Men's Hair Trends - The Lord Lucan

Lord Lucan Hairstyle

I declare 2017 the year of the Lord Lucan hairstyle. Association with a grisly murder aside, Richard John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, infamous member of the Clermont Set, was once seen as telegenic enough, so rumour has it, to have been considered for the role of James Bond. I think the hair has a lot to do with this. The Lord Lucan 'do mustn't be confused with the slicked-back 'hair hat' beloved of Wall Street villains, though it's quite easy to do so.

The basics are quite straightforward. You need a mid-length haircut with the ears uncovered, not too short at the back and sides, and a bit longer on top, with no layers. You can have a little growth that flicks out at the nape of the neck, which is popular in Madrid for styles like this.

You're going to apply hair products, but not on wet hair. I've been experimenting for you and I've found the following formula works best. My barber doesn't agree — he thinks it's overly complicated and tospy-turvy — but see what you think.

Stage one: Comb the hair into place when wet and leave until it is almost dry, but not totally. Make sure the parting is totally straight, no dog's hind leg. Now take some pomade or Yardley brilliantine, no bigger than half to a whole thumbnail. Rub it into your hands and then vigorously into the roots of the hair — really work it in. Comb the hair back into place.

Note: I haven't been able to condense this into a single-product operation for my fine, golden tresses, but I'm sure it's doable on other hair types. Or maybe Trumper's new Lime Gel Pomade will be the answer. I'll try it out at some stage.

Stage two: Now take a dollop of decent hair fixative. Supple Hair Fixative from Roger & Gallet (1862) was terrific, with its natural gum, but I don't think they make it anymore. (I mention here in the hope that this is rectified.) I would also recommend Crystal Hair Cream by D. R. Harris — non-sticky.

Spread your fixative lightly over the hair, don't rub in. Comb into place again. Now take your Kent MHS18 to brush lightly over the hair, removing the comb lines and putting every hair where it should be without flattening the hair to the scalp.

It's important that you don't stick the hair down too much. You don't want to look like you've just stepped out of the shower. And it's okay if it drops a little through the day, perhaps not so much as to achieve James Bond's famous comma of hair above his right eyebrow from the Fleming novels.

And there you have it. The Lord Lucan. Don't you look smart and well-ordered? People will automatically assume that you are a focused and driven individual, which can be a very useful smokescreen when you're shirking.

And if it all goes pear-shaped, simply cover over with a flat cap.

Stay tuned for the Aubrey Beardsley, chaps.