STYLE : LOOKS : The Short Cut

When it comes to a man’s looks, the most crucial element is his haircut. So for this Men’s Fall Fashion story, hairstylist/groomer Richard Marin trimmed model Claude Gautier’s hair. “Claude showed up with a classic English schoolboy look, but he needed the sportier, cropped, no-fuss style that works best for Southern California,” Marin says.

By trimming Gautier’s finely textured hair shorter on top, Marin created the illusion of thicker hair. After the cut, it measured 2 1/2 inches at the crown, tapering to 1/8 inch above the ears and at the nape. “I didn’t shape any type of lines on the neck,” he says. “I prefer to leave the nape completely natural so that the cut grows out without the demarcation of a hairline.”

To prolong the life of a cut, Marin, who styles hair for retailers and TV, advises using a grooming product when the crown grows bulky and overlaps the ears. But he cautions against gels, which “are hard and make the hair look wet all day long.” Here, he used Creme With Silk Groom, a light fixative by Kiehl’s Since 1851.

Marin used no cosmetics on Gautier, except for a moisturizer with sunscreen. “All men should wear one every day. For winter, add a few drops of a woman’s tinted moisturizer. It gives a bit of color, and it’s absolutely undetectable.”