Beauty: The new short back and sides

It's back to the future for men's hair this winter, with cropped back and sides teamed with versatile longer lengths on top. This allows hair to be styled back slickly or worn more casually tousled.

Richard Kavanagh, creative director for Rodney Wayne, says the strongest recent runway influence has been a hint of the 1920s. Lauren Gunn, who styles for music clips and fashion editorial as well as working as creative director at Stephen Marr, cites the early 1990s.

"Finally the influence of iconic TV series Mad Men is on the wane and looks that are coming through are clean and fresh with super-short back and sides contrasting with spiky, gelled layers and long fringes falling about the place," says Gunn. She starts with the cut. "I haven't used the word feathered for a good few years, it's a technique we use to create texture with a razor, and a look that is strongly emerging for both guys and girls."

Both top stylists pointed to the Dior Homme autumn/winter show as particularly influential for men's looks, with Kavanagh saying similar trends were apparent also at Prada, Commes de Garcons, McQueen, Dries van Noten and Martin Margiela.

Kavanagh describes it as: "Lots of wave, short cropped hair, highly stylised finger waves hard with gel and slicked with grease ... curls let loose and wild or choppy pageboys - the recurring theme was clean-edged, fresh haircuts reminiscent of the 20s and 40s.

"Men, as with women, are seeing a return to more tailored hairstyles. Precise cuts with clean edges, combed and styled tightly for day, casually dishevelled for play ... these looks can easily be worn everyday by everyday blokes.

"Think of your granddad, clean cut and well groomed. Just add a woolly beard or novelty moustache to make your look unique."

Gunn said achieving a contemporary look was as easy as sweeping a generous amount of gel through the hair while it was still damp from the shower. "My favourite trick is to add a couple of drops of serum to the mix for an uber-cool glossy finished result." For a low key version of the look blow dry putty into damp hair.

Kavanagh reckons the main difference between men and women is that men stick with a particular look for longer.

They also tend to be more resistant to changing their hair style from day to day. "Yet it's so easy. It can be as simple as combing it slick one day and wearing it loose and tousled the next."

It comes down to confidence and knowing how to handle a comb, he says.