Ask any barber for a fade, and they’ll almost immediately get straight to work. Operative phrase: almost immediately. You see, the fade isn’t just one singular type of haircut. While the general technique remains constant—that is, gradually making the hair shorter as it goes down the side and back of the heads—there are many variations on the form. And the type of fade you choose should depend on your face and head shape, desired vibe personal preferences, and hair texture.
“From a barber’s perspective, the biggest difference is where the graduation begins,” Aaron Chan, cofounder of Kings Domain barbershop in Melbourne, Australia. “The higher you move the fade, the more contrast you create.”
The four most common styles are a low fade, mid fade, high fade, and taper fade. There are of course variations within those general categories—drop fades and burst fades, for example—but for a classic look, that foursome is what you’ll want to stick to.
Though longer hair might be the trend now—as demonstrated by the recent hairstyles of numerous A-listers like Connor Storrie, Oscar Isaac, and Jay-Z—the fade is a reliable standby that can be modified to play off of shifting trends. But the key to getting a really good one is to know exactly what to ask for. So we asked experts to break it down by style.
Low Fade
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A low fade provides a “softer, more classic finish,” Joey Scandizzo, another cofounder of Kings Domain, says. This style of fade starts right above the ear and is well-suited for those with longer face shapes. Because the blending is done towards the lower portion of the hair, it helps to create a fuller face shape for those whose heads are more narrow.
Mid Fade
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Source:
www.gq.com
