If you are looking for an easy-to-make and even easier-to-maintain hairstyle, the crop top fade is one to consider. This one recently made it back to the mainstream and became one of the most popular styles.
It owes its popularity to Peaky Blinders, especially to the show’s star, Cillian Murphy, who rocked a near-perfect version of the crop top fade.
But creating one will require some effort on your part. The style looks excellent and does not take too much of you to maintain. But specific steps still need to be followed to create it well.
A novice might have some problems dealing with it and one should first determine all of the necessary steps that one needs to make before venturing and creating this one. Luckily, you are at the very best place to learn about crop top fade.
We have everything that one needs to know regarding various short haircuts and versions of the crop top fade. We will even advise you on picking the perfect style for you, as the choice makes a lot of difference.
Table Of Contents
- 60 Most Popular Crop Top Fade Hairstyles
- Textured Crop Top
- Crop Top Low Fade
- Crop Top Mid Fade
- Short Bangs
- Short Fade Crop Top Fade
- Curly Top
- Long Faded Crop Top
- Spiky Crop Top Fade Hairstyle
- Wavy Top Skin Fade
- Asymmetrical Top
- Colored Drop Fade
- Messy Crop Top Fade Hairstyle
- Short and Clean
- Quiff Crop Top Fade Hairstyle
- French Crop
- Afro With Mid Fade
- Comb-Over
- Disconnected Crop Top
- Highlighted Brush Up
- Taper Fade
- What Is Crop Top Fade
- How to Style and Maintain
- FAQ
60 Most Popular Crop Top Fade Hairstyles
Textured Crop Top
The textured version of the crop top fade is, at the same time, the most elegant and the most strict. You need to add a product that will make the hair textured, preferably with a matte finish. Or you can use something that makes the hair look edgier and create variety.
Once the hair is cut to the proper length, you need to blow dry it at medium heat by adding a bit of clay throughout the process. Once you get it in shape, use the leftover clay on your fingers to add a bit of structure to it. It is one of many low-maintenance hairstyles and is quite simple to create.
Crop Top Low Fade
The low fade crop top tappers down your hair, which should be the shortest at the hairline. So if you want to keep some of your locks, this one is the perfect option as it does not require you to make a dramatic change compared to other haircuts.
To low fade on the sides is the best way to top off the tapper on top. The tousled locks on the top of your head will create a relaxed and laid-back look that is trendy at the moment. The locks give a very suitable contrast to the fade as the top of the hairstyle is highlighted to perfection.
Crop Top Mid Fade
The best way to improve the classic crop top fade is to add a mid fade instead. Shave the part around the chin and neck area and see how it highlights the top part of your hair and the tapper.
This style is slightly more reserved than the classic low tapper crop top. But it looks good on almost any guy and can work as hairstyles for men with big foreheads. You can couple it with a disconnected beard to put everything together.
Short Bangs
Experimenting with a fringe, the primary element of the crop top fade can add highly positive results. Adding some short bangs is the best way to do that. But you should determine if they go well with your face shape first.
Luckily, in most situations, the bangs pair well with almost any crop top fade variation, so you are good to go. Adding piercings or neck tattoos makes this style edgy for an extreme look.
Short Fade Crop Top Fade
The short top fade requires almost no maintenance at all. So it makes a perfect choice for extremely busy men who don’t have time to style it when they wake up early in the morning for work.
But the mid-crop top combined with the medium-clipped hairs on the sides gives an aggressive note to the overall style. It is not suitable for business-like and formal situations. But it is a cool haircut to have for everyday affairs.
Curly Top
A curly top can boost the crop top to generous proportions. To create this one, the sides should be cut as short as possible, almost to a crew cut, while allowing the natural curls to fall over your forehead. This move accentuates the curls and gives more volume to your hair.
The lower the fade and the longer the curls, the more highlighted the top will it be. To create a neater look, you should cut the top slightly. You need to cut the hair horizontally on your forehead and make it a bit neater.
Long Faded Crop Top
Experimenting with the length of the crop top fade is one of the advantages of this hairstyle. Leaving the top longer allows you to see which style and length suit you best.
For instance, leaving the crop top extended will create a unique look that looks marvelous on any guy. You will have to put in added effort to style the hair just right and may have to use a bit of hair powder, but it all pays off in the end.
Spiky Crop Top Fade Hairstyle
We suggest adding some spikes to your crop top fade to create an edgier hairstyle. If the tapper crop top is not daring enough for you, the spiky version of it might be the one you are looking for.
Cutting the hair is not too different from any other crop top but requires additional styling efforts. You will have to create the spikes yourself and we suggest using sea salt spray to help them stay up.
Once you style it the way you want it, add a few spritzes and you are good to go. The only downside is that you will have to do this quite often, as it will most certainly get messed up once you go to sleep.
Wavy Top Skin Fade
Combining wavy top hair with a skin fade might sound extravagant, but it is not. It is very cool looking and suits the younger guys exceptionally well. Some have described it as being very dramatic but at the same time reserved.
It is a very versatile style as it allows you to handle the top any way you want. The waves can go in all directions, leaving you firmly in control of the situation you want to style your hair for.
Asymmetrical Top
The crop top fade gives you enough room to make things messy. If you have a high taper crop top, you can always create an asymmetrical style and one that does not abide by the rules.
Be sure to give the top enough room to grow. You can even allow it to grow as wildly as possible. But the sides should be kept nice and neatly trimmed. Once the top is long enough, try to mess it a bit up and create a style that is unique only for you.
Colored Drop Fade
A drop fade is a very nice look if handled correctly. It is the antithesis of all other crop top styles as compared to them; the hair is brushed downwards and not allowed to go freely up. But it does make for a very quirky and attractive look nonetheless.
But if you want to spice things up, add some color. You can go any way you want and match it to your outfit. Red is an emerging color these days and so is ginger, but if you want to go standard, think about silver hair.
Messy Crop Top Fade Hairstyle
The classic crop top can become more extravagant with a messy note. Messing up the hair on top and allowing it to go all wild is something many youngsters will appreciate. The hair can be what you make and want it to be, as long as it is not set in any order.
But be sure to use some product to style the hair. These shaggy hairstyles require you to set them quite often as they will break down on you if you don’t use something to keep them firm. Hair spray helps, but you should consider using gel or some pomades.
Short and Clean
A crop top can also be turned into a very nice-looking business-type style. Keeping it short on top and very clean on the sides breathes in that formal look that people who need to attend business conferences strive for. But you must create everything ideally, not allowing even a hair to stand out.
Quiff Crop Top Fade Hairstyle
Going old-fashioned and creating a quiff on top boasts extremely well for a crop top fade style. The quiff is the best way to go if you want to be more classic and don’t prefer modern, new-age hairstyles.
It is accentuated even more thanks to the fade on the sides. The quiff can be bigger or smaller, but we suggest creating one just in the middle so it keeps everything in balance.
French Crop
A French crop does not differ much from a regular crop top fade. The differences between the two are minuscule at best.
The French crop has a blunt fringe on top that combines with short sides and back. The length will depend on your style as there are longer and shorter versions, making this hairdo a very versatile option.
Afro With Mid Fade
Afro hair can be faded in all kinds of beautiful ways. You can decide to make a low or neat fade or go all wild on it and unkempt. The straight hairlines must be perfect to complement the small afro on the top of the head. It is clean, it is classic, and it is very easy to make.
Comb-Over
A striking crop top works perfectly with a comb-over. You will want to grow your hair to either medium or long. Use a blow dryer to push it back and then comb it over to the preferred side with a big brush.
Some people create some texture by adding certain products to it, but it works best when one keeps it simple and styles it without any additions. The style works for both corporate and everyday situations.
Disconnected Crop Top
The disconnected crop top options have their specific appeal. The main difference compared to the standard one is that the short hair on the sides and the top hair don’t fade; the short hair simply abruptly stops and makes way for longer hair.
The sides are usually kept at clipped lengths, but there is a possibility to go even longer as well. The disconnected crop top is a very amusing variant of the traditional one and requires almost no effort to maintain.
Highlighted Brush Up
Make a pocky temple and keep the top as casual and hippy as possible. Add some dye to highlight the ends and get a nice-looking haircut for almost any occasion.
Even though it is best to keep the top brushed up as much as possible, you have some freedom to experiment and set it differently. But it works best with long or at least medium-top hair.
Taper Fade
A taper fade is a simplistic way to go, but it can work wonders if paired with a subtle undercut. A sleek taper followed by a low fade is the way to go. It looks outstanding and gives you room to experiment with the top and do whatever you want.
What Is Crop Top Fade
Said, the crop top fade is a short, textured type of haircut that offers various options when it comes to wearing it. It traditionally combines a blunt fringe on the top and a fade on the sides and the back.
But it can also come with a short fringe that goes towards the hairline or a long one that goes down towards the forehead. It is one of the proper gentleman haircuts. Men with thicker hair and a stronger jawline benefit more from a longer fringe.
But this type of style is also perfect for men with receding hair. It helps by hiding the receding hairline and if you wear the hair pushed back, it makes the receeding seem much less noticeable.
How to Style and Maintain
Step 1 – Choosing the right type
You will need to determine the one that goes with your overall style and the one that makes you you. But you should also consider your face shape type as it can also determine which one to go for. We suggest giving our list a look as it will allow you to find many exciting ideas.
Step 2 – Style
You must pick the right length for the top and the proper fade for the sides and back. But something that you should be intensely aware of is texture. The more texture you add, the easier it will be for you to style it later on or yourself.
In such a case, you will also want to think between pomade vs wax vs, and gel vs clay and choose between them, as this choice can make or break your new style. A crop top fade is a low-maintenance haircut, its most significant advantage.
You will not have to do anything extravagant to keep it. Going to the barber regularly to fade everything back in place and cutting the hair a bit can be done occasionally.
On the other hand, you need to style the hair by adding some product to your fingers and going through it to get it back in place.
Step 3 – Make a perfect look
You will need some excellent products to make a perfect crop top fade. Once the top and the sides are cut to the desired length, you will need to add some product to the top of the hair to make it stick.
You can use clay or wax if you don’t want a firm stick or gel if you want something that will hold the hair tighter. Once you are done, apply some hair spray, so it holds longer.
FAQ
How long should my hair be to get a crop top fade?
One should preferably have medium-length hair, at least on top. The top should remain mid to long while the sides require a low or high fade.
How do I ask my barber for a crop top fade?
You can tell him the name of the haircut you want; most barbers know what it is. But if you are unsure, you can always give the barber a picture of your desired haircut.
How do you fade a crop top?
Creating a fade for a crop top requires some good clippers that must be applied to the sides and the back. It also requires using different inserts to fade the area where the hair goes from shorter to longer.
Does Tommy Shelby have a crop top fade?
Yes, he does. Tommy Shelby has one of the best crop top fade haircuts around. If you are looking for inspiration on this haircut, you will not make a mistake if you copy Tommy’s.
What is a crop top haircut?
A crop top haircut, also known as a pixie cut, is a short hairstyle where the hair is cut close to the scalp on the sides and back while leaving a bit more length on top.
This style gained popularity in the 1960s and has remained a trendy choice for those looking for a low-maintenance, edgy look.
The crop top haircut is often worn by men and women who want to make a bold statement and showcase their facial features.
How do you style a textured crop?
To achieve a stylish look with a textured crop hairstyle, one must first ensure that the hair is cut in a way that creates natural texture and volume.
This can be achieved by using texturizing products such as pomade or sea salt spray to enhance the hair’s natural texture.
Styling the textured crop involves using a blow dryer to create volume and texture, followed by using a styling product to shape the hair into the desired look.
Vinnie is one of the members of the Beardoholic writers team. He’s also a barber and hairstylist for 15 years now and he has a kick-ass beard of his own, so he surely knows what makes a magnificent beard and hair and how to achieve them. He’s our go-to guy for all the latest beard and hairstyle trends and he always has a tip or two on how to grow and style a thick beard fast.