Haircuts have gone full circle. We suffered radioactive barrels of wet look gel in the Nineties. And lest we forget the Noughties, the asymmetrical mullet lite of that holiday rep that hovered around your sister for a little too long. Praise be, then, that it was a return to business as usual (with no party at the back) for recent years: the classic short back and sides. And Bradley Cooper inched towards an ever-more classic version.
It wasn't a severe, war hero Peaky Blinders crop, though. Instead, the 44-year-old settled for a dovish sweep back at the International Toronto Film Festival's Joker premiere. This haircut never wanted the war. He was firmly protesting against it, actually, pouring his time and energy into a Classics BA from Balliol College before spending a summer on Keats at the family's Sussex estate.
For Cooper cut loose on the homogenous style of almost every man you know, with extra points for the loose Waugh flick at the front. The secret: stay long on top, and less severe on the sides. A resulting, softer haircut will require less preening, and is a pivot from standard issue without resorting to the idiosyncrasies of your local Toni & Guy.
Know that Cooper's style, which can easily veer into suburban wideboy if overly groomed, can quickly mess up, too. Regular visits to the chop shop is the best way to stay tidy (and on the right side of your Oxbridge colleagues). Simply opt for a pea-sized amount of matte styling wax, and run through your helmet of scholastic prowess a couple of times to firm into place.
Yes, the Rothschild in the next dorm may have a bigger fortune than you. He certainly won't have a better lid, though.
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