Choosing a haircut that harmonizes with your face shape will not only enhance your features making them appear sharper, more balanced, and more intentional. The barbers at Village Cuts NYC located in Greenwich Village focus on the shapes that not only complement your natural structure but also your hair type and lifestyle so that you do not leave with a cut that is difficult to wear or style but rather easy.
How to Choose a proper haircut begins with recognizing your face’s basic outline and identifying your widest and narrowest parts. Examine your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline in the mirror (or a selfie) and figure out which area is the most prominent.
Most men can be categorized easily as one of the types: oval, round, square, rectangle/oblong, heart, diamond, or triangle. Knowing where your face has the width or the angles, the purpose of the haircut is to visually balance those proportions rather than opposing them.
An oval face is characterized by the length of the face being a bit longer than the width, and the jawline is rounded softly. This shape is naturally balanced which implies that the majority of classic men’s haircuts will look good on you.
You are allowed to wear any style ranging from short fades and textured crops to medium-length scissor cuts and loose, swept-back styles. The barbers at Village Cuts NYC, normally concentrate on your hair texture and daily routine rather than following strict “rules” when dealing with an oval face because you have the most versatility to experiment.
A round face is characterized by approximately equal width and length, with the cheeks being fuller and the jawline softer. The main point here is to lengthen the face and give it a sharper structure.
Most of the time, barbers will suggest more length on the top (consider a textured quiff, pompadour, or messy, lifted crop) with the sides being shorter so that the overall shape appears slimmer. Do not use very even, rounded shapes and heavy, straight fringes that will make the face look wider; instead, ask your Village Cuts barber to give you texture and volume on top and a neat taper or fade around the sides.
Faces with square features have a broad forehead, a strong, angular jawline, and roughly the same width for the upper and lower parts of the face. This is a very well-known “masculine” type of face which goes well with sharpened, structured haircuts.
Short, classic cuts such as crew cuts, side parts, and tapered styles work great to highlight the clean lines of the jaw and temples. If you want to soften the appearance a bit, your barber can put some texture on top or subtly layer the hair to prevent it from looking like a solid block while still maintaining the outline crisp.
A rectangle or oblong face is characterized as one that is longer than it is wide and has more or less the same width at the forehead, cheekbones, and jaw. The main purpose here is to give up the idea of extra length and to bring back some width to the overall silhouette.
Firstly, those with this kind of face shape are recommended by barbers to go for medium-length haircuts that are fuller on the sides or for layered scissor cuts that are closer to the head on top. Extremely tall hairstyles or very tight fades on the sides can make the face look even longer, so a barber at Village Cuts will usually retain some volume on the sides and refrain from getting too high.
The defining characteristics of a heart-shaped face are a wider forehead, prominent cheekbones, and a narrower chin. Diamond-shaped faces are widest at the cheekbones, with the forehead and jawline being narrower. In both scenarios, an appropriate haircut should not only help to soften the upper width but also fill in the narrower areas.
The side-swept, medium-length, and textured tops with some movement help distract the viewer from a broad forehead or cheekbones. Your barber could advise you to stay away from extremely tight, high fades instead of using soft, blended sides together with a little bit of length near the temples to get a more even outline.
With a triangle face shape, the jawline is wider than the cheekbones and the forehead. This makes the lower third of the face appear heavier, so the goal is to visually add weight higher up.
One that creates volume on the top as well as around the temples would be a good choice of a haircut for someone with the triangle face shape. Some examples of these could be a textured top, a loose quiff, or the layered medium-length style. At Village Cuts NYC, your barber may also be able to help you achieve this equilibrium through beard styling, by trimming the jaw a bit tighter thus allowing a little more fullness on the upper cheeks if you sport facial hair.
The shape of your face is just one factor of the overall picture; the hair texture, density, and daily routine are equally important. To have supported thicker and coarser hairs one can do bolder cuts and strong fades however, finer hairs will usually benefit from having added texture and length rather than being cut tightly.
When you come to Village Cuts in the West Village for a haircut, your barber will probably ask you how much time you realistically use for styling your hair and the products you use. On top of recommending a cut that matches your face shape, this also makes the barber decide on a style that is comfortable for you and fits your everyday life rhythm in the Greenwich Village.
The guidelines are helpful but still, every head of hair and every face is different, and minor details like the hairline, cowlicks, and growth patterns can change what works best. It is great to have reference photos to show but the end result should be your face-customized rather than an exact copy.
The skilled barbers at Village Cuts NYC use the principles of face-shape along with a consultation to figure out your style so they can decide on the cut that is most flattering, grows out nicely, and is in line with your personal style. If you don’t know which one to choose, make an appointment for a consultation and a professional will help you figure out which option suits you the most.
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