Side Part Hairstyles For Men: 23 Classic and Modern Examples
The side part is a classic men's hairstyle that involves sharply parting the hair to create a defined, clean-cut look, establishing it as a charming, timeless choice for stylish gentlemen seeking a classy, sophisticated vibe. Its universal appeal, versatility and easy styling make it a popular request in barber shops everywhere.
This elegant hard parted haircut generally features a short taper or fade on the sides and back with longer, swept hair on top, pairing the traditional aesthetic with modern trends. As a polished, masculine style, it works well for professional business events, formal occasions like weddings and casual fun at clubs or bars.
From short to long, we'll share some trending examples of side part hairstyles for men that will inspire you to experiment with this handsome, iconic look.
Attractive Side Part Men's Haircuts
Classic Side Part
The classic side part offers timeless appeal and is known for a defined parting line that splits the hair into two sections. This defined line can follow your natural growth pattern or be fashioned with a clipper for a more contemporary finish. Styling the hair with pomade or gel keeps the hair sleek and exudes sophistication and polish for formal events and days at the office.
Long Side Part with Tapered Sides
Getting a long side part with tapered sides is an excellent style for modern men who appreciate neat, structured styles that ooze natural elegance. The long top contrasts with the trendy taper to emphasize sharp cheekbones, while the extra height helps elongate round faces. Slick the longer hair to the side, comb it back or leave it mussed for a casual, off-duty feel. Matte paste or clay creates texture and grit, while gel and a fine-tooth comb offer a glossy finish.
Business Professional Side Part with Short Sides
A business professional side part looks striking with short sides, offering a sharp yet effortless haircut with a precise parting line. A medium-length style on top provides versatility, and using clippers to taper fade the sides short emphasizes a refined finish. Maintain the cut with regular trims and use a high-shine pomade or gel when styling for a sleek, polished vibe that contrasts nicely with a freshly groomed beard.
Hard Side Part with High Skin Fade
A hard side part looks daring with a high skin fade and merges a classic style with contemporary, nearly-shaved sides for a bold look. The defining feature of this style is the hard part, which creates an intense, structured look across the head with its razor-cut line. The hair on the back and sides is shaved down to the skin in a gradual blend for a crisp finish perfect for younger, fashion-forward guys.
Cool Hard Side Part Fade with Spiky Fringe
A cool, hard side part fade is a bold choice that gets dynamic texture from a spiky fringe. The razor-shaved line brings sharpness to the style, and you can add extra structure with a strong-hold pomade, a blow dryer and a wide-tooth comb. Spike the hair upward or forward into playful spikes to bring movement and volume to this otherwise sleek cut.
Side Swept Hairstyle with Short Sides
A side swept hairstyle with short sides is the perfect option for men who prefer softer styles with a clean yet relaxed appearance. The textured sweep brings movement and flow to the style. The sides are trimmed short with clippers to maintain a sharp look and accentuate the length on top. A lightweight mousse or matte pomade is all you need to highlight natural texture, but a blow dryer is key for adding lift and securing your sweep.
Edgy Hard Part Fade
The hard part fade is a confident look that combines a razor-defined part with short, structured sides. Choose a low fade that starts closer to the ears for a subtle look, or start fading near the temples for a more dramatic edge that reflects your inner daredevil. Finger tousling the top will bring a casual element to the style, but you'll want to slick it back with a comb and pomade for office days.
Textured Hard Side Part with Low Fade
A textured hard side part with a low fade balances structure with casual flair by combining a razor-shaved line with a longer top. The fade typically starts near the ear, creating an understated look that supports the dramatic hard part. Use a blow dryer to lift the roots before grabbing a matte paste and fine-tooth comb to define the top and lock in texture.
Classy Side Swept Part
A classy side-swept part is a sexy, sophisticated hairstyle offering guys the ability to stand out with a chic, powerful look. The part delivers symmetry while looking clear and sharp, while the blended sides bring a soft, timeless aesthetic. This style requires semi-regular trims to look fresh and is an excellent choice to bring polish to naturally textured hair.
Modern Side Part with Mid Fade
Pairing a modern side part with a mid fade makes styling a breeze by offering a clean, formal look that suits any occasion. The fade starts between the temple and ears, blending into the skin at the base of the head for a seamless look. The mid fade effortlessly elongates the face, and you can customize the sharpness of the part or the length of the top to suit your style.
Ivy League Side Part
An Ivy League side part is an iconic style that pairs shorter sides with longer hair on top for a polished, preppy style. Keep the top long enough to comb into a crisp side part and bring structure to your look with a lightweight pomade if you have finer hair. Maintain your part's sharp definition with a styling comb and regular touch-ups on the sides.
Faux Hawk with Part and High Fade
The faux hawk with a part and high fade is an edgy cut for younger guys who want to express their individuality with a distinctive look. The thicker hair on top is fashioned into a ridge that runs across the crown, but extra length along the sides will make it more wearable. A defined part adds precision to the style, and you can pair your cut with well-groomed facial hair for a masculine, trendy look that exudes sex appeal.
Gentleman's Side Part Taper Fade
The classic side part taper fade is timeless and handsome, providing a clean, polished men's haircut with some asymmetrical flair. The taper seamlessly transitions near the neckline to bring sharpness, and the side swoop exudes professionalism while being easy to style with pomade and a comb on busy days.
Edgy Part with High Fade
An edgy part works beautifully with a high fade to create an exaggerated, contemporary look for younger guys. The crisp fade starts high on the head and transitions down to the skin for a bold, complementary look that works alongside the shaved line at the scalp. Leave the bulk of the hair longer to give you freedom to experiment with a pompadour, spikes, slick backs and quiffs to suit your aesthetic on any given day.
Comb Over Fade
Choosing a comb over fade blends timeless elegance on top with structured, modern sides to create a defined style for any occasion. Comb the hair with a high-shine pomade for a sleek, professional look, or finger tousle the top with a matte product for a textured vibe at the weekend. The structured cut will frame your features and offer attractive height to rounder faces that need a lift.
Short Parted Pompadour Taper Fade
The short, parted pompadour is a contemporary style that looks dashing with a taper fade, creating a sophisticated, edgy appearance with impressive volume. The side part adds sharpness to the pompadour's height, and you can always add a shaved line for a more daring look. Use a round brush and heat to lift the roots and brush the pomp up and backward for a lifted look that contrasts beautifully against the blended back and sides.
Classic Comb Over
The classic comb over is simple, versatile and easy to style, making it an excellent choice for men who appreciate a low-maintenance grooming routine. This look adds texture and volume to wavy hair, supports thick hair for a fuller style and even covers thinning areas for men starting to lose their locks. Pair your comb over with a full beard and scissor-cut sides or a taper for extra dimension.
Side Part Skin Fade with Thick Hard Part and Blended Beard
With a thick shaved line, a traditional side part with a skin fade is an edgy men's haircut that pairs well with a blended beard to achieve a sharp, masculine style. Create a clean and defined part using a razor, and ask your barber to blend the sides down to the skin to contrast against the precise, high-volume top. The faded beard accentuates your jawline and transitions seamlessly into the sides for a balanced finish.
Long Flowing Side Part
Long hair combed into a flowing side part appears natural and smooth, perfect for laid back guys with wavy locks. The parted asymmetry softens angular features, and you can spritz and scrunch the hair with sea salt spray for a beachy vibe. Comb the hair into place with a matte pomade when you hit the office.
Soft Side Swept Part
A soft, side swept part is characterized by its elegant swoop and slightly undone appearance. Style it with a lightweight product to prevent a crunchy look, and finger-style the hair to one side to emphasize volume and movement while keeping things natural. Scissor-cut sides keep things neat, while point-cut layers bring effortless dimension to the top.
Fine Side Part Fade
A side part fade brings much-needed balance and lift to fine hair with its seamless, graduated look and sleek top. The sides gradually fade down to the skin to create a sharp transition, and the crisp lines around the temple highlight the precision of your edgy, hard part. A well-groomed, connected beard strengthens rounder jawlines and evens out the extreme skin fade to keep the look wearable.
Wavy Side Part Taper Fade
A side part taper fade lets you highlight your natural, wavy texture while bringing volume and depth to your look. Pull your waves into place with a texturizing sea salt spray for a natural finish, or define them with matte clay or cream for a low-shine, sleeker look.
Sleek Hard Part with High Drop Fade
A sleek hard part looks bold and modern with a high drop fade, combining an elegant top with a dramatic back and sides for a youthful look. The drop fade curves around the back of the head and follows the natural contours of the skull to create a distinctive, rounded shape. Visit your barber for regular trims to keep the hard part and fade well-defined.
How To Style The Men's Side Part
Styling the side part is simple and quick when starting with a clean haircut and using the proper comb and styling product, making it an attractive option for any man wanting to exude style, confidence and class.
To part men's hair, start with slightly damp hair and apply a small amount of pomade, wax or styling clay evenly throughout your hair on top. Then, use a fine-tooth comb to create a defined line where you prefer to partition your hair, combing one side over and the other down. Use a blow dryer on low heat to hold your hair in place all day.
A sleek side part hairstyle can be perfect for business professional and formal occasions, but a looser, textured style is better for a casual, everyday vibe.
What Is The Side Part Hairstyle?
The side part is a timeless men's hairstyle characterized by a distinct partition that unevenly divides the top, with most of the hair combed to one side to create a stylish, polished look. This sophisticated, iconic style, which can work with short or longer-medium hair, often features a thick, defined line that accentuates the parting and contrasts the shorter sides and back. Most gentlemen use a strong, high-shine hair product to style the traditional, sleek aesthetic.
For those seeking a trendy variation, the modern side part haircut offers a more popular, flattering look typically defined by a taper fade or skin fade on the sides and back with a prominent shaved line, also known as a hard part, combining classy and edgy elements for the perfect combination. The contemporary alternative generally requires applying a texturizing styling product for a more relaxed, side-swept look.
