40 Stylish Side Part Haircut Styles For Modern Gentlemen in 2023

The side part is a classic and stylish choice for modern men who want a timeless, masculine and versatile look. While there are several cool variations, the most popular side part hairstyles feature a taper fade on the sides and back with longer hair on top, creating the iconic parted look. For a fashion-forward look, you can ask your barber to shave a hard part for a modern finish. As the original gentleman’s haircut, the side part can suit any length, texture and occasion.

For inspiration, here are some of the best side part haircuts for men to copy right now. If you’re visiting your barber, these cool parted hairstyles are handsome and flattering looks for younger guys.

Contents

1 What Is The Side Part Haircut?
2 How To Get A Side Part
3 How To Style A Side Part Hairstyle
4 How To Part Men’s Hair
5 Best Hair Products For A Side Part
- 5.1 Pomade
- 5.2 Wax
6 Popular Side Part Haircut Styles

What Is The Side Part Haircut?

The side part is a timeless, classy hairstyle for guys. As the name suggests, a side part haircut needs a guy’s hair to be parted to one side of the head. Also known as a gentleman’s cut, side part hairstyles generally require short sides and short to medium-length hair on top.

Although the classic side part was paired with a tapered cut, the modern variation is often combined with a fade or undercut to accentuate the longer hair on top. While the side part fade and undercut are flexible, these cuts and styles work best with thick hair.

If a men’s haircut with a part seems like a cool way to wear your hair, then you’re going to love these parted hairstyles.

How To Get A Side Part

The side part hairstyle has many variations and names. Some barbers and stylists know it as a comb over, while others refer to the look as a businessman’s haircut. To get a side part, guys will need about 2 to 4 inches of hair on top. The difference in length will determine whether you get a short or long side part, and how you cut the sides and back is entirely a personal preference.

To ask for a side part haircut, you’ll need to pick whether you want a fade or undercut on the sides. If you choose a fade haircut, you’ll need to tell your barber how high and short you want the hair faded. For example, a high fade side part will expose more scalp and may be too edgy for an office setting. A medium or low fade can strike the perfect balance between trendy and conservative.

Furthermore, guys can decide whether they want a side part taper fade that blends down to the ear but leaves some hair or a bald fade side part that trims the sides down to the skin. Again, the skin fade side part is a very short cut and will show your scalp. Nevertheless, a bald fade with a part offers a sexy style with lots of contrast.

Finally, you can also ask your barber to give you a hard part. The hard side part is cut with a thick, shaved line that creates a strong, defined part where you would comb your hair over.

To get the best side part haircut, we recommend guys always bring a picture to the barbershop.

How To Style A Side Part Hairstyle

There are many ways to style a side part hairstyle. How guys choose to part their hair depends on the cut they get. For instance, a hard side part will require a thick, hard line to create contrast and mark the separation. For a soft side part, you’ll need to ask your barber to leave medium-length to longer hair on top so the part isn’t so distinct.

To style the perfect side part, guys will also need a comb and good styling products. We recommend a high-quality pomade, wax or clay. The latest hair trends suggest a textured finish for a more natural look, but some guys will still prefer the slick, classic side part hairstyle.

Here’s how to style a side part.

Dry your hair after a shower. Make sure to leave it slightly damp.
Apply your pomade or wax throughout your hair, making sure to distribute it evenly throughout.
Comb a part in your hair. You can follow the hard parting that your barber has cut in or create a soft part for a subtle transition. Pull your hair to the different sides.
Finish the parted style with a neat part that leaves your hair flat, or textured finish with volume and height. A casual, natural look will require a blow dryer while the shiny, slick version needs a strong pomade with high shine.
Consider sweeping the hair in front to the side or running your fingers through your hair for a messy, soft part.

The difference between the classic and modern side part is the finish. Although we recommend the textured modern version, some guys who love retro hairstyles will choose to style the classic gentlemen’s variation. Both look great and it’s just a matter of personal style.

How To Part Men’s Hair

How you part your hair depends on your side part haircut. For example, some guys choose a hard part versus a soft part cut, and this will effect how they style part hairstyles. To do a perfect side part, follow these directions:

Use a comb to brush all your hair forward. If you asked your barber for a hard side part, he will have already created a natural part in your hair. If you prefer a soft part for a more classy look, you’ll need to determine which side your hair naturally parts.
When you find the natural part in your hair, start combing to define the different sides.
Apply pomade for a shiny finish or hair wax for textured, natural hair. Use a blow dryer on low-heat (to avoid damage) to style and keep the hairstyle in place.
Finally, for a messy side part with a soft texture, run your fingers through to separate the strands.

Best Hair Products For A Side Part

The best hair product for a side part depends on how you want to style the haircut and the type of finish you’d like. There are a number of high-quality styling products for men, ranging from different types to different brands.

Pomade

For a strong hold with a high shine finish, we recommend using a pomade. The best pomades for men will hold your side part in place all day but still be easy to wash out at night. And because most pomade styling products are water-based, they won’t give your hair a greasy look. If you’re looking to wear a slick classic side part, a good pomade is the right product.

Wax

For a medium to strong hold with a low shine to natural finish, we’d recommend applying hair wax. Because most modern side part hairstyles are textured with volume for a casual, relaxed look, styling wax is the ideal product.

Popular Side Part Haircut Styles

Short Side Part

The short side part is a low-maintenance, clean-cut hairstyle. With faded sides and short hair on top, guys can easily style the look. To make short parted hair work well, we’d recommend you have thick hair to avoid bald spots or exposing too much scalp.

Long Side Part

Side part hairstyles for medium-length and long hair have been trending strong in recent years. The long side part is a cool variation of a short sides, long top haircut with a focus on the styling of the hair. The beauty of longer hair on top is that it can be styled in a comb over, quiff, pompadour, or messy hairstyle as well.

Side Part Fade

The side part fade is the most popular parted haircut. Because fades are versatile and look stylish when paired with all types of styles, they make for the best way to trim the hair on the sides. With so many different types of fade cuts to choose, you can tailor your men’s side part fade to your sense of style.

Hard Line Side Part

The hard line side part, also known as the hard side part, can give any guy a gritty, almost bad boy look. If you have thick hair on top and want to customize your side swept hairstyle, ask your barber to shave in a hard part for an edgy look.

Classic Side Part

The classic side part refers to how your parted hairstyle is cut and styled. The classic side part haircut usually comes with longer hair on top, tapered sides, and a more rigid, slick comb over of the hair.

Modern Side Part

A modern side part tends to have some of the more contemporary features and styles of today. For instance, faded sides, a shaved hard line, and a textured, natural finish are all attributes of a modern side part haircut for men.