People love the BBC crime show Peaky Blinders, and we were hooked from the beginning. Stars like Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy did great work, and everyone looked great. The story is about a crime family in Birmingham right after World War I. But it looks like not everyone liked the style that hair and makeup artist Laura Schiavo had in mind.
A Peaky Blinders haircut style that looks like it was worn in the past took about a week to get everyone to agree on. With Iddo Goldberg as Freddie Thorne, he says he was the first person to shave, making the “Peakies” want to be like him. Some of the style’s main ideas came from Peter Doyle’s book Crooks Like Us, which is a collection of police photos from the 1920s that show crooks.
Hairstyles and symbols from the military also affected fashion in the past. Wearing all-herringbone coats and baker boy hats from Peaky Blinders is popular outside of the show, but Schiavo still doesn’t understand the men’s haircuts: “It’s strange; when I first did it, the boys wanted to wear hats to hide it, but now they don’t need to because everyone is wearing it.”
When you’re not looking at the camera, the style looks good because the rough back and sides show off your bones (or beard), and the big difference in style on top of your head will catch people’s eyes. Also, barbershops have been cutting hair in different ways for a long time, even before Peaky Blinders.
HOW DO YOU DO A PEAKY BLINDERS HAIRCUT?
When we first meet mob boss Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy), he just returned to Birmingham from fighting in the lines. Schiavo says his hair is styled in a “flawed, disconnected way that is very short and sharp.” Also, it looks like something that “sloggers” or “hooligans” wore in the late 1800s.
Although each character has a different top haircut, most have sides and undercuts that are very closely shaved. The Peaky Blinders haircut looks good on some people but not on others. Some people wear their hair slicked back, with a side part, a French crop, or a quiff. This is another reason why people liked it in real life.
A gang mentality was also crucial to Schiavo: “In the post-war era when ‘Peaky World’ is set, they used to shave their heads because of lice.” This style was popular with hipsters, but it also did something beneficial, if a little sad: it stopped the spread of lice between troops and poor people back home.
“However, I wanted the cut to be so that you could only see skin when the boys were wearing hats,” she shares. “This is done so you can only see the character when his hat is off.” It’s also possible that this effect would have made it harder to spot a gangster if he was caught.
THE BEST PEAKY BLINDERS HAIRCUT
1. THOMAS SHELBY
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One of the most recognizable hairstyles on the show is the Thomas Shelby cut. Tommy is a gang boss and dangerous businessman. His back and sides are cut short, and his top is cropped and a few inches long. Like a French crop, the top is stacked to give it texture and has a longer part in the front.
After that, this is brushed forward to make an uneven fringe on one side of Tommy’s face. The sides are shaved to a grade 1 to 3 (depending on the series), which makes this an excellent choice for guys with long faces and strong jawlines. A high fade can also be added to make the style more workable.
2. ARTHUR SHELBY
Arthur Shelby is the elder and most violent of the Shelby brothers. He is the tough guy in the group. Because of this, his hairstyle has the most significant difference between the personalities. The sides are about a grade 0–1 shorter than Tommy’s, and the long top is slicked back to give Arthur his signature look.
This style is an excellent example of the unconnected undercut we talked about before. Because the character is so competitive, the two layers are purposely not blended to give the finish a sharp, manly feel.
3. JOHN SHELBY
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Johnny looks up to his older brothers, Tommy and Arthur. His signature Peaky haircut shows he wants to be taken seriously as a gang member. John has shaved the sides of his head almost down to the skin, about a grade 0. His brother Arthur has the same style, but John’s top is much shorter.
Because John’s short, wavy crop is just long enough to style to the side, it doesn’t need much upkeep. This makes it one of the best High Line haircuts for guys short on time.
4. MICHAIL GRAY
Michael is an outsider with a more refined look. He used to be an accountant and is related to the Shelby boys. His hair is longer and more 1920s-style than the other guys in the gang.
This traditional cut is made with scissors instead of clippers and has a deep side part and natural wave. It was partly inspired by the character’s time in America. The sides are cut to taper naturally into the longer top section for a clean look. This is perfect for guys who like a classic look.
5. ALFIE SOLOMONS
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An unpredictable Jewish gang boss named Alfie has a lot of interactions with the Shelby family throughout the series. Many of his fans have grown their own complete, impressive lumberjack-style beards, though styled beards are more in style right now.
A messy Ivy League haircut with short sides and back and a longer top that can be combed over is also on Alfie. But we don’t think that will happen. This haircut looks great on guys with all kinds of beards because the longer length goes well with facial hair.
GETTING A PEAKY BLINDERS HAIRCUT FROM YOUR BARBER
It would be best if you told which look will work best for your hair type by looking at the group members. Because the show is so famous, your barber will probably know how to give you the look. To get it, ask for an undercut that doesn’t fade and is disconnected, or bring in a picture of your favourite Thomas Shelby haircut to help them.
Joshua Gibson, headmaster of the Sassoon Academy in London, says, “You need to be sure of yourself when you go short on the back and sides.” “Choose whether you want your hair to be away from your face or longer and worn forward against your head.”
Arthur Shelby, played by Paul Anderson, is usually the most violent character, and his cutting is the worst to match. To do this, you should have fine, straight hair, with a long piece left at the top that he wears slicked back. Tommy wears his hair in a slightly softer crop pushed forward over his face and swept to one side. He does this to look like the responsible face of a “legitimate” business. Joe Cole, who plays John Shelby, the younger brother, wears his hair straight and set up in short, smooth curtains.
HOW TO STYLE
Gibson suggests the best way to style your hair type if you’re not going to hide it under a flat cap: “If you have a straighter hair texture, you might be better to dress the hair away from the face using a pomade or wax and use a Tangle Teezer to avoid comb marks for extra sleekness.” If you have curly hair, a light oil like Illuminating Oil by Sassoon Professional can help keep your crop smooth.
Gibson suggests a textured product like a paste to thicken pale, exemplary, or thin hair. He also says to use Nioxin Cleanser 2 for this styled look to keep heavy products from building up. The ‘Arthur’ and ‘John’ need a styling pomade that gives hair both shine and hold, while the ‘Tommy’ needs something with texture and a matte finish.
WHAT YOU SHOULD USE FOR A PEAKY BLINDERS HAIRCUT
Here are the main style tools you’ll need to get the exact Peaky Blinders or Tommy Shelby haircut you want.
1. TANCHO STICK
Do you want to use the official Peaky Blinders kit to style your new haircut? For most of the show, Schiavo used Tancho High-Grade Tique, a strange hair wax that smells like lavender. It comes in the shape of a push-up stick and smooths out hair flying around without making it sparkle too much.
2. SERUM FOR SACHAJUAN SHINE
The wet look that Arthur and John wore was made by Schiavo, mixing Tancho pomade with a hair product on set. With Sachajuan’s Shine Serum, your hair will shine and be safe at the same time.
3. MADE WITH REUZEL
Schiavo switched to Reuzel pomade for series five, which comes in a few different formulas that can give you a heavy hold, a high shine, or a matte finish, based on your choices.
4. A KENT COMB
John says you should style your hair while it’s wet with a fine comb like this one made by hand in Kent to get a sharp part.
5. THE TANGLE TEEZER
Joshua Gibson says that once you have the part, use a Tangle Teezer to eliminate comb marks.
PEAKY BLINDERS HAIRCUT FAQs
HOW TO GET A HAIRCUT FOR PEAKY BEARDS
You must cut the top and sides long and short in the back and sides to get the Peaky Blinders haircut. The top can then be swept forward or slicked back. To get Shelby’s signature high-contrast look, ask your barber for an undercut that isn’t linked and has little to no fade.
WHY DO PEAKY BLIND PEOPLE HAVE THAT CUT?
According to scholars, criminals often shaved their heads in the early 20th century. People with shorter hair looked tougher, while those with longer could get in the way during fights. The cut made it harder to tell them apart when hats were on.
HOW MUCH DO PEOPLE LIKE THE PEAKY BLINDERS HAIRCUT?
Skeletal undercuts and textured crops are popular again after a long absence. They were once popular among working-class men and thieves. Because of the show’s popularity, the haircut has become more and more common among men, and the Peaky Cut has become an icon.
