Christmas Party Hair for Men: Smart Styles That Last the Night
The Christmas party hairstyles that work best for men are the ones that still look right at eleven o’clock: a neat side parting, a short textured crop, a tidy slick back, or a clean short back and sides with a little movement on top. What makes them last is not the style so much as the order you do things in. Dry the hair properly first, use a matte product with real hold rather than a shine product, and set it with heat or a light mist of hairspray. A fresh cut a few days before helps more than any product. Below are five styles, what each needs, and a ten-minute routine.
What a party night does to your hair
December in London is hard on a style. You walk out into drizzle, pull on a hat or a hood, sit on a warm train, arrive in a crowded room that gets hotter as the evening goes on, and possibly move on to somewhere else. Each of those undoes something:
- Damp air makes product soften and hair, particularly wavy or curly hair, frizz or drop.
- Hats and hoods flatten volume at the crown and crush a quiff.
- Heat and sweat loosen light-hold products, so a style that started high ends up flat and greasy-looking.
- Touching it, which everyone does when they are talking, breaks up anything that was only just holding.
The styles below are chosen because they tolerate all four. Dramatic height looks great in the mirror at seven and rarely survives to nine.
Five styles that hold up
1. The side parting
The most reliable party look there is. It reads as smart with a suit, makes sense in an office photo and, because the hair is directed rather than lifted, there is little height to lose. Ask your barber to find your natural parting rather than cutting one in. Style with a cream or a low-shine paste, comb in the direction of the part and set with a hairdryer. Our guide to side parting haircuts covers the classic and modern versions.
2. The textured crop
Short on the sides, a few centimetres on top, worked forward with a matte clay. It is designed to look slightly undone, so a warm room and a few hours of touching it make little difference. This is the best choice for anyone who hates styling. See the textured crop for how to ask for it.
3. The neat slick back
Works well with black tie or a dark suit. The risk is that a high-shine pomade looks wet and heavy by the end of the night. A modern slick back uses a medium-shine water-based product on dry or barely damp hair, combed through and left with a little separation. Hair needs to be long enough on top to lie back without springing up, usually at least 8 to 10 centimetres.
4. Short back and sides with soft volume
A classic cut with a modest lift at the front. The trick is keeping the lift low: blow-dry the front up and back with a little pre-styler, then add a small amount of paste. Low volume holds; high volume collapses.
5. The fresh fade with minimal styling
If your hair is short, the cut itself does the work. A clean fade with a sharp neckline looks smart with no product at all. Here timing matters more than technique: a fade is at its crispest in the first few days after the cut.
Products that last, and what to avoid
| Product | Hold and finish | Party verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Clay | Strong, matte | Best all-rounder for texture; resists heat well |
| Paste | Medium, low shine | Good for partings and soft volume |
| Water-based pomade | Medium to strong, some shine | The right choice for a slick back |
| Cream | Light, natural | Fine for a parting on fine hair; may not last on thick hair |
| Wax or oil-based pomade | Variable, often shiny | Can look heavy by midnight; hard to wash out next day |
| Hairspray (light) | Sets what is there | A light mist at the end is the cheapest insurance against damp air |
The most common mistake is too much product. Start with a fingertip, warm it between your palms until it is invisible, and add more only if the hair will not hold. Our guide to choosing between clay, wax, pomade and paste goes into the detail.
A ten-minute routine before you leave
- Wash in the morning, not just before. Very clean, soft hair is harder to style. Hair washed earlier in the day has a little grip.
- Towel-dry, then use a pre-styler or a little sea salt spray on damp hair for grip.
- Blow-dry in the direction you want it to sit. This is what makes a style last. Product cannot hold hair that has dried the wrong way.
- Apply product to dry hair, back to front, so the front does not get the biggest blob.
- Comb or finger into place, check the back with a second mirror or your phone.
- Finish with a light mist of hairspray from arm’s length.
- Put a tiny amount of product in your pocket in a travel tin, or simply a comb. A two-minute fix in the cloakroom after the hat comes off is worth it.
When to get the cut
A haircut, whether from the barbers on Archway Road or anywhere else, looks best a few days after it is done, once it has settled. For most cuts that means booking somewhere between three and seven days before the party. Very short fades are sharpest closer to the day; longer scissor cuts benefit from a week. December diaries fill early, so book as soon as the party date is fixed. For the full planning picture, including what to do with several events in one month, see timing your Christmas haircut.
At Highgate Cuts every visit starts with an assessment, so tell the barber about the party and what you will be wearing. They can recommend a cut that styles easily and show you how to do it yourself. A beard tidy or a hot towel shave, which takes 20 to 30 minutes, can be added the same visit. The services are on our Highgate barber page, and if you are fitting the cut around a busy week, a slot on Archway Road near Highgate tube is easy to reach on the way home.
Common mistakes
- Trying a new style on the night. Practise once the weekend before.
- Getting a dramatic cut the day before. If it is wrong, there is no time to fix it.
- Using shine product for “smart”. Under warm lights, matte or low shine looks sharper in photos.
- Forgetting the beard. A crisp haircut beside an untidy beard looks unfinished. Tidy both.
The Highgate House is on Archway Road, Highgate N6.
Questions we get asked
How do I stop my hair going flat under a hat?
Keep the style low, blow-dry it in place, and carry a comb. A small amount of product reworked by hand in the cloakroom brings most styles back in a minute.
What is the best hairstyle for an office Christmas party?
A side parting or a short textured crop. Both look smart in photos and neither looks out of place on Monday morning.
Should I get a hot towel shave before a party?
It is a good way to start the day of an event. If you have sensitive skin, do it a day earlier so any redness has settled.
How much product should I use?
Less than you think. About a fingertip for short hair, a little more for thick or longer hair. Add, rather than start big.
Book with The Highgate House
Ready for a proper cut? Email us at [email protected] with the service and the day that suits you, and we will come back to you with times.
Visit The Highgate House · The barbers
The Highgate House, Archway Road, Highgate, London N6.
