It’s all in the quiff

A hairstyle is as important in defining a look as a pair of shoes. Indeed, it is one of those things that can make or break you. Just as a pair of steel-toed Dr. Martens boots wouldn’t go with a ball gown, a perfectly good-looking man could be ruined by the wrong haircut. I think this became especially apparent when I came across a charming man by the name of Pogz. Upon my first look at the internationally-acclaimed Filipino Smiths cover band The Dead Pop Stars, it seems their authenticity lies in their lead singer’s voice and the iconic hairstyle he dons, the quiff.

The quiff is a rather simple hairstyle when you break it down. It is basically a forelock longer than the rest of one’s hair on top, and is usually combed upwards and back. However, its impact is in its ever-classic look and connotations. The quiff is not just a hairstyle; it is the original rebel style reference. It hosts a number of icons as wearers and implies a sense of mystery and masculinity that can be felt in people who wear it today.

Made popular by Elvis Presley, it was a phenomenon with people in the ‘50s along with rockabilly fans who sported the look. His hairstyle was as much a symbol of his bad boy image as his swinging pelvis. It defines classic cool for men and is most memorable on people like James Dean and Marlon Brando. In the ‘70s it made John Travolta the sexy Danny Zuko in Grease. And the ‘80s saw the haircut become an iconic symbol on Smiths front man Morrissey. Even in the ‘90s singer Chris Isaak donned the haircut, and as he says, "was able to get Helena Christensen in his video, thanks to it."

Whether it’s an echo of the King himself, or the androgynous Morrissey, the quiff remains a symbol of cool. One cannot truly disagree with the number of Elvis impersonators everywhere who have uttered their first "uh-huh’s" at the sight of their first quiff. If anything, a quiff makes you taller, which has got to be good for your masculinity.