Over the past ten years, men’s hair fashion was dominated by precisely faded haircuts, sharp partings, and meticulously styled hair defying gravity. Think of the quintessential boy-band haircut from the millennial era or the carefully maintained fade favored by retired soccer stars—a look that was polished, orderly, and somewhat demanding to upkeep, sometimes even featuring subtle highlights. Hairstylist Mark Alan Esparza, based in New York, notes that for many of these years, men aspired to the appearance of David Beckham: closely shaved sides with longer hair on top.

However, modern men are moving away from such a manicured aesthetic. They are increasingly embracing a more natural, unrefined masculinity, evident in their casual attire, such as working out in jeans, and their dietary choices, like protein-rich, all-meat diets. This shift is mirrored in hair trends, which now feature styles ranging from edgy bowl cuts to wild, shaggy manes, all sharing one common element: playful, face-framing fringes. Celebrities and public figures are also adopting this more relaxed approach. New York musician The Dare has long sported a tousled, youthful mop top, a style now echoed by rising indie rockers like Jackson Walker Lewis and the duo The Hellp, who opt for even looser, wetter interpretations. Frontman Cameron Winter and drummer Max Bassin of Geese, along with actor Connor Storrie, are seen with damp, slicked-back shaggy bobs, reminiscent of Kurt Cobain's iconic look, albeit more deliberately disheveled. Even figures like podcaster Theo Von and streamer Hasan Piker have embraced longer, flowing hair, with Von's mullet featuring thick curtains of hair and Piker combing his hair straight down, letting ringlets frame his forehead. This preference for less structured, more organic hair is also evident in Hollywood, where actors like Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn, and Paul Mescal have adopted styles reminiscent of the Beatles' fringes for an upcoming biopic. Even Superman's latest portrayal features a curly, natural mop, a stark contrast to previous interpretations, leading some netizens to playfully dub it 'alpaca teen gym bro hair' or the 'broccoli perm'. This shift is widespread, visible in the shaggier, lower-maintenance styles favored by younger generations and even in professional settings, where a grainier, more effortless look is becoming acceptable.

Esparza observes that clients increasingly request a “flow”—a style that is looser, more relaxed, and appears effortlessly lived-in. The goal is a look that suggests natural growth, as if little effort was expended. This is a direct contrast to the meticulously gelled hair popular in the mid-2010s, like Justin Bieber’s swoop or Ryan Gosling’s neat pompadour. Today’s preferred cuts are designed to last for months without significant maintenance, reflecting a desire to strip away artificiality. Esparza notes that his high-fashion model and indie clientele frequently seek styles inspired by Jacob Elordi’s cropped mullet from 2025, with its distinctive, softening fringes. He points out that what was once considered masculine—the perfectly sculpted, high-maintenance hair of the past—was, in fact, quite demanding. The current trend towards longer, softer hair that embraces natural curls and waves signifies a greater ease in personal style, giving the impression of minimal effort, even if some styling is still involved.