Classics Never Die

Classic Styles, despite having been around for a long time, maintain a timelessness that keeps them looking fresh and stylish even in the modern day. We’ve broken down some of the most iconic Classic Styles and explained what type of products you need to achieve these looks.

What Styles can you create?

The Side Parting

A Classic Side Parting is one of the short, neat, classic styles which is incredibly versatile and consequently doesn’t look out of place in any setting, making it a great everyday style. As the name suggests, this style involves parting the hair at its natural point on one side and combing the hair towards the other side. This hairstyle is easy to maintain and style, and what's more, it can be combined with a skin fade or taper to add a modern twist.

The Pompadour

A Pompadour is a statement hairstyle involving hair being pushed backwards with loads of volume, whilst the sides are kept short; just like in the fantastic example above. Similarly to the Side Parting, a Pompadour can be coupled with a fade or taper to bring it seamlessly into the modern day. However, unlike the classic side parting, a Pompadour will always stand out from the crowd thanks to its height and volume. 

The Slick Back

The Slick Back look is perfect if you’re looking for a style that appears effortlessly stylish, both because maintaining this style is especially easy and the style is undoubtedly cool. Just like the maintenance of this style, the styling of slicked back hair is very easy. The main thing to pay attention to is how natural you want the finish to be, the more natural you want the style, the less product you should use. 

A million Pomades, but which is the right one?

One of the core elements for classic styles is the styling behind the look and the products used. Classic Styles are typically styled using Pomades that provide high remouldable hold with a slick, glossy finish. 

There are a million Pomade options out there, so it’s easy to get lost, however, by and large Pomades fall into two categories: the more traditional oil-based pomades and the newer, water-based pomades. Both types have their strengths and weaknesses. Oil-based pomades are very remouldable, have a high level of shine, and have strong, long-lasting hold. The drawback to this amazing performance is that many oil-based pomades are hard to wash out due to the oil in the product. This means if you don’t care for your hair properly, you can be left with nasty build-up. On the other hand, water-based pomades are very easy to wash out, preventing the issue of build-up, but don’t provide as much glossy shine and are not nearly as remouldable since they work by setting hair in place after application. 

The Dapper Dan range offers both an oil-based pomade (The Heavy Hold Pomade) and a water-based pomade (The Deluxe Pomade). Their careful development over many years has resulted in the creation of two unique pomades that provide all the benefits with none of the downsides. This leaves the Heavy Hold Pomade as the ideal product for a truly authentic vintage style with high hold and shine, as well as all the moldability of a traditional pomade. Alongside this, its unique formulation allows the product to wash out first time, every time, without the need for specialist shampoo. On the other hand, The Deluxe Pomade is perfect for a slick look without the greasiness many oil-based pomades provide. Thanks to its water base, it naturally washes out easily, but unlike other water-based pomades, the Deluxe Pomade will provide all-day hold without setting too much. This means you can re-comb your hair as desired, just like a classic pomade. With no downsides, choosing between the two is all about personal preference with the amount of shine and hold you need for your chosen style.

Expert Tip, don’t skip the Pre-Stylers! (or Comb)

Some Classic Styles like Pompadours require volume to be properly styled, and for this, coupling one of the Dapper Dan Pomades with the Dapper Dan Grooming Tonic is the way to go. Adding just a few splashes of Grooming Tonic to damp hair, then blow drying, will provide additional hold and volume, as well as conditioning the hair.

Unsurprisingly, an essential when it comes to creating classic styles is a quality comb to style and restyle your hair throughout the day. This is why Dapper Dan created their premium Hand Made Styling Comb to provide a smooth glide through hair and make styling as effortless as possible.

If there’s a different trend you’d like us to analyse for you, let us know in the comments!