- Men's cut
- Short
- Clean & classic
Side part / gentleman's cut
A short, classic men's cut with 2–4 in (5–10 cm) on top and a fringe, finished with a tapered neckline.
Also asked for as: gentleman cut, gentlemans cut, side part haircut, hard part, comb over
- Top
- 2–4 in (5–10 cm)
- Best on
- 1A–2B
- Recut
- 4–5 wks
- Styling
- 5 min
Traditionally suggested for
Round, square and oval faces, a crooked nose, close-set eyes.
Stylist convention
Who it fits
Hair comes first: these decide whether the shape can hold.
- Best on 1A–2B hair (straight and wavy).Hair physics
- Possible on 2C–3A with adjustments; your results name the variant.Hair physics
- Medium to high density.Hair physics
- Holds up through a Norwood 2 hairline.Barber consensus
- Scores higher if you have close-set eyes.Stylist convention
- Scores higher if you have a front cowlick.Barber consensus
- Scores higher if you have wide-set eyes.Stylist convention
Who should skip it
Any one of these moves it down your list, or off it.
- 3B–4C hair (curly and coily): the shape depends on a texture it can't hold, so we rule it out.Hair physics
- Low-density hair: the cut relies on bulk that thin hair doesn't have.Hair physics
- A hairline past Norwood 2: at stage 3 it's shown with a caveat; beyond that we hide it.Barber consensus
Barbers also flag: The part must follow your whorl; from hairline stage 3 it is only possible with caveats.
What to tell your barber
The catalog spec, in barber terms. Your own card adjusts it: part side from your crown whorl, curl notes for your texture, and a QR code your barber can open.
Read this to your barber
“Soft or hard part on my natural part; top 2–4 in; low taper; leave weight at the temples.”
Side options that suit this cut
- Low taper
- Low fade
- Scissor-cut sides
- Sides
- Low taper; leave weight at the temples
- Top
- 2–4 in (5–10 cm)
- Fringe
- Swept to the side from the natural part
- Neckline
- Tapered (fades out naturally)
- Technique
- Soft or hard part on the natural part; scissor-over-comb
- Product
- Pomade or cream, medium hold
- Recut
- Every 4–5 weeks
Upkeep and yearly cost
Priced at $30 a cut. Your results use your own local price.
- Trim every
- 4–5 weeks
- Per year
- 10–13 cuts a year, about $300–$390 at $30 a cut
- Daily styling
- 5 min a day
- Product
- Light product
- Heat tools
- Not needed
Proportions, by face shape
Where the side part / gentleman's cut places in our engine’s geometry-only top 10 for a textbook face of each shape. Proportions are the smallest part of a real score; your hair counts for more.
Related cuts
- French cropShort · 1A–2C
- Ivy LeagueShort · 1A–2C
- Classic taper (short back & sides)Short · 1A–3A
- Crew cutShort · 1A–3B
See the side part / gentleman's cut on your own face before you sit down.
Free analysis first. Previews only change your hair, and if one doesn’t look like you, the redo is free.
Check it on my face