Few hairstyles have made their way through every style subculture as much as crew-cut haircuts have. Here’s a comprehensive look at this classic crop.
The crew-cut haircut is an old favorite of Ivy League river-goers and our armies. In addition to heroes, villains, such as gangsters and thugs from several cultural wars, wear it, too.
Suffice it to say, it’s highly versatile. It’s one of the few haircuts that, as long as you find the right variant, goes well with most face shapes, bone structures, and head sizes. And hey, I can certainly get on board with any hairstyle that requires little to no maintenance.
But what are the origins of this ubiquitous cut? Why did it make its way through so many types of guys? Even more, why does the men’s crew cut have so much lasting power?
Here’s everything you never thought you needed to know, but I promise you’ll find helpful (and fascinating) about crew cuts for men.
And a side note: There are two camps out there — those who spell it as one word, crewcut, and those who spell it as two. For consistency, we’ll be sticking to the latter.
So, let’s start by asking the following question: What exactly is a crew cut?
What Is a Crew Cut?
Basically, a crew is a haircut that’s so short that the hair on the top of your head stands upright and straight.
If you have naturally straight hair, it can’t fall over or flop to any side. A shortcut that you can comb in one direction is still too long to be a crew cut.
A slight lean, with the help of hair products, is okay, though.
If you have naturally curly hair, the cut should be close enough to the scalp that the tendrils aren’t forming yet.
When most people think of a crew, it usually involves a slightly longer front hairline. That hairline graduates into a shorter cut towards the back. So, the hair around the crown is often closer to the scalp.
It’s also popular to do a close buzz on the sides, sometimes with a fade, sometimes without.
Still, there are several variations of the crew, which we’ll, of course, get into.
Crew Cut Haircuts: A History
As mentioned, many groups adopted the crew cut over the years. But, it originated in the gilded world of the Ivy League.
In the late ‘20s, some say 1927, a member of Yale’s rowing team buzzed his hair short. This gent, Jock Whitney, supposedly did this for a clearer view while rowing.
Since the crew sits backward from the direction the boat is going, your hair can blow onto your face while you row. Moreover, you can’t take your hands off the oars.
The rest of his crew team adopted the convenient style, and thus, we have the name for the men’s crew cut.
There’s also an urban legend that Ivy football players purposefully kept their hair longer than the crew guys. This way, you can tell the difference between the two types of athletes.
I’m not sure how true this is, but I love the rivalry of it all. It’s very possible that the football players just needed more cushion in their helmets, but who knows?
From Campus to the Trenches and Back Again
Crew cuts for men became popular during World War II among American soldiers.
Not only was it convenient and easy to maintain (and style), but it was a way for soldiers to reduce the possibility of head lice.
They lived in incredibly small rooms, which is conducive to lice. To this day, most people associate the crew cut with military style.
As with most styles that originate in the military, this cut became popular among the general public. There were a lot of hairstyles in the 1950s. However, the crew-cut haircut was especially popular among the preppy set. So, back to the Ivy League, it went.
It was the short, disciplined “good boy” style, compared to the long, wild rocker cuts like the pompadour. In fact, there’s a variation of the crew called the Ivy League, also referred to as the Harvard clip or the Princeton clip.
The Crew Cut Today
There was a brief moment in the ‘90s when the crew cut gained an association with gang members. It was an easy cut to do at home, and people referred to it as “homemade”.
Their rendition was so short it was something in between a buzzcut and a crew.
A hair buzzer has number settings. The #1 setting is as close to the head as your hair can get without going full bald. Many gangs favored a #2 or #3 buzzer, with the sides close to a #1.
Today, however, there’s no such association with the cut. In fact, it’s pretty neutral and incredibly mainstream. It’s definitely a go-to classic style for guys who want a no-fuss cut that requires no hair product. Celebrities, politicians, professional athletes, local bartenders, and so on wear crew cuts.
The 8 Crew Cut Styles Including Modern Crew Cuts
As mentioned, there are many variations of crew cut styles. Let’s look at some of the most common ones.
Crew Cut Fade
A crew cut fade is one in which the hair on the top of your head is significantly longer than the sides. Its defining feature, however, is that the length difference happens gradually, creating a faded look.
This sometimes means the sides fade into a zero before the edge of your natural hairline by your neck and ears.
Crew Cut Low Fade
A popular variation of the faded crew is the crew cut low fade, which is exactly what it sounds like.
Usually, the longer part of the cut starts to fade at each side, where your head starts to angle down. However, a low fade means that the gradual length change starts further down. It can be just an inch or two below the top sides, or it can dip as low as around your ears.
It’s a particular look that’s striking but not wildly unconventional.
Crew Cut No Fade
A crew cut no fade basically just means that there’s a hard line between the hair on top of your head and the hair on the sides. It’s like having a patch on your head, which looks great on men with shorter or smaller faces. This is especially true if you have a rectangular bone structure.
It’s also a particularly masculine-looking crew cut because it resembles the Jarhead hairstyle associated with the Marines.
You can wear this cut with a slight fade, one that looks virtually non-existent until you look up close. This will have the same general high-contrast effect but will be less dramatic.
Long Crew Cut
Depending on its texture, you may be able to grow the hair on the top part of your head close to two inches.
Remember, for it to be a classic crew cut, your hair technically can’t move or flop over one direction or another. If you have thick, dense hair, you have more room for a long crew cut while maintaining that composition.
Still, there are many variations of a longer, more modern crew cut that you can consider.
Messy Short Crew Cut
The messy crew cut is a more modern take since it usually requires a bit more length. Regardless of your hair’s natural texture, you’ll usually need to use a bit of hair product to get that tousled look.
Even a less traditionally short crew cut won’t have enough length for the strands to land messily. And even with long hair, you always want to sculpt it with intention. That way, it’s an attractive, purposeful mess instead of an actual mess.
Ivy League
As mentioned, you might hear it called the Ivy League, the Harvard clip, or the Princeton clip. Depending on who you ask, it’s either a variation of the crew cut or too long and, therefore, in its category.
It’s basically a crew cut that has a side part. It’s a short variation on the classic side sweep.
If it’s a short enough variation, then it’s a crew cut — or at least an adjacent crew cut. However, the Ivy League can be worn longer. Versions that start to have movement would, of course, not be in the classic crew cut category.
Textured Crew Cut
There are two ways to add texture to your crew cut, no matter what its length.
First, you can use the product. Gel and hairspray can add a more sculptural, hard look. Meanwhile, pomade can be as wet or as dry and natural as you choose. Use more pomade mixed with water for the former. Use less for the latter.
The second way to add texture is by having your barber use an actual texturizer on your hair. They’ll use these special shears to do something called notching. This involves cutting small notches at all different angles to create pronounced textures in your hair.
Texturizers not only remove bulk but soften follicle ends as well. So, a textured crew cut is pretty good for your hair’s health.
Short French Crop
The French crop is similar to the bowl-like Caesar haircut we’ve all seen in our history books. The main difference is that it has a longer fringe.
With a traditional French crop, the fringe would go down a bit, like mini-bangs. But with a short French crop, they’d stay standing up, still longer than the rest of your hair.
So, it’s basically a crew cut, but with varying lengths throughout your head. The front is the longest, the rest of the top of your head is medium, and the sides are the shortest.
It registers as a classic crew but has more dimension and topography to it.
FAQs
Here are some commonly asked questions about the crew cut!
What Do I Tell My Barber for a Crew Cut?
Of course, your barber will know what a crew cut is. However, make sure you’re clear about what length you want on the top and sides and what kind of fade you want. Mention if you want it to be textured or choppy up top or uniform.
What Face Shape Suits a Crew Cut?
A classic crew cut suits most, if not all, face shapes. However, it looks best on those with diamond-shaped faces because it rounds out the head while maintaining the natural silhouette.
Conclusion: Cropped and Ready
From elite campuses to the special forces, every type of man has worn a crew cut.
Even more, there’s a wide range of variations to choose from, especially when you include longer, modern variations.
Have you ever worn a crew-cut haircut? What style? If it’s your go-to cut, let me know why in the comments!
