16 Awesome Jarhead Haircut Ideas for Men

The 2005 film Jarhead, starring Jake Gyllenhaal with his trademark jarhead haircut, has become something of a cult classic. Based on the memoir by US Marine Anthony Swofford, the film explores the downtime soldiers experience overseas and the sense of community that holds a unit together.

What Is A Jarhead Haircut

“Jarhead haircut” has caught on as a slang term, but the actual name of the cut is high and tight. A shaved head fading into a slightly longer cut towards the top. The Armed Forces’ trademark is based on the crew cut and is also called the “walker” when worn by civilians.

Variations include the “horseshoe flattop,” where the top of the cut is trimmed even with the peak of the crown of the head. Another variation is the “recon,” where the fade starts above the crown of the head, with most of the scalp shaved totally clean. This style is named for its association with recon work in the Navy, Army, and Marines. You can also combine these two variations.

Other variations on the style exist, but if you want the “Jarhead” style, you’re probably most interested in how our guys in the armed forces wear it.

How To Style

This cut is just about the easiest thing in the world to style at home. Roll out of the sheets in the morning with a bedhead; it already looks great. If you want to give it a nice clean look, keep it short and run a comb through it in the morning from back to front, and you’re good to go. If you want a slicker appearance, you can let it grow out just a bit on top and apply some hair gel or pomade.

Some people wearing this style like to keep it as short as possible, while others like to give it an inch or so and experiment with shaping, slicking it back or forward, or straight up in a faux-hawk. With an extra inch of length, it’s a fun style to play around within the mirror.

The only way you can really go wrong with this cut is to let it grow out more than you intended. This style requires regular trims. It only takes a week or two to start looking shaggy, so it might be a good idea to invest in an electric trimmer to keep it topped off.

How Do You Ask For Jarhead Haircut

The easiest way to ask your barber for a Jarhead haircut shows them a picture of exactly what you want. If you say high and tight haircut, they’ll know what you mean, but each barber may have their own interpretation of the style. Check out some awesome Jarhead haircut photos.

How To Wear It

This hairstyle is actually pretty versatile. Of course, it fits perfectly with a military look, camo pants, tank tops, and tight tees, etc. But it also looks great with a leather jacket and jeans, cowboy boots and a plaid shirt. It’s a very macho look that pairs well with some cool shades and light stubble.

Generally, most people who wear this style will go for form-fitting outfits. It’s a tight tee-shirt for your head, and that’s usually the look people will want to go for when wearing this style of haircut.