The mane thing

All Blacks of old did the business on-field, now they're just as likely to attract attention for their off-field moves.

The evolution of style - and celebrity - in New Zealand now sees rugby players togged up in our Sunday paper social pages and attending Fashion Week events. Their looks are commented on almost as much as their form. Daniel in his Jockeys anyone?

Leading hairstylist and salon owner Paul Serville shared his game theory involving the All Blacks when we chatted about men's hairstyles. They've become trendsetters appearance-wise and he says various high-profile players are a good example of what works on guys. That is they carry off cuts with character.

He points to Daniel Carter's defined cuts, be they long or short, to Richie McCaw's spiky top (on which he clearly uses product), and Ali Williams' choppy experiments with different styles and length. Then there's Ma'a Nonu and Jerry Collins, clearly men happy to have fun. Serville may not be enamoured with all their looks, but he reckons a man could do worse than follow their lead. They all exhibit personality and a willingness to try out a trend, or try to start one.

Serville advises that the starting point for a great character cut is to first aim for a style that suits the hair and face shape - what he calls getting the architecture right - and then to mix in something that adds individuality, which could simply be in the final styling.

Serville, who opened the first business bearing his own name 25 years ago, remembers when most men wouldn't want to be seen entering a salon - that is until they cottoned on that the places were filled with pretty young female hairdressers. Attitudes have changed dramatically over the years and the men he sees now are every bit as demanding, informed and fussy as women - "they're detail people".

Men were generally concerned with price and time, but even for those who opted for the more pared-down Servilles barber "it's not price at the mercy of looking stupid". Men exposed to good salon service were converts. "Once they've had more they won't want less." Quality of cut swayed them over and many were also enjoying the pleasures of hair rituals (treatments to condition the hair that also involve massage).

"It's the closest thing to them having a facial."

For Viva, Serville spent an hour with a typical Auckland professional, aged 40, who was confused about what to do with a so-so cut and how to achieve a current look.

Our guinea pig said: "I want to be sharp for business, but not too boring."

Time was spent seeing how his hair naturally fell and whether it sat better back or forward.

The advice was to cut the hair back shorter, give it a squared-off shape for a masculine edge and then with the basic architecture sorted, see how it grew out over the next six weeks or so before deciding whether to keep it short or try a longer look.

Colour was also discussed, with Serville assessing the subject's eye colour for a melanin match to judge how much warmth any colour should have and what the underlying tones might be. He advised abandoning dyeing it a mono-colour to disguise greys and gradually letting the greys show through, but be blended through with discreet colour.

Actors such as George Clooney and Richard Gere have led the way here, making ashy grey cool, rather than bland.

Businessmen Eric Watson and Rob Fyffe are local examples of men who are not pretending, whereas the black lacquer Chairman Mao-look seems frozen in time.

With colour, Serville says most men want it to look like it's not coloured at all. The aim with grey coverage is to "knock off five years, not 10".

Looks Serville has thankfully seen go over the years are the comb-over and overly blond surfer-look dye jobs. There are still plenty of shaven heads and close crops about, but he says hair cut so short at the sides that it shows skin is not in.

Directional looks from the Servilles creative team this season include rocker boy styles, everything from long lengths and quiffs to messy short fringes that can be be swept cleanly back for work.

Pastes and muds are recommended for sculpturing shapes, with gels and mousses no longer as prevalent, which gives hair a bit more freedom rather than product overload.

As to male shampoo and product preferences, Serville says: "Guys seem to like mint."

- servilles.co.nz

Style tips

Mana Dave of busy Newmarket salon Blaze knows men like to keep things simple, but he advises that colour and styling product help achieve a fashion-forward look.

"At the moment there is a strong return for guys to have quite a classic styled look - a throwback to the old-school barbering styles of the 50s. Think short, back and sides but with a fringe for a modern take on this shape."

Adventurous guys might want to push the look more, by adding panels of muted colour through the fringing that can be exposed or hidden (good for work/weekend) depending on the direction their fringe is styled. "Product-wise for this polished look, think about blending a light gel with a wax to give both hold and definition," says Dave.

On the flipside, he says there is also a definite trend to a more "lived-in look", with longer lengths and undone feel. "This more earthy vibe is enhanced with colour that looks 'burnt' from the sun and has a very random appearance."

Dave recommends a product such as Redken for Men Get Groomed ($31) because it tames the hair but leaves it still touchable and 'undone'."

- blaze.co.nz

Colour tips

Men's hair colouring involves a different palette than women's, says specialist colourist and managing director of Morgan & Morgan in Takapuna, Jennifer Morgan. She says men's services are becoming noticeably more popular, both for fashion and grey cover.

"Men's hair colour tends to be more natural and cooler in tone. Most men tend to suit a softer more subtle approach to colour and tones with a background of ash or matt - think slate, asphalt, steel, suede brown and ash blonde"

Morgan says men like colour that is minimum fuss and low maintenance, so products and techniques need to be tailored specifically for their needs. Her salon's menu of colouring techniques for men allows maximum impact in minimum time. One example is Redken's Color Camo service which needs just five minutes processing time for grey blending and 10 minutes for increased grey coverage. The results are cool tone-wise and grey is camouflaged, naturally blended and fades gradually without unnatural gold or red tones.

- morganandmorgan.co.nz