What Is the Executive Contour Haircut and Does It Suit You?
Learn what the executive contour haircut is, who it looks best on, and how to ask your barber for it with confidence.
What Is an Executive Contour?
The executive contour is a classic, neat haircut. Men have worn it for almost a hundred years. It has short sides and a longer top that parts to one side.
The hair on top is combed smooth, flat, and back. The side part is very clear and sharp. Barbers often use clippers to taper the sides, making the hair shorter near the ears and neck. It looks clean, tidy, and sharp. People often think of it as a businessman haircut, but anyone can wear it.
Who Looks Good in It?
This cut works best with straight or slightly wavy hair. If your hair is very curly or kinky, it is hard to comb flat without a lot of heavy hair grease.
It also works well with many face shapes:
Oval faces: Almost any cut looks good on you, including this one. Round faces: The neat sides help your cheeks look a bit slimmer. Square faces: The sharp lines match a strong jaw very well. Long faces: Keep the top a little shorter so your face does not look even longer.
If you have very thin hair on top, be careful. The neat part can make thin spots easy to see.
How to Ask Your Barber
Do not just walk in and say the name. Barbers learn different names for the same cut. Instead, tell them exactly what you want.
First, tell them where you want your side part. Point to the spot you usually comb it. Ask for a tapered cut or a low fade on the sides. Tell them you want enough hair left on top to comb back and sideways.
You can also ask for a hard part. That means the barber uses a razor to shave a thin line where your hair parts. It makes the line pop, but remember, you have to shave it often as it grows back.
Daily Styling and Upkeep
This haircut takes a little work every morning. You cannot just roll out of bed and walk out the door.
You will need a comb and some pomade. Put a small dab of pomade in damp hair. Comb your hair to the side along your natural part. Then, comb the front slightly up and back.
To keep the sides short and the edges sharp, visit your barber every three to four weeks. If you wait longer, the sides will puff out and lose their shape.
Before you let a barber cut your hair, see how it looks on you first. Use the HairMatch AI app to get a free face-shape check. Then, unlock photo previews starting at $0.99 to test the executive contour on your own face.