When Zayn Malik left One Direction, the men’s hairstyling industry wept. The 22-year-old had become pop culture’s pre-eminent tonsorial pioneer, ricocheting from man bun to young Stalin bouffant to Alex Turner quiff with ease. While we await Malik’s next move, an unexpected successor has emerged: Jamie Oliver, whose new do – the “undercut bob” – is at the cutting edge of fashion. Equal parts floppy 1990s boyband fringe, buzzcut and Brylcreem, this is a directional look that may seem at odds with Oliver’s cheeky, checked shirt-wearing image.
Actually, from an indie boy shag in his Naked Chef days, to recent dabbles with a mullet, Oliver has often subtly experimented with his hair over the years. The fact that this cut has also been worn by Miley Cyrus and Scarlett Johansson, and so taps into the unisex trend, suggests he – or his barber – knows his style onions.
