50’s Hairstyles for Men Grease, the popular movie about the 50s, with John Travolta, typified many of the hairstyles of the period. Regularly pulling a comb from his sleeve to smooth back his slick, shiny hair, “Danny” never had a hair out of place whether he was walking on a windy beach with “Sandy” or dancing vigorously with an old fling for a televised dance contest.

Some men wore their natural curls with pride, in short cuts, with the sides cut short and combed straight back. Middle aged men often had the smooth swoop over the top, sometimes hiding a thinning top. But one of the most popular styles was the slicked look.

Starting with a swoop across the top, the rest of the hair was smoothed flat and straight back. Sometimes the hair on the sides was cut shorter to achieve this look, while the hair on the back of the head was allowed to grow longer, to add to the smooth look behind the head.

Popular with the younger crowd was the wavier look. Still shiny and well-greased, their locks were carefully formed into one or more waves, to achieve a more youthful look. James Dean was one of the stars of the day sporting the somewhat wavy look referred to as the ducktail.

Elvis Presley, on the other hand, popularized the look of the pompadour. The sideburns were worn long and the top of the hair was formed into a poof, with lots of volume and height. Finally, the bangs were worn with a piece of hair pulled down over the forehead to finish the look. The 50s was an era of sleek hairstyles, for men.