Yesterday GQ Style ran an article about how to achieve the Sibling quiff. Just in case you have been living in a menswear black hole, Sibling are the British design trio championing luxury knitwear with a sense of humour, and their collection entitled East Side Story was exceptionally well received by critics at LCM last weekend, as was the hair styling. So impressive were the 1950’s quiffs, that Nick Carvell (GQ fashion editor) asked show stylist Syd Hayes for a guide on how to create the look at home.
Always one for trying a menswear style on for size, I followed the five step guide and this is how I got on…
Firstly, I gathered the recommended products, most of which I was able to pool together from my boyfriend’s existing grooming collection (how many tubs of hair gel does one guy need?).
From left to right: Hairdryer, VO5 Curl Defining Mousse, TRESemme Strong Hold Hairspray, Boots comb, VO5 Texturising Gum, hair grips, EVO Hair Styling Powder, REVLON small round brush.
1. “To create volume and hold for the quiff, run a handful of Fudge ‘Pump It Up’ creme mousse through damp hair.”
I replaced the Fudge product with EVO Hair Styling Powder (bf tells me this is his go to product…right) and VO5 mousse (I couldn’t see past the foamy, white turds it created in my palms).
2. “Blow dry the hair up and back away from the front of the face with a small round brush – this helps create even more volume.”
I thought women were supposed to be the superior gender when it came to multitasking capabilities? I definitely smelt burning hair at one point and I had to seek assistance when the round brush got stuck in my barnet and I couldn’t get it out on my own. Hair grips were used to secure the quiff in place…we seem to be back on track.
3. “To create the proper Fifties DA (that’s a “Duck’s Arse”), take a tail comb and scrape the sides back with lashings of Hair Gum so it meets in the centre at the back of your head. Tuck the hair inwards where the sides meet.”
Turns out hair gum is a lot like real gum; it’s sticky, gets everywhere and is then impossible to remove. Note I put far too much in my hair, turns out a pea size serving suffices. I also got it all over my face and had to scrub off my make up with it – this may take practise. Boyfriend says most guys have mastered hair wax by the age of 12 and I should ‘man up’. Thanks.
4. “The sides and back were kept shiny and wet by setting the whole area with hairspray.”
At this stage, if hair is not something you lack, you may want to slick your locks back into a ponytail and hairspray from there. I’m kind of digging this now, although I am looking less La Roux and more Girls Aloud…where did I go wrong?
5. “We kept the front ‘dry’ looking and on some of the boys we teased the front to create a bigger quiff by applying Matte Hed Gas to give it lots of hold.”
Quiff is big, bold and gail force winds would struggle to budge it.
WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE
(image credit gq-magazine.co.uk)
WHAT IT ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE
