Product update: By Vilain Powermade has been improved and reformulated as By Vilain Flow Pomade. The original images have been retained and may show the former Powermade product.
The Slikhaar archive of the 2010s repeatedly featured slick backs, raised fronts, close cuts and side-swept undercuts. This is an editorial look back at those shapes, not a statistical ranking of the decade’s most popular haircuts. Their defining features remain useful when explaining a reference to a barber.
Slick back
The hair moves away from the face with a controlled surface. The top can be worn flat or with modest root lift, and the sides can be connected or more strongly contrasted. The archive’s Brad Pitt-inspired Fury material is one example of the shorter-side, longer-top approach.
Pompadour
A pompadour creates a fuller, swept-back top with noticeable front height. It depends on the cut and drying direction as well as product. The front usually needs enough length to curve back rather than simply stand upright.
Quiff
A quiff concentrates attention on the raised front and can leave more separation behind it. It overlaps with the pompadour but is not simply a recently invented version of the same style. Decide how much height and how much texture you want before choosing a reference.
Close cuts and side-swept undercuts
A buzz or compact crew-style cut keeps the silhouette shorter and simplifies daily shaping, although regular trims preserve the outline. A side-swept undercut keeps a longer top above contrasting sides and changes the direction across the head. Both appeared throughout the original archive, with many individual variations.
What an archive can tell you
The photographs show examples selected by Slikhaar, not an exhaustive measure of what every man wore. Hair, beard, clothing and photography all affect the impression. Use the images to compare shape and finish without reading them as current celebrity updates.
How to wear a reference now
Choose the feature you like and adapt the routine to your own hair. A softer transition can reduce the upkeep of a severe undercut; less height can make a pompadour easier to style. Keep historical references dated while making the practical advice useful today.
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