Why So Many Men Love This ‘Hunky’ 1990s Hairstyle Now
Read all about the comeback of the Hunlky 1990’s hairstyle in the Wall Street Journal.
Lately, more guys are sporting floppy hair with a center-part reminiscent of a young Hugh Grant or a Disney prince. The style can confer immediate charm—and camouflage imperfect hairlines—but it can take some effort to nail.
A few months ago, Ben Duhl, a creative-industry headhunter in Los Angeles, had a “Hugh Grant moment.” With the release of the movie “Heretic,” the British actor was everywhere, including in a social-media video in which he broke down famous past roles. Watching the floppy-haired charmer in vintage clips “just brought me back to the ’90s,” said Duhl, 48. “I get my hair references from pop culture, and I thought, ‘It’s time to bring that [look] back.’ ”
Duhl showed his hairstylist a photo of a young, dreamy Grant in which his hair is parted in the center, a few stray locks hanging jauntily above one eye. That soft, mid-length style—also worn by a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonathan Taylor Thomas (“Home Improvement”)—was practically mandated for heartthrobs in the 1990s.
Duhl says his wife loved his new Grant-ish mane. And the headhunter was right on trend. In the past year or so, A-listers in their 30s and 40s such as Charles Melton and John Mulaney have sported the youthful look, sometimes called “curtains” thanks to the midline part. Both Takamichi Saeki, the creative director of New York salon Takamichi Hair, and Julien Howard, a New York barber known as the Vélo Barber, say they have been fielding more requests for the style lately, mostly from younger men. While some experts think it’s best left to the young, others say this can be a good option for older guys wanting to cover gently maturing hairlines.
Its general appeal is easily grasped. Dean Brooks, a 24-year-old who works in commercial real estate in Manhattan and rocks the style, likes its laid-back yet put-together vibe. Rachael Gibson, a hair historian in London, called it “romantic, nonthreatening—classic hunk.” She added, “It’s a bit like Disney-prince hair.” (Literally: Andrew Burnap sports the cut as the dashing love interest in Disney’s new “Snow White” remake.)
Saeki attributes much of its rise to Korean pop stars. Howard said the typical K-pop take, in which the hair is often permed, gives it a “cooler edge.”
Because a center part divides your hair in two, the style demands quite a lot of hair to prevent either side from looking wispy. “It showcases how nice your hair is,” Howard said. Gibson credits Gen Z’s embrace of the style to their fondness for ’90s nostalgia, and to the TikTok trend of “looksmaxxing,” in which men focus on improving their appearance. “Having a good head of hair is a bit of a flex,” she said.
The popularity and accessibility of hair supplements and growth sprays with ingredients such as finasteride and minoxidil could be contributing to the demand for this style, says Howard. Many of those products, increasingly popular in recent years, promote hair growth.
Though Saeki says silver foxes can pull off the style, he generally thinks it’s “for the young people.” But Andrea Pezzillo, an L.A. hairstylist and groomer working with celebs like Mulaney and Jon Hamm, said floppy hair can flatter older guys because it’s “forgiving on a lot of hairlines.” She recommends it if a man is “getting older and the corners are getting thinner,” or he has a widow’s peak. When hair flops over the edges, she explained, “it’s covering some of the minuscule changes [to] your hairline as you age.” Though it can camouflage slightly deepening corners, this style won’t help folks with noticeably thinning pates. If “you’re seeing your scalp,” said Pezzillo, Hugh’s not your guy.
The ’90s rom-com look best suits wavy hair, but a center-part with length can work on straighter or curlier hair too, says Pezzillo.
Tempted? You’ll need at least a few inches at the front. Give wet hair a good towel dry, then make the center part with a comb, says Saeki. Blow-dry hair starting at the base of the parting (at the front); move up and outward, using fingers to help shape, said Saeki, who cautioned that “a bit of skill” is required for styling. Once dry, he’d keep it in place with Davines Medium Hold Finishing Gum.
To achieve what Howard calls an “iconic ’90s coming-off-the-beach look,” spritz Blind Barber’s sea salt spray on damp or towel-dried hair. Pezzillo says salt spray, which ups volume and texture, works best on straight strands. Got wavier locks? She recommends using a leave-in conditioner like AG Care’s Fast Food, while Howard suggests Hanz de Fuko Sponge Wax for order. Just don’t let on how much has gone into it: This look is all about breezy cool.
