Classic Crew Cut Styles

Because a crew cut is a popular and simple haircut, any stylist or barber should be able to give you exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re attempting to give yourself a crew cut at home, you’ll need a set of clippers and a number of different length guards to taper and fade. You’ll want to use a lower guard around the back and sides to leave hair quite short, and higher guards on top that leave hair long enough to style, while also tapering hair in length from front to back. Use other guards to blend between the different lengths of hair to leave your style looking seamless.

One reason the crew cut is so popular is because it’s easy to style and maintain. Trimming at least the back and sides of your crew cut every 2 to 3 weeks is the ideal way to keep it looking neat. Parted, spiked, or pompadour styles are all possibilities with the crew cut, and leaving your hair longer on top will usually help to accommodate a wider range of styling options. Longer crew cut styles will often require the use of product to look perfectly styled. We recommend guys with more finely textured hair go for a styling cream, while thicker hair might require a wax or pomade.

A modern, masculine masterpiece, this crew cut style perfectly completes a dapper suit and tie outfit. Zac Efron shows just how classy this classic look can be, wearing a cut that can go anywhere from the red carpet to the board room without skipping a beat.

Keep your crew cut style looking extra neat with a high fade around the back and sides. This style looks more measured and military than some of the longer crew cut styles on our list, and you might want to opt for more of a disconnected undercut if you’re looking for an edgier crew cut.

Using hair strategically to enhance the shape of your face isn’t just a trick that women can use. Although Channing Tatum doesn’t need any help in the face slimming department, this crew cut can help any guys who do. Tapered sides and shorter hair around the ears makes the face appear more narrow, while a textured cut on top styled in an upward direction can help to make your face look longer.

This precisely combed over crew cut style has the All-American stamp of approval, and you’ll feel instantly hunkier when you’re sporting this look. Rather than combing all of your hair in one direction, flipped up hair around the forehead helps to create the illusion of length, and can help to balance out a wider face.

This seamlessly blended crew cut style features a drop fade at the back for a slightly different take on the haircut.

Robert Pattinson’s pictured haircut is a pretty basic crew cut style that’s been buzzed around the back and sides, but a few longer pieces are left right above the forehead to help add some texture to the look.

Tom Hardy’s crew cut style looks extra edgy thanks to ultra short sides with a high fade, and the messy spiky styling he’s done with the longer hair left on top. Not only is this haircut a bit dark and edgy, but it’s also easy to maintain and trim using clippers at home.

Just because crew cut styles are easy to style and maintain doesn’t mean yours has to be boring. Adding highlights to the longer hair left on top of your head adds depth and dimension to your style, and gives you a summery look whether you’re living on the coast or just dreaming about it.

Ryan Reynolds’ short crew cut style looks sexy and mature thanks to super short sides that show off his salt and pepper hair. Combine this haircut with a bit of a scruffy beard to add a dose of ruggedness to your clean cut hairstyle.

If you want to a crew cut style that has a little more depth, ask your barber or stylist to add some texture into the longer hair on top. This additional scissor work helps to create more dimension compared to using clippers alone, and the end result is a more stylish crew cut that’s perfect for weddings and other special occasions.

Hair is parted and styled with a strong hold product like pomade or styling wax to create this sculpted look. With very short hair and a high fade at the sides, this crew cut style gets a dose of edge, and fits in with the trendy undercut styles that are so popular right now.

Adding a hard part to your short crew cut style will set it apart from other men wearing a similar haircut, and shows that you’ve got a little more flair than guys who opt for a basic crew cut. To keep your hard part looking sharp, we recommend refreshing it about once a week, whether you’re comfortable doing it at home or you let your barber do the honors.

They say you should dress for the job you want, and the same logic can definitely be applied to your hairstyle. Look the part of an ultra professional businessman with this crew cut style, and you’ll be impressing all the right people with your simple but dapper look.

This short crew cut style is expertly shaped around the forehead, giving it a precision look that can be combined with modern edgy fashion or worn in a conservative work environment.

This crew cut style manages to look edgy and a bit vintage-inspired with its side combed styling that forms a mini pompadour. If you want to recreate this exact style, blow drying your hair can help to give it some extra volume. Once hair is dry, use a pomade or styling wax to mould your hair into place.

If you’ve got a touch of natural wave to your hair, keeping your crew cut style on the shorter side can help to minimize how long it takes you to do your hair in the morning.

It’s not a surprise that crew cut styles are so popular among men, because they’re incredibly versatile in addition to being super easy to style. This brushed up crew cut might come with some military inspiration, but Jake Gyllenhaal proves it can also look red carpet ready.

In another example of how versatile the crew cut can be, Neil Patrick Harris’ style looks far from straight-laced with its tousled styling and blonde highlights.

If you’ve been blessed with naturally curly hair, embrace your texture by leaving hair a little bit longer on top of your crew cut style. For guys who experience problems with frizzy curls, apply a curl cream to your hair when it’s damp, and use your fingers instead of a comb to gently style hair in place. Leave-in conditioners are another option to help keep your curls moisturized, and really dry haired guys might want to invest in a curl spray to be used throughout the day.

Keep things simple with this short, military-inspired crew cut style. You can apply a small amount of product to the hair around your face to help define it, but this crew cut style is short enough that you might be able to get away with almost no styling effort at all.

If you thought crew cut styles were boring and old, Zayn Malik is here to prove you wrong. Combined with a scruffy beard that’s about the same length as the shorter hair on the sides of his head, this style is young and modern while being clean and classic enough for any occasion.

Looking quite similar to a caesar haircut, this crew cut style features some longer pieces in the front that have been styled forward to create a messy fringe. To get this kind of soft hold style, try using a light hold styling cream instead of heavier products.