Last week's international release of the Clint Eastwood-directed film J. Edgar put the spotlight not just on the legacy of the FBI founder J Edgar Hoover (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). It also brought to our attention Hoover's elaborately coiffed hair - lying back on top, slicked with pomade and fading into the sides - and how more and more men are sporting the style today.
The DJ and musician Mark Ronson wore the contoured cut when he visited Abu Dhabi last week. Also taking part in the hair-renaissance are the Hollywood heartthrob Joe Jonas, the fashion designer Hedi Slimane, Arcade Fire's lead vocalist Win Butler and the Boardwalk Empire bad boy Michael Pitt, to name but a few. And let's not forget the film director David Lynch, whose forever fluffing forelocks are as complicated as his movies.
Even the television sports announcers in Sweden have adopted the style. They've dubbed the look the "synth", alluding to the hard-rock scene of the 1980s.
In Germany, the haircut is referred to by some as the jugend (youth) and even the "Hitler", recognising the buzzed temples' fascist connections.
"I think it goes along with a newly restored romance for tailoring, the cut and craftsmanship you see with this current heritage trend," The Sartorialist's Scott Schuman told The New York Times last week. Schuman wears the old school 'do himself.
Dare to tag along with the trend? The key to the cut's success is the pomade, which gives your mop a matte finish. Price and brand do not matter - it's how hard the pomade can hold your throwback. When getting a haircut, remember to tell your barber to use a scissors-and-comb combo - not a razor - to execute the fading on the sides, giving it more texture and grit.
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