We asked top hair stylist Mr Tyler Johnston to give the MR PORTER team a new-season makeover.

The arrival of summer is the perfect time to switch up your wardrobe, and it’s a great time for a new hairstyle, too. As summer (we hope) means sun and heat, your new cut should be both short and low maintenance. Something, perhaps, in the vein of the classic side-parted side sweep (as seen on the runways at Valentino, Burberry Prorsum and Marni).

From Mr James Dean to Mr Ryan Gosling, it’s a hairstyle that has had a starring role in every decade for the past 60 years. Its premier attraction is its simplicity and versatility. “It’s tailored, groomed and generally off the face, which makes it look a lot smarter,” says session stylist Mr Tyler Johnston.

As with any classic, however, there are twists you can add to it that ensure it stays evergreen. With that in mind, we asked Mr Johnston to style the hair of seven MR PORTER staff members for summer.

“Francisco has thicker hair that has a natural curl. He normally wears it longer, which is a little impractical for summer, so I reduced a lot of the weight from the top and took the back quite short, blending it naturally from the top of his head,” says Mr Johnston. “I chopped into the weight at the top with scissors, so I could get some texture into it once it was styled. It also made it a lot lighter, so it should be easier to manage. I blow-dried the hair off the face, sweeping it backwards with a round brush to straighten it and add some volume and height. I then worked through a small amount of Aesop Violet Leaf Hair Balm, which is a great alternative to tacky wax or gel. It doesn’t leave the hair too greasy or weigh it down. I finished with hairspray for long-lasting hold. This style looks best when it’s a bit messy. You can run your hands through it or sleep on it and it’ll still look great.”

“I gave Anish a graduated haircut that tapered from the top of the head down into a natural finish at the bottom. He’s got naturally thick, wavy hair, so I left some length at the top but scissor-cut some of the weight out so he could manipulate it into a style he liked. I wanted to work with his natural texture but give it a wetter look. It’s an easy way of controlling the hair and achieving long-lasting hold. I combed the hair off the face to emphasise Anish’s bone structure and worked a pea-sized amount of Oribe Gel Sérum into wet hair. It contains gold pearl particles to reflect light and add shine. The wet look is on trend this season and great for hot weather.”

“Tom’s hair was quite long and heavy, so I took some weight out by adding layers. It meant we could retain the length and make the hair a lot lighter at the same time. I point-cut the ends with scissor and comb to add some texture. This produces a saw-tooth effect and, when dried, makes the hair look artfully dishevelled rather than flat and boring. It’s a nice low-maintenance hairstyle that doesn’t require much effort. Tom’s got a longer face shape with a strong jaw, so I left the hair a little longer in the outlines so he can push it back to accentuate his chiselled facial features. I added a natural parting and worked a little styling gel through the hair after it had been towel-dried to add shine and hold. Tom can use his fingers to ‘comb’ his hair so it looks natural and undone rather than lacquered and overly groomed. It’s a great summer style for guys with longer hair and is easy to achieve.”

“Ed has thick hair, which was quite long and hard to manage. I gave him a classic short back and sides to reduce the weight and control it. It’ll also keep him a lot cooler as the mercury rises. He has an oval face shape, so this cut complements him very well. I started the graduation quite high, so that the hair tapers around the sides and into his beard and frames the face. It was important to keep it longer at the top so we had something to work with. To style, I blow-dried the hair and applied a pea-sized amount of Bumble and bumble Grooming Creme to give it some control. It contains a lot of natural oils that’ll help moisturise and protect the hair from sun damage, too. To finish and tame fly-aways, I spritzed Ed’s hair with Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray.”

“I gave Javier a short, graduated, layered haircut to suit his oval face shape, tapering it from quite high up so I could go really tight around the sides and bring out his features. Javier wears glasses, so shorter sides make everything look smarter and more streamlined. It’s all about proportion and shapes with this hairstyle, so I cut the top quite square to make his face seem less round. I worked some Sachajuan Leave-In Conditioner into the hair while it was wet, for added moisture, and then blow-dried it off the face with a stipple brush to give some height and texture. I styled with Fellow Barber Texture Paste to define the parting and add hold.”

“I graduated Philip’s hair on the sides and back, tapering it really short but leaving length at the top to elongate the face. He’s got a nice natural wave to his hair, so it was important that we cut it to accommodate this and keep it as low-maintenance and natural-looking as possible. I blunt-cut the top to add texture. If you’ve got lighter hair, then this can add depth and volume. I combed in a natural side-parting and pushed the hair back off the face using Baxter of California Cream Pomade, which is great for adding definition to fine hair and its light formula guarantees hold without weighing it down. It’s all about the cut with this hairstyle, so you can run your hands through it and it’ll still maintain its shape. I finished with Bumble and bumble Thickening Hairspray for added shine and extra hold.”

“Daniel’s hair is quite fine so I didn’t want to cut too many layers into it or make it any shorter – it would have reduced the weight significantly and made his hair look a lot flatter. I washed it with Aesop Volumising Shampoo to help add body and lift it from the roots, and then blow-dried it over to the side, combing in a natural side parting. With fine hair, it’s important not to add too much product as it can easily look greasy. With that in mind, I used a tiny amount of Bumble and bumble Grooming Creme to give the hair texture and shine but still leave it looking natural and relaxed.”

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