If you’re in the market for a new hairstyle that shows off your artful, gentlemanly side, then you’ve come to the right place! This post is about all things pompadour; the classic retro style that looks distinguished on any man, regardless of the era.
The best part about pompadour is its versatility. You can wear it heavily slicked and coiffed for an old-fashioned and polished feel, or incorporate modern elements like tapers, undercuts, and trendy fades for an utterly modern approach.
Pompadour Hairstyles for Men
Presley’s connection with pompadour associates this hairstyle with rockabilly but it doesn’t mean that this style is just for rock n rollers. It’s a versatile haircut that can be made suitable for every wearer’s age, face shape, and personality style just by varying the extremity of the cut.
We have 35 incredible looks, regardless of your style and hair type, so get ready for some serious inspiration!
1. Pompadour Fade
Fades are a very popular element of men’s hairstyles today, so why not incorporate this look into your pompadour hairstyle? These looks are easy to maintain and make your pompadour appear more pronounced.
2. Pompadour Undercut
These pompadours contrast closely cut sides with longer, sculpted hair on top. The sides fade gradually toward the ears while the raised top stays sharply defined.
3. Japanese Pompadour
Show off your daring sophistication with a Yakuza-style pompadour. This look is perfectly sculpted, so prepare high quality gel and a steady hand before getting down to business. Don’t forget, this pompadour is all about height and volume.
4. Short Pompadour
Whether your current haircut is short or you’d rather not grow your hair long, a short pompadour has all of the glamour of a pompadour without the drama.
5. Curly Pompadour with Faded Sides
Curly hair can carry the height of a pompadour while keeping its texture. Lift the curls above the forehead and pair them with closely faded sides to emphasize the top.
6. Elvis Pompadour
The pompadour was first popularized by old Hollywood stars like Elvis Presley. With this classy look, hair is longer on the top of the head to create the pompadour while hair on the sides is meticulously combed and slicked back.
7. Messy Voluminous Pompadour
Put a modern spin on the classic James Dean pompadour with this messy, voluminous pompadour. Don’t overuse products when creating this style. A tall and wispy style looks better dry than wet and lacquered.
8. Asian Pompadour
If your natural texture is thick and straight, you can achieve the pompadour style you crave. Give your hair that perfect coiffed look and leave an inch of length at the back of the head.
9. Comb-Over Pompadour
Combovers not only look modern, but they add an edgy twist to an otherwise classic hairstyle. Choose your favorite side and have your barber create a deliberate part.
10. Long Pompadour
The longer your hair on the top of the head, the larger your pompadour style can become. A precise hand is all you need to create this beautiful, masculine hairstyle.
11. Tapered Pompadour
How much you choose to taper your pompadour is up to you. With any cut, hair at the temples should be the shortest, but how much you want to fade elsewhere is up to you.
12. Side-Parted Pompadour
Pompadours don’t have to be perfectly balanced. You can still wear the part you’re used to by creating a pompadour on the dominant side of your hair.
13. Pompadour Mohawk
You don’t have to have a clean cut personal style to rock a heavily-styled pompadour. Take your pompadour all the way down the back of the head in an edgy mohawk style. All that matters is that you keep the style neat.
14. Spiky Textured Pompadour
If spiky and edgy are how you prefer to wear your hair, then consider a spiked pompadour style. As you created the quiff, spike up the ends for texture instead of smoothing down.
15. High Pompadour with a Sharp Line-Up
If you’d like to incorporate a pompadour with a fade or buzz cut style, then leave your pronounced edges around the forehead. This will frame your face and look distinct.
16. Disconnected Pompadour
Another modern way to wear this classic look is with a disconnected pompadour. A fine part on both sides of the pompadour provides clear demarcation between the sides and top of hair.
17. Wavy Pompadour
Forget stick straight! Wavy hair can rock a pompadour, so long as you work with your natural texture and contain it within the overall pompadour framework. Keep the look pulled together by tightly buzzing hair around the ear or even all around the head.
18. Pompadour for Thin Hair
Thinning, aging hair still deserves style! Create a gorgeous gray pompadour by creating height at the top of the head and shaving the sides. Balance a smaller quiff on top with a sharply groomed beard.
19. Pompadour Mullet
Why not combine the classiest style there is with a little down-home personality? A pompadour mullet is not only interesting, but it sure is unique and a great way to wear your hair long while staying out of your face. Shave details feel cool on this look.
20. Braided Pompadour
Pompadours can be dramatic, elegant, and serious, while braids are rather fun. Bump up your pompadour’s personal style with a subtle braid detail on one or both sides of the hair.
21. Hard-Parted Pompadour
Looking to modernize the classic pompadour to suit your needs? Then you’ve come to the right place! A hard part creates a cool twist and balances out your facial features.
22. Shaved Sides Pompadour
For this pompadour, the haircut should leave hair on the top for about 4 inches. The sides are shaved in a way that they gradually fade and completely disappear over the ear. The back hair is also faded up to the nape.
23. Sculpted Pompadour with a Forward Roll
This pompadour is very much similar to Presley’s style. The hair on top is about 6 inches in length and the side and back hair are less than one inch in length. For giving your hairstyle a shine and texture, you can use hair spray or handy hair lotions.
24. Low Rolled Pompadour with a Side Part
This pompadour style gives the wearer an elegant and classy look. The length of middle area hair is in between 3 and 4 inches. The side and back hair are about 0.5 inches long. The hairstyle is complemented with a well-trimmed beard.
25. Brushed-Back Pompadour with Gray Temples
This pompadour is one of the coolest hairstyles. The highlights, a well-trimmed beard, the perfect outlines and shape of the facial hair, all make this hairstyle picture-perfect. The length of the top hair remains 4 inches long and the side and back hair are in between one and 2 inches.
26. Creased Pompadour
This pompadour is most suitable for a formal occasion like an interview or a meeting. The hair length on the top of the head is more than 6 inches while the sides are fading. The forehead line is shaped square and a little razor-work is done to draw a thin line around the crown area.
27. Slanted Pompadour
This tanned pompadour with the beard having a similar tone adds points to your style and personality. Just like the other pompadours, the length of top area is more than the length of side and back hair. This hairstyle can instantly give you a party-ready look as well as a ceremonial look.
28. Tapering Pompadour
Here’s another classy and contemporary pompadour hairstyle to add charm to your personality. The crown area hair is smoothed and slicked up using a hair lotion and the side and back hair are trimmed short. A well-trimmed beard is complementing this hairstyle.
29. Curly pompadour
This romantic hairstyle will surely keep all the eyes on you. If your hair is curly, you can just brush it backwards and secure the locks with some hair spray. Leave one or two strands hanging down your forehead for a sexy look.
30. Low Wet-Look Pompadour
This popular way to style long taper fades is also very low in maintenance. All you will need to do is leave the hair on top long enough to make a comb over. Brush it backwards and apply a lot of hair gel to get a wet look.
31. Elvis Presley pompadour
Elvis Presley definitely knew what to do with his hair. His famous pompadour found its way into many homes in the 1950’s and it is still a popular choice for many theme parties. Sport this Elvis Presley look to impress your friends and colleagues.
32. Tousled Pompadour with a Loose Forelock
This hairstyle is great for men who care about keeping their hair natural. It is a light variation of the John Travolta image when not too much gel is used. The result is pretty much the same but looks a lot more modern and a bit messier.
33. Asymmetrical Pompadour
Even if you are not a Justin Bieber fan, this asymmetrical hairstyle can be a great choice. The sides are cut short, while the top stays about 4 inches long. The hair is swept upwards and back and sprayed with hairspray. One side is created to be higher than the other.
34. Textured pompadour
This textured pompadour doesn’t need much hair sweeping. The medium-length locks are brushed backwards and some strands are left to fall down the forehead. Make sure to apply a lot of hair gel to underline the texture and to keep the hairstyle neat.
35. Leveled pompadour
A leveled pompadour will look very neat especially when contrasted with a stubble. You will need to spend some time shaping it in front of the mirror, but the result will surely be great. Make sure to cut the sides short for even a better image.
There are tons of ways to rock the classiest hairstyle around without sacrificing your cool and trendy style. Emulate the perfect retro look or incorporate a modern look like a fade to make the look all your own. You can even rock an edgy style like a mullet with your pompadour. Regardless of how you choose to wear your pompadour, all you need is confidence and your own personal flair to make this style work.
