As a crowd waited in the security queue at Ibiza airport, no one noticed that the band they were standing next to had played a hugely successful sold-out show at Ibiza Rocks the night before. Spotted in 2007, the band in question were Arctic Monkeys, still riding high on the success of their debut album, “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not,” which was the UK’s fastest-selling album of all time.
That’s what four unassuming lads from Sheffield looked like, with their heads bowed and staring at their feet, blending in with a crowd of hungover people returning home paler than when they arrived after a week of drinking in San Antonio.
But of them all, frontman Alex Turner has never quite managed to fit in. After catching attention at just 20 with his precocious lyrical anthems, he snapped a model girlfriend and swiftly transformed into an indie rock god before our very eyes, and with each subsequent album he’s changed his look and his hairdo.
Alex Turner’s haircuts, like his lyrics, are inspired by a wide variety of influences. From low-key indie scully to aloof billionaire rock star, he’s managed every hairstyle change without any apparent fail. Although Turner takes cues from the past when it comes to his hairstyles (we have a hunch he’s trying to copy Beatles hair icon George Harrison every step of the way), he always puts a modern twist on retro styles. Let’s take a look at some of his best hairstyles.
Alex Turner’s feather cut
There’s no X-Factor audition footage of Arctic Monkeys anywhere. They made it the old-fashioned way: rehearsing in garages, playing in corners of pubs and bars, and releasing demos on the forgotten social network MySpace. Their sound wasn’t fake, and neither was their style.
There’s an element of hero worship to this early haircut, with touches of style favoured by Paul Weller, Ian Brown and Liam Gallagher mixed with the boyish charm of all the kids you saw at V Festival. Turner grew out of the look, but his mod fathers still favour the feathery sideburns, which make it a classic. It suits most hair types, as long as they’re not overly curly.
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How to improve your appearance
Joshua Gibson, session stylist at Sassoon Salon and a backstage regular at London Fashion Week Men’s, says the foundation of this look is the right haircut, “particularly for thick, wavy, unmanageable hair, a layered haircut is essential so that it doesn’t look too wig-like.”
When it comes to styling, she recommends conditioning styling products that complement your layers. Your hair needs movement, so avoid gels and heavy products. You also want to control flyaways so your hair doesn’t look fluffy. Apply the product with a comb when your hair is damp and let it air dry or try rough drying with your fingertips.
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Alex Turner’s Mop Top
Collaborating with Miles Kane as The Last Shadow Puppets, their styles were in sync. Turner’s hair grew long, sometimes in a baby mullet in the back, what Grandma would call a “mop,” because she remembers The Beatles as popular proponents of the style. He experimented with different hairstyles, parted in the front, peeking melancholy out from under his eyes, long or short in the back.
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How to improve your appearance
“Because this haircut is layered, the outline is left longer,” says Gibson. “To style thick, wavy hair, apply a moisturizer like Sassoon Curl Foam. Comb through from roots to ends, then shake gently to avoid partings. Those with finer hair will likely need a lighter touch when it comes to product.”
“Something like a medium-hold mousse will add volume and a gentle hold. Work it into your hair and squeeze it into a tissue to bring out texture. Use a gentle heat blow dryer or let it air-dry to add movement.”
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Alex Turner’s Grunge Bedhead
Alex’s first long-haired period began around the time of Arctic Monkeys’ third album in 2009. Maybe it was his time in California, the influence of rock heavyweights (Humbug producer Josh Homme was a founder of Queens of the Stone Age) and longtime girlfriend Alexa Chung, or maybe it was just what happens when you can’t be bothered to cut your mop top: long, layered hair. Still, if you’re a serious musician, the long-haired grunge look is a necessary step on the path to rock stardom. Even though it must have been hard to tell Alex from Alexa from behind at times.
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How to improve your appearance
“This style works best with a natural wavy texture,” says Gibson. The layers should be cut to define the face (long enough to fit behind the ears) and frame the back of the sides. “Mix hydrating oil with Sassoon Edit Body Mousse to add volume and nourish longer waves. Apply evenly with a comb while hair is damp and style into desired style,” advises Gibson. For Turner, this was typically done with a side part.
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Alex Turner’s Rockabilly Quiff
In 2013, Alex unveiled a powerful look for the release of AM, evoking the 1950s British backstreet teddy boy look of Grease to a new level. As a band, the ensemble was starting to become more stylish than before. Blessed with a strong widow’s peak, Turner sometimes wore this rockabilly quiff in front, and sometimes slicked back.
Typical elements of this style are a duck tail at the back and elephant trunk curls at the front – the longer the bangs, the higher the quiff can be.
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How to improve your appearance
“In this style, the hair is short at the hairline and layered so it can be styled away from the face,” says Gibson. “This style usually requires a blow dry, but if you have denser hair you can apply gel and style it into your desired style while it’s damp, then let it air dry.”
In terms of tools, Gibson recommends: “If you have a fine hair texture, this will look best if you blow dry with a vented brush. Apply a styling mousse first to add volume to your hair. Blow dry one side first, then the other. To create more lift at the roots and a more manicured finish, apply a little clay or pomade to the roots and blow dry in an upward motion with a medium comb. You can also apply more at the end to smooth it out, but with this style, it’s important to concentrate the product at the roots and not the ends.”
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Alex Turner’s long hair and beard combo
Alex Turner has come a long way from Sheffield’s High Green, touring the US as a bona fide stadium-filling rock star and living the best of the LA life with his model/actress girlfriend (Ariel Vandenberg). Arctic Monkeys’ latest album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, showcases a different sound than usual. His hippie look, the occasional off-duty mini man bun and beard prove that his baby face has now grown out of bum hair and into proper facial hair. Don’t think this look makes you look like a total tramp; it’s actually more sophisticated than that.
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How to improve your appearance
Your hair should be clean, but not looking like you just got out of the shower. To achieve this, “apply a generous amount of mousse and comb through damp hair from root to tip. Squeeze out excess water with a tissue and dry your hair upside down to add lift and movement to the roots. Ideally, use a diffuser attachment on the end of your hairdryer to prevent frizz and increase wave and curl,” says Gibson. It’s also worth investing in a sea salt spray to get the right balance of texture and shape. And whatever you do, don’t overdo it when styling your beard. Rock stars shouldn’t look too neat.
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Alex Turner’s Buzzcut
And he shaved it all off. On a different note, Alex recently showed off his shaved head on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Shaved heads don’t feature in George Harrison’s hairstyles. But the former twins are now in sync again. It’s not Alexa, but the current look of his other favorite hair muse, Miles Kane. Fans’ reaction is like a “Marmite” move, some love it, others hate it. I think he’s free from long hair and enjoying a simple wash-and-go with Grade 2. Turner has proven once again that he can pull off any hairstyle.
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How to improve your appearance
This one’s super easy. Get yourself a grade 2 hair shaver for your entire body. Visit your local barber or do it yourself, but be sure to take care of those pesky neck hairs. You’ll need to invest in a decent pair of clippers to get a good, even shave, but the best part? No more drying and styling your hair in the morning. Simple life.
But there are some points to remember: “Hair of this length only really looks good if you have a great head shape and have refined your wardrobe. If you want to go shorter, make sure you leave it a little longer on top to balance your head shape and facial structure.”
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