Alright, so I’ve been obsessing a bit lately, not gonna lie. You see Austin Butler in those “Bikeriders” previews? The dude’s got some serious cool hair going on. That whole slicked-back, but kinda rugged, greaser-but-make-it-modern thing. I looked at my own mousy mop in the mirror and thought, “Yeah, I need a change. Let’s try that.”
My Quest for the Cut
First thing I did was dive deep into the internet. Typed “Austin Butler Bikeriders haircut” into every search bar I could find. Saved, like, a dozen pictures on my phone. You know how it is. From the front, from the side, even found a blurry one from the back. The man just looks effortlessly cool. The problem is, my hair has the texture of a confused scarecrow most days, and I ain’t exactly got Hollywood stylists on call.
Then came the tricky part: finding a barber. You can’t just walk into any old chop shop and expect them to nail a specific look like that. I’ve had my share of “Yeah, I know what you mean” followed by something completely different. I scouted a few local places online, looked at their work. Some were all about those super sharp fades, which wasn’t quite the vibe. I needed someone who understood a bit more of a classic, scissor-cut style.
The Barber Chair Experience
Found a place that looked promising. Walked in, feeling a bit sheepish, and pulled out my phone. Showed the barber my collection of Austin Butler pics. He leaned in, squinted a bit – you know that look – and then, thankfully, he nodded. “Ah, okay, the Benny. Gotcha. Longer on top, bit of a taper, natural kind of flow, right?” He actually named it! Well, a name he used for it. That was a good sign. A very good sign.
He got to work. Lots of snipping with the scissors on top, not too much clipper action on the sides, which I was happy about. He kept checking in about the length, “We good here? Little more off there?” which always makes you feel a bit more in control, even though you’re totally at their mercy. He talked about how it’s all about the cut allowing for that swept-back look, but still having some weight and movement. Sounded good to me.
He finished up, cleaned up the edges, and then came the styling. He grabbed some waxy, pasty stuff – pomade, I guess. Worked it through my damp hair, combed it back, then kinda used his fingers to give it that slightly imperfect, lived-in look. In the mirror, under those bright salon lights, I gotta say, it looked pretty damn sharp. I was feeling it.
The Aftermath and Daily Grind
Of course, the real test is when you try to do it yourself. First morning after, I washed my hair, towel-dried it, and stood there, staring at the product he used, which I bought, naturally. Let me tell you, recreating that “effortless” style? Not so effortless when you’re half-awake and your hair has its own agenda. My first few attempts were… interesting. More “scruffy dude who needs a comb” than “cool biker heartthrob.”
It’s definitely a learning curve. Figuring out how much product, whether to apply it to damp or drier hair, how to comb it without it looking too flat or too poufy. It’s a bit of a dance. Some days I nail it, other days it’s a bit of a mess, but hey, that’s life, right? It’s certainly more maintenance than my old “just run my fingers through it” style.
So, do I look like Austin Butler? Absolutely not. Let’s be real. But do I like the haircut? Yeah, I actually do. It’s a cool style, it feels different, and when I get the styling right, it’s got that vibe I was hoping for. If you’re thinking of going for it, my advice is: find a good barber who gets it, show them plenty of pictures, and be prepared to actually spend a few minutes styling it each day. It’s not magic, it’s just hair, but sometimes a good cut makes all the difference.