Holland and Harry Styles have in common? This year, they span the barber’s chair from Disney prince to Shakespearean lord—and, inadvertently, the British lad. It was a classic short-back-and sides for Styles, and for Holland, it’s a fade.
He’s the most recent to change it up, too. Spotted leaving London’s The Duke of York Theatre after the press night of his current West End show, Romeo and Juliet, his fresh lid has since set the Twitterverse alight—“delicious,” “on point,” “sexy,” and “dream man” are just a few deeply thirsty adjectives being thrown around. So, it seems nearly everyone’s ready for the Spider-Man actor’s blokecore era, crossbody bag and all—and the cut’s down to big time hair stylist Larry King.
“The inspiration for Tom’s haircut was the modern take on Romeo and Juliet,” says King. “Looking at the clothes and the production of the show, we wanted to go for something that was stronger than usual. Initially he was going to shave it all but I suggested going for short and tight sides with a gradual fade to a military-esque top.”
Ricky Vigil M / Justin E Palmer
Whenever you walk past a barber on any British high street, you’re bound to see a guy inside receiving their own take on the style—a taper on the sides with a longer length on top. It’s the trademark cut of lads nationwide which, when done right, is also slightly medieval. Guys have had this lid since thirst traps were depicted on tapestries. In short: an endlessly classic cut.
“You see a lot of skin fades which are shaved all the way up the sides before being faded out at the end, most of which have a hard line fringe,” says King. “The trick, instead, is to do a really gentle fade—for Holland, it’s 0.5 to a three—keep the crown short and leave it longer towards the front. This gives it different dimensions.”
It’s nothing new. It was George Clooney’s signature in the ’90s (ER fans will be familiar with his breakthrough role as Dr. Douglas Ross) and Matt Damon’s in the noughties. Now, it’s a go-to for the likes of Zayn Malik, David Beckham, and Alan Ritchson. There’s an ease, and a severity. It’s hard, but also princely. It’ll ask you for a duel, and a cig. And for a Romeo-era Tom Holland, it couldn’t be a better cut for his latest gig.
This story originally appeared on British GQ with the title ‘Tom Holland’s Romeo cut is also straight-up British turbo lad’
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