THE JOURNAL

Mr Evan Mock in New York, 9 November 2022. Photograph by Mr Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images
In October 2022, Mr Timothée Chalamet became the first man to appear solo on the cover of British Vogue. The image, shot by Mr Steven Meisel, is immediately striking – the world’s most in-demand young actor gives the camera his best Blue Steel – but you could easily argue that it is Chalamet’s mop of curls that is the focus of attention. Gravity-defying and with more volume than a young Ms Barbra Streisand, the cover image showed that big curly hair was the definitive hairstyle of the moment (a fact further evidenced by Chalamet’s fellow hair-throbs, the singer Mr Harry Styles and the actor and singer Mr Troye Sivan). For the average guy, though? Without a lengthy salon appointment and perming lotion, totally unachievable.
That doesn’t mean you should go back to having “a little off the top” next time you’re in the barber’s chair. According to Ms Petra Sellge, a London-based hairstylist, you would do well to expunge those words from your vocabulary. “I’m really over fades,” says the red-carpet veteran, who has chopped and coiffed the manes of the actors Messrs Daniel Craig, Matt Smith and Austin Butler. “I hate the really clippered sides with longer hair on top. It’s unsexy and it’s been done.”
Instead, she says, what’s stylish now is a more “1960s and 1970s vibe” that embraces hairstyles with softer, more relaxed edges. Fortunately, this means a new crop of cuts that are eminently more achievable than Chalamet’s curls. So, what to try out next? These are the best relaxed hairstyles for 2023.
01.
The long and lived-in

Mr Jack Farthing at the 24th British Independent Film Awards, London, 5 December 2021. Photograph by Mr David M Benett/Getty Images

Mr Maxim Baldry at the Vogue “Forces For Change” dinner, London, 4 December 2022. Photograph by Mr David M Benett/Getty Images
Over the past two years, “a lot of guys got over the awkward stage of letting their hair grow out”, says Sellge, who advises growing your hair a bit longer if you have a longer face or more chiselled features. She points to the actors Messrs Jack Farthing and Maxim Baldry, both of whom sport nearly shoulder-length hair that looks satisfyingly roughed up.
The key here, she says, is to make sure the hair looks lived in and a bit messy with the help of a couple of products and a hairdryer. “To give it that relaxed, slept-in look, I’ll use Amika Curl Gel and mix it with MALIN+GOETZ’s styling cream, which I then work though the hair, scrunching it up and stretching it down a bit,” she says. Then, on a very low heat setting – and this is crucial to stop the hair from going too fluffy – she recommends using a hairdryer with a diffuser attachment. “Finally, to add some texture and straighten out the ends slightly, I’ll use a little bit of Patricks S2, which gives a slight shine,” she says.
For hair that is drier, curlier or frizzier, Sellge recommends co-washing – that is, washing your hair with conditioner, rather than shampoo. This will help to control the frizz and keep it looking shiny and healthy. The result is an intentionally unkempt look, like Aragorn from Lord Of The Rings, but with a more fragrant styling routine.
02.
The lazy buzz

Mr Jonathan Majors at the EBONY Power 100 Awards, Los Angeles, 29 October 2022. Photograph by Mr Leon Bennett/Getty Images for EBONY MEDIA GROUP

Mr Evan Mock in New York, 9 November 2022. Photograph by Mr Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images
The bleached buzz cut is so last year. The lazy buzz cut is in for 2023. This style is still short, but it is softer and grown out. It is a look that is now being sported by the actor and model Mr Evan Mock and the actors Messrs Jonathan Majors and Seth Rogen. For Mock, in particular, it is quite a departure from his signature candy-floss pink buzz cut and it feels a lot more grown-up. Sellge describes this look as being like “when you have a crop and you’re starting to grow it out, and you haven’t been to the hairdresser for a few months”. Do not be fooled by the apparent low-maintenance simplicity of this hairstyle, however. A visit to the barber for a bit of professional shaping while you grow out your buzz cut is a good idea.
“It’s still about getting the right haircut,” says Sellge. “And you need to grow out the sides a little bit longer and keep it short on top. Then you should have it chopped through and feathered a bit to give it some shape, but without looking like you’ve done anything to it. That way, when you apply some finishing product, it will show up that choppiness.”
For styling, Sellge recommends using a swipe of Patricks M1 light-hold paste or some Hanz de Fuko sponge wax, which you can work lightly through the hair to add some texture.
03.
The undone quiff

Mr Will Poulter at New York Fashion Week, 29 April 2022. Photograph by Mr Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com

Mr Matt Smith at a presentation of “House Of The Dragon”, Mexico City, 29 July 2022. Photograph by Mr Jose Mendez/Shutterstock
The quiff sits proudly in a hair category of its own and has many disciples, from the cartoon character Johnny Bravo to the fashion journalist Ms Suzy Menkes (neither of whom is likely to make your reference board). In 2023, the sexiest quiffs are a little more relaxed than before and pushed back nonchalantly, rather than set and sprayed until they’re rock hard. The actors Messrs Will Poulter, Himesh Patel and Matt Smith have some of the best examples right now. They all sport windswept and interesting quiffs that feel red-carpet ready yet totally laid-back.
To achieve an undone quiff, Sellge recommends prepping the hair by applying a volumising spray and then blow-drying it a bit to give it some body, before “kind of destroying the volume again by putting in some salt spray and styling cream to mess it up”. Her top recommendation is Shu Uemura’s Uomo Hold, which she suggests raking back and forth through your hair with your fingers. “It gives it that lovely hold that’s not too wet or gelled and has those finger-comb marks through it, which looks more effortless,” she says.
It helps if your hair is longer, too. “Matt [Smith]’s hair is slightly choppy and layered at the back and then almost goes down to his nose at the front,” says Sellge. “It’s like the late 1980s, early 1990s Mickey Rourke – in the good old days. I love it.”