How To Style Men’s Fringes For Your Face Shape

Unlike a great many men’s haircuts, the Fringe doesn’t style away from the face but uses gravity to do the work. A fringe is essentially any haircut where the top is style to fall down or across the forehead.

Fringes or “Bangs” have always played something of an unwritten role in hair-styling. However, compared to most vintage-inspired cuts their significance has only increased recently.

During its short history, it garnered a reputation for being associated with new romantics during the 1980s or even “emos” during the early 2000s. That being said, it’s starting to distance itself from these subcultures. Today it is being embraced as a legitimate style and not simply a statement.

How To Style A Men’s Fringe

If you’re keen on trying out a Fringe, just bear in mind that it will be the focus of attention. The top, back and sides will simply fall into the background. This can be a blessing or a curse as you may find yourself constantly sweeping it away from your eyes.

Current trends that are emerging often involve Angular Fringes, which means that the top is long but cut at an angle. This is often paired with a Fade and sometimes even an Undercut on the back and sides.

Nevertheless, a Fringe isn’t obliged to be angular but comes in many shapes and forms. They can hang vertically or pushed to one side. Fringes can have a tousled finish where the angular aspect is downplayed, which creates a dishevelled look.

Alternatively, a fringe can be cut long and round that sweep across the forehead down to the eyes. Finally, they can be pointed, short or irregular with a textured finish.

Fringes don’t have to be paired solely with Undercuts or Fades but can be used to create hybrid styles. Modern styles such as the Pompadour Fringe or Faux Hawk Fringe have recently appeared. In appropriating existing styles and combining them, you push the envelope to for a unique and audacious look.

Generally speaking, to achieve a fringe, you’ll need between 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) of hair length. This will provide your barber with sufficient hair to work to achieve your desired look. Fringes featuring angular finishes and Undercut sides may require more maintenance than their scissor-cut counterparts.

Therefore, be sure that you’re comfortable with frequent trips to a professional for touching up.

Will It Suit Your Face Shape?

Fringes can be styled differently to the requirements of different face shapes. However, men should keep a few factors in mind before adopting it. Firstly, fringes drastically shorten the face. Some shapes may find this beneficial. Others not so much.

Throughout our guides, we base how well different styles are suitable for readers using their face shapes. We suggest that you check out our face shape identifying guide to make the maximise your potential.

Ideal Matches

The following face shapes won’t have any issues wearing a fringe but can benefit from a few styling tips beforehand.

Diamond Face Shapes

Diamond faces can play around with Fringes but should still take care with the finish. Their angular features sport eccentrically high fashion cuts well but something too angular will sharpen their features considerably. Just be sure that this is what you want beforehand.

Heart Face Shapes

A fringe will conceal a Heart shape’s forehead and thus make it appear narrower. Give the fringe’s finish a hard edge so to harden your chin and jawline with it.

Oblong Face Shapes

Oblong face shapes can really take advantage of a fringe so to shorten their face length. Trying playing with the cut’s hardness so to manipulate how it affects your overall features. The softer your features, the harder the cut to really bring them out.

Triangle Face Shapes

A fringe will balance out the jawline of a Triangle face but try softer finishes as a hard edge will over-emphasise your pronounced jawline.

Acceptable Matches

The following face shapes can wear a fringe but should read a few styling tips beforehand to avoid any pitfalls.

Oval Face Shapes

Oval should take care that a fringe doesn’t render their features too soft and their face shape too round. You may struggle to wear a fringe effectively but hard edges or sharp fades may help.

Square Face Shapes

Square face shapes can do well with a Fringe. Try the right balance of angularity and length to avoid something that overly softens and shortens their features.

Incompatible Face Shapes

The following face shape may struggle to stylishly wear a fringe.

Round Face Shape

Fringes can be tough on a Round face shape. Even with the sharpest of finishes and a deep Undercut, a fringe will shorten the face too much for the rest to sufficiently compensate.