AMC’s Mad Men is one of television’s most popular shows right now. Yeah, the story is good, but the attention to retro detail and the classic style of Don Draper and crew is at least an equal attraction. Well-tailored grey suits, pocket squares, and skinny ties makes the men on the show look cool, sophisticated, and manly.
But that classic and masculine look would be ruined if Don Draper sported a dopey looking haircut. Do you think advertising clients and women would take Don Draper seriously if he combed his hair forward and spiked it up front like many young men do these days? I don’t think so.
Don Draper and the other men at Sterling Cooper have haircuts that demand that you take them seriously. Your grandpa probably did his hair the same way: tight on the sides with a sharp part on the left side of the head. And of course, the hair needs that healthy looking shine.
Unfortunately, many men today walk around with the same boyish haircuts they’ve had since high school. Sure, your hair spiked in the front or tussled carelessly looked cool when you were 17, but it looks goofy when you’re 30. You want a haircut that looks manly, not juvenile.
To help upgrade your hairstyle to something more respectable, we provide the following tips from the Emmy Award-winning hairstylist of Mad Men, Gloria Ponce.
How to Get the Mad Man Hairstyles
The hair product. If you really want to recapture that slicked back, clean look of the 40′s, 50′s, and 60′s, get your hands on some Brylcreem. The stuff is a little greasy, but boy it really makes a man’s hair look nice. It smells pretty damn manly, too. I’ve used Brylcreem to style my hair for awhile now. My wife loves the way it makes my hair look, and I get compliments on it all the time.
If gramp’s hair products are too greasy for your taste, but you still want that shiny, put together look, try the modern products used by the Mad Men hairstylist. Gloria Ponce uses American Crew hair products on the Mad Men set. Her go to product for all the male actors is American Crew Pomade. The pomade gives you the same hold and shine as Brylcreem, but it isn’t as greasy. She’ll also use American Crew Firm Hold Styling Gel when the hair really needs to stay in place. Unlike other gels, this gel doesn’t flake and leave you looking like you have a bad case of dandruff. Plus it gives you that nice Mad Men shine without making your hair as hard as a helmet.
It comes down to a matter of preference on whether you go the Brylcreem or the American Crew route. They’ll both give you the same look. Personally, I like my Brylcreem. If it was good enough for granddad, it’s good enough for me. Plus, it’s cheaper and you can get it at your local drugstore.
The Don Draper
Tell your barber…
Ask him to cut your hair tight and tapered on the sides and leave it long and full on the top. Tell the barber that you also want your part on the left side of your head. Yeah, I said part. The part demands respect. The part is powerful. Your barber can cut your hair in order to help your hair part more easily.
To style…
Take your hair product of choice and run it through your hair while it’s still damp. Take your comb and create your part on the left side of your head. Create a small wave on the front of your hair by combing your bangs up and back towards the right. Comb back the sides of your hair. Bada-bing! Instant Draper.
The Pete Campbell
Tell your barber…
Like with the Draper-do, you’ll want it nice and tight on the sides. The only difference is to have your barber cut it a bit shorter on the top than you would with the Don Draper hairstyle. And if you want to part it on the right, ala Pete, tell him that too.
To style…
Use a bit more product. Pete Campbell’s hairstyle is much more slick and wet looking than the other characters. When you comb it, start off with a sharp part on the right side of your head. When you create the wave in the front, keep it close to the head. It’s not as high as some of the other men on the show. Pete’s style is good for younger men or men with smaller frames.
The Roger Sterling
Tell your barber…
Sterling’s look is much shorter and barbered than the other men on the show. It’s almost like a military cut. Get it cut short on the top, but leave it long enough so that you can comb a part on the right side of your head. Sides are tight. Make sure he tapers the sides so they blend in nicely with the top. You won’t want any lines like you have a bowl cut.
To style…
Add product to your damp hair and comb it over to create your part. Create the wave in the front. Because your hair is shorter, it won’t be as high as Don Draper’s. Comb back the sides. Now you’re ready schmooze with clients at a 12 martini lunch.
Final Note: If you really want to ensure that your barber gets your haircut the way you want it, print off this post and show him a picture of the haircut you want. You can never go wrong doing that.
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Hi, I just had a couple other comments, I thought might be intresting. When I was a child in the early 50s I would visit my grandmother’s house frequently. On every chair in the place she had these hand crocheted doilies as I would call them. Three on the couches.
I asked one time what they were and why. She told me that the proper name for them was ‘Anti-Macasser’ Macasser tree oil was the most comment hair grease back when she was young. (early 20s) Their purpose was to keep the furniture clean, because, sure enough, the grease men slicked their hair down with did indeed leave grease stains that would ruin any fabric.
I am fairly opinionated, as I would think most people who like this site are. I am also quite accepting of others who have differing opinions. (even though I know they are wrong! LOL)
This site is very valuable for young men who have just not been around traditional clothes values etc. I live in central Florida, One great problem here is that it is just too hot. Most of the time people just want to wear Tee shirts and shorts. The young prople just have no place to learn of these things. My Kudos for this website.
One final comment on the grease issue. Ever wonder where the term ‘Slick” comes from?
I mean the use of the word to mean someone who is slightly shady, or not trust worthy. “Hey Slick! Or, “That fellow is a slick one, watch out for him”
Telling the barber exactly how I’d like my hair cut is something that I routinely struggle with – when I say that I want a “business cut” or “to not look like a bum” he’ll look somewhat chagrined. Thanks for the helpful tips.
If you can get a bottle of jeris hair tonic you wont regret it . It smells great but wont leave your hair all greasy. I’ve got more complements from women about how good I smell . They think its cologne or something . My wife goes nuts when she smells it . She says she can smell my pillow and it has that smell to it . I buy mine from my barber . I heard you can also get it at sallys beauty supplies . It comes in a plastic bottle but it has that old school barbers bottle look to it .
Hey P , Who cares what you have a “tolerance ” for . I dont have a tolerance for people who throw around the homophobia thing either . Its a cheap way to try and win an argument .
White walls and cropped on the top is best.
I have to disagree with Brett. Having grown up in the 50s era (granted, a small child), the standard cuts were much shorter on the sides/back. Flattops were common. And crewcuts of various lengths also were standard fare. It’s a matter of opinion on what looks better–I’d say it’s individual taste. And today’s styles are fine…and certainly as good or better than some “hair designer’s” perception of what things were like in the ’50s and ’60s. But…each to his own…Brylcreem continues to be in business!!
Oh, and by the way…the “part” issue: if hair is parted, the natural lay of the hair determines to a great extent the side on which it should be (can be) parted. Most men have a left-sided “crown” and clockwise whorl that encourages a left part. A substantial minority of men have the opposite–a right-sided “crown” and counter clockwise whorl to the hair, both of which encourage a right-sided part if the hair is to be parted. (Interestingly, some studies have shown that gay men statistically are more likely to have the counter clockwise whorl–why?) Styling the hair against its natural pattern of growth is possible, of course, but it is more difficult and generally requires much more “product” to hold it in place.
Like RJ, I’m not sure the side on which one parts one’s hair matters in terms of getting one of these hair cuts. My hair whorl turns counter-clockwise which makes it very difficult, and sort of silly-looking, to part my hair on the left side. But that doesn’t mean I can’t get any of these haircuts. Which side you part your hair on doesn’t really pertain to the style of the hair itself.
Also, I think it’s a lot harder for blond or light-haired men like me to get away with using tons of product, particularly anything greasy or oily like brylcreem. On dark hair, it adds shine, but for light-colored hair, it also changes the color and just gives us a wet-headed that is neither professional nor attractive. When I use product, which is infrequently, I either stick to a wax pomade or, in a pinch, a small dab of ordinary body lotion.
Great article. I’ve adopted the Don Draper haircut along with using Brylcreem. I’ve tried a number of styles over the years, but I think the parted on the side wetlook style is the best. I do have to admit it does take more effort than wearing it dry, but you can’t beat the result. For me it takes a bit extra time getting the side part to be just right. But the wonderful thing about Brylcreem is it sure helps keeping it parted once you get it. Unless its windy out, I rarely have to recomb my hair. And unlike using gel or hairspray, my hair does not feel stiff or sticky. Instead, Brylcreem makes it soft, pliable, wet looking, and just plain neet. The aroma of Brylcreem is pretty cool too.
I have that fine light brown or blond hair that was mentioned above, still at age 44, yet interestingly it’s thick at the same time. It’s also highly unmanagable, therefore I have to use product and have done so since I was probably 14 or 15, except for my four years as a Marine. If I wouldn’t use it, I’d look like a “kid.” Just fluffy fine hair with a baby face. I tried Brylcreem in 1981, but it was too greasy, and for years used supermarket or drug store gel and mousse, until about 2003 when I discovered the American Crew line. The Pomade is my favorite, followed by Forming Cream and then Classic Wax. Fiber is good for short hair. The Grooming Cream is a bit too greasy. Yet, all of these vary on the length of my hair. which is usually Tom Brokaw or sometimes Charlie Rose long. I still once a year, or say every 18 months take my Wahl clippers out and do my sides at 2 or even 3, and the top at 8. If I screw up, then I’ll just go for a USMC low reg; and if I screw that one up I can go for a medium or high, and then a high and tight. The tapering is difficult on your own, and I can see why many here have attested to a simple one guard length. But, I really should look for a traditional barber. Here in NYC there are so many chic chic salons, and I’ve tried them over the years, yet was never really happy with the result let alone the price.
To Tibor former US Marine:
For a good cheap barber in NYC, try one of the Reamir shops – you can find one almost anywhere in Manhattan, and there are a few in the boroughs. http://www.reamir.com
man down hear in texaz we rockin that taper and even all over
That’s a really cool car.
Where do you buy pomade? I buy it every year when I go to Hong Kong but haven’t seen it in the states. Did I just overlook it?
I’m been having a hairstyle like this for the past month or it’s basicly like a mix of Roger and Don but a little shorter. Being that I’m still in college, I’ve found the Axe clean-cut pomade to be of good use as well as something that holds and retains a soft feel on the hair for an affordable price.
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