Feature - Dale Ted Watkins on the Basic Layer

The uniform or basic layer is an extremely cool versatile haircut that is steeped in American history. Our American friends would call this haircut the The Ivy League and it is undoubtedly one of the hippest things on the planet in men’s hair and fashion right now. The Ivy League movement started in America in the late 50s and early 60s emanating from the US’s top-flight colleges such as Yale and Harvard.

The movement has been incredibly influential on men’s fashion over the past 50 years in so many ways, influencing designers such as Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. This look is squeaky clean and preppy, with crisp button-down shirts, sharply ironed chinos, cashmere sweaters, blazers, polo shirts and penny loafers; look that is so bang up to date you could  see this cool little hipster sipping his Espresso at the uber-cool Bar Italia in Soho today! And of course he’d be wearing the basic layer just to crown the look off. Other classic haircuts that grew out of this movement we all love and know today are the crew cut, french crop and the classic flat top all being ingrained in the look. 

What I love about the basic layer (a name that doesn’t do this great little haircut justice) is the versatility of the technique. You can achieve so many different looks if you play with different lengths. If you leave the layers slightly longer you have changed the look completely, giving you a more Mod feel with a slightly looser shape and supported by stars like Paul Weller. Or, if you decide to take the layers shorter, the look has changed again! You’ll release more movement within the hair. The hair will have more texture so you’ll achieve a very masculine look. Think of Brad Pit in Oceans Eleven and you get my drift.

So that is why we are so excited at MHD to release the basic layer as it is such a versatile cut. Yes, it is simple and some might say the name is very uninspiring but in reality this an uber-cool haircut that is steeped in history and will not only generate you an endless supply of potential cash, more importantly it will supply you with an endless supply of happy, loyal clients 

I really hope you enjoy the basic layer as much as I enjoyed doing it.

Dale Ted Watkins Men's Basic Layer video preview will be released on Tuesday 3 January 2012

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