2023 Men’s Hairstyles: What Ruled and What Still Works
The men’s hairstyles that defined 2023 were the fade, the crew cut, the textured crop and a softer, modern take on the mullet. Underneath them all was one idea: hair that looks relaxed but is cut with real precision. Almost all of these cuts are still in rotation in late 2026, so this guide covers what each one is, who it suits, how often it needs upkeep and what to say when you sit down in the chair.
TL;DR
- The 2023 lineup centered on the fade, crew cut, textured crop and modern mullet, with a clear move toward air-dried, less manicured hair.
- “Easy” hair is not untrimmed hair. The relaxed look depends on precise layering and weight removal.
- Short, sharp styles need a visit every one to three weeks. Longer, textured styles are more forgiving.
- Pick the cut by your hair type, face shape and how many minutes you will spend on it each morning, not by a photo alone.
- At our La Jolla studio a men’s haircut is $45-$50, and we can build any of these looks around your hair.
Table of Contents
- The big picture: polished, but not manicured
- The fade and taper: still the most requested cut
- Textured crop and French crop
- Crew cut and buzz cut: the low-effort classics
- The soft mullet and the 90s layers
- Fringes and boyish bangs
- The side part: the one that never left
- Quick comparison
- How to choose: four questions
- Growing out a cut without the awkward phase
- Color for men: the quiet upgrade
- Our perspective: the cut is the foundation
- Book a men’s haircut in La Jolla
- FAQ
- Sources
The big picture: polished, but not manicured
Look back at 2023 and one shift stands out. Men moved away from the stiff, product-heavy finish of the previous few years and toward hair that looks air-dried and lived in. Barbers interviewed at the start of that year described fades, crew cuts, textured crops and the modern mullet as the most requested styles, with texture winning over slick finishes. A 2023 round-up from a men’s style site made the same point: styles were gravitating toward flowy, casual looks that need less product and upkeep.
That “effortless” look is a craft result. A stylist quoted in GQ’s piece on boyish fringes and softer cuts makes the case that the unvarnished look is a deliberate style. If you simply stop getting haircuts, you do not get it. You get shapeless length. The difference is in the layering: where weight is removed, how the ends are textured and how the cut falls when it dries naturally.
That is useful to know before you choose anything below. Every one of these cuts looks good only when the structure underneath is right.
The fade and taper: still the most requested cut
The fade, in its high, mid, low and taper versions, was the most requested men’s cut of 2023, according to The National’s barber survey. It has barely moved since. British GQ’s guide to short cuts still lists the high fade or taper and the low fade among its core options.
The difference between the versions is where the fade starts:
- Low fade or low taper: begins near the ears and the nape. It is the most office-friendly and grows out gracefully.
- Mid fade: starts around the temples. A balanced choice that shows contrast without being dramatic.
- High fade: begins higher on the head, giving a sharp, graphic look. It shows grow-out fastest.
- Taper: a gradual shortening at the sides and neckline without skin showing. The most conservative of the group.
The taper fade with a textured fringe was one of the signature combinations of the period. One barber-education site calls it one of the most requested haircuts in barbershops, a mix of classic technique and contemporary styling. The short sides keep it neat, and the longer, choppy top gives it movement.
Ask for: a low or mid taper, with the top left long enough to push forward or to the side, and point-cut texture through the fringe. Tell your stylist how you want the neckline finished: tapered or squared off.
Textured crop and French crop
The textured crop is a short, cropped top with a blunt or choppy fringe, cut with enough texture that it sits with a little paste or sea salt spray. The French crop is its shorter, tidier relative, with a short fringe cut straight across. Both appear on British GQ’s list of short men’s cuts alongside the buzz cut and crew cut.
Who they suit:
- Straight to wavy hair of medium to thick density.
- Men with receding temples, because a forward fringe softens the hairline.
- Anyone who wants a five-minute morning routine.
Who should be careful: very fine, flat hair may not hold the texture, and very tight curls need a different cutting approach, since a blunt fringe can spring up. A stylist who works with your natural pattern will adjust the length so the fringe lands where you want it once dry.
Crew cut and buzz cut: the low-effort classics
The crew cut, with short sides and a slightly longer top that is cropped close, remained a staple in 2023, and so did the buzz cut. Both are no-product haircuts. The trade-off is frequency: the shorter the cut, the sooner it looks overgrown. GQ’s guidance is that someone with a buzz cut, a short textured crop or a fade is probably due for a trim every one to three weeks.
That is a real cost in time and money, so be honest with yourself. If you will not rebook that often, a low taper with some length on top will age better than a skin fade.
The soft mullet and the 90s layers
The mullet returned in 2023 in a much tamer form, often called the baby or soft mullet. The sides are tapered but not shaved, the top has layers, and the back is only a little longer than the rest. British GQ includes the baby mullet in its short-haircut list for that reason: it reads as a textured, slightly longer crop with some length at the nape rather than a joke cut.
What makes it work or fail is the layering. Without weight removal, a soft mullet looks like hair that has simply grown. With it, the shape is intentional.
- Best for: wavy and thick hair, oval or longer face shapes, creative or casual workplaces.
- Less ideal for: very fine, straight hair that lacks body to hold layers, and for dress codes that require a conventional cut.
- Maintenance: a trim every 4 to 6 weeks to keep the neckline and the layers in shape, which is what we recommend as a general rule for medium-length cuts.
Fringes and boyish bangs
Fringes were everywhere in 2023, and they have only grown more prominent. GQ’s recent piece describes a run of styles, from bowl cuts to shaggy layers, that share a boyish, face-framing detail. The 2023 version is lighter: a textured fringe that sweeps across the forehead rather than a heavy, flat line.
A fringe changes how your face reads, so the details matter:
- Length: brow-skimming is the safe starting point. Cutting shorter is easy, and growing back is slow.
- Direction: forward, to the side or swept up. Your cowlicks decide what is realistic.
- Density: point-cutting or razoring keeps the fringe from sitting like a helmet.
The side part: the one that never left
Not everything in 2023 was new. A classic side part, clean and combed, stayed on trend, as one men’s grooming brand noted at the time. It suits formal workplaces and works with a taper or a longer scissor cut. If you like a defined style but not a fade, this is the one to ask about.
Quick comparison
| Style | Hair type | Morning effort | Trim frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low or mid taper with textured top | Straight to wavy | 3-5 minutes | Every 3-4 weeks |
| High or skin fade | Most types | 2-5 minutes | Every 1-3 weeks |
| Textured or French crop | Medium to thick | 2-3 minutes | Every 3-4 weeks |
| Crew cut or buzz cut | Most types | Under 1 minute | Every 1-3 weeks |
| Soft mullet | Wavy, thick | 5 minutes | Every 4-6 weeks |
| Side part | Straight to slightly wavy | 3-5 minutes | Every 4-6 weeks |
The 1-3 week range for the shortest cuts reflects GQ’s trim guidance. The 3-4 week range for precision-faded styles with texture follows the barbering advice that regular de-bulking keeps the structure sharp. The other intervals and the morning-effort times are our own working estimates and vary with how fast your hair grows.
How to choose: four questions
1. What is your hair like? Fine hair does better with a cut that keeps some length and uses light texture. Thick hair benefits from weight removal. Curly hair needs a stylist who cuts it with its pattern in mind, not against it.
2. What does your week look like? If you cannot get to a chair every two weeks, skip the skin fade. A taper that grows out gracefully is a better choice.
3. What is your face shape? Longer faces usually look better with some volume at the sides and a fringe. Rounder faces gain from height on top and tighter sides. A good stylist will tell you this during a consultation.
4. Barber or stylist? Both can give you a great cut. If your style leans on clean clipper work, a barber is a natural fit. If it relies on scissor layering, color or a blend of both, a stylist with a broad technical range is often the better call. We cover the trade-offs in Barber or Stylist? How to Choose the Right Professional for You, and if a fade is your main interest, our checklist for vetting a fade barber shows what to look for.
Growing out a cut without the awkward phase
A lot of men who wanted the longer, softer 2023 looks stalled in the middle. Hair that is too long for a crop and too short for a shag tends to puff out at the sides and flip at the nape. The fix is not to wait it out. A stylist can take weight out of the sides and back while preserving length on top, so you keep a clear shape as you grow. Industry guidance on this, from a French trade publication, notes that moving from short to long calls for professional help to remove bulk without losing length. Book a trim every six to eight weeks during the transition, and tell your stylist your goal length at the start.
Color for men: the quiet upgrade
Color was not the headline of 2023 men’s hair, but it is the easiest way to give a good cut an edge. Subtle highlights add dimension to a textured crop, and a gloss or all-over color can cover early grays so they look natural. Which option fits depends on your starting color and how visible you want the change to be. For reference, our men’s color services at La Jolla run $55-$80 for Men Color and $100-$155 for Men Highlight.
Our perspective: the cut is the foundation
We have been cutting hair in La Jolla for more than 25 years, and the pattern is consistent: men come in with a photo from their feed and leave with something that works on their hair. The 2023 trend cycle was a good example of the gap between a picture and a result. The photographed hair is usually styled, lit and often a different texture from yours.
Here is how we approach it:
- We start with a consultation. We look at growth patterns, density, cowlicks and how you part your hair, then talk about your routine. A cut that fights your hair will not last past the first week.
- We treat soft as a technique. A relaxed look needs more skill than a blunt one, because the layering has to do the work that gel would otherwise do.
- We plan the grow-out. A good cut should look decent at week five, not only on day one.
- We are honest about upkeep. If a high fade will not fit your schedule, we will say so and suggest a taper that will.
Trends are a starting point. The best haircut for you is the one that suits your hair, your face and your calendar, and those details change what a style looks like on you.
— Juiced
Book a men’s haircut in La Jolla
If one of these styles caught your eye, we can build it around your hair. A men’s haircut at Joel C Ma Hair Studio is $45-$50, and you can see the full menu, including color and treatments, on our services and prices page. For more on how we work with cuts, see our haircuts page. Bring photos if you have them. We will tell you what will translate to your hair and what to adjust.
If you want to read more first, our guides on men’s grooming basics and creative men’s haircuts cover what is current now.
FAQ
What were the most popular men’s haircuts in 2023?
The fade in its various heights, the crew cut, the textured crop and the modern mullet were the most requested styles. The overall direction was toward natural, air-dried texture. Fringes and the classic side part also had a strong year.
Are 2023 men’s hairstyles still in style?
Mostly yes. Fades, tapers, crops and textured fringes are all still standard, and recent coverage keeps highlighting boyish fringes and longer shapes. The details change from year to year, such as the exact fade height or fringe length, but the core cuts have stayed.
How often should I get my haircut to keep a style looking sharp?
It depends on length. Buzz cuts, textured crops and fades usually need a trim every one to three weeks. Longer, layered styles like a soft mullet or a side part can go four to six weeks in our experience.
What should I say to my stylist to get a 2023-style cut?
Name the style, then describe the details: how short the sides should be, how long the top should stay, and whether you want a blunt or textured finish. Bring two or three photos, ideally of hair similar to yours. Ask what your hair will and will not do, and what styling you will need at home.
How much does a men’s haircut cost at your salon?
A men’s haircut at Joel C Ma Hair Studio is $45-$50, as listed on our services page. Color services for men are priced separately.
Sources
- Men’s haircare and style trends for 2023, The National
- 7 Best Hairstyles for Men 2023, Alpha M
- Cool Guys Have Boy Bangs Now, GQ
- 13 best short haircuts for men, British GQ
- How Often Should You Get a Haircut?, GQ
- Taper Fade with Textured Fringe, Barberstake
- Men’s hairstyle trends in 2023, Jack Black
- La coiffure homme en pleine mutation, Biblond
