The Ivy League haircut has been described in many ways, and it has also been given many names, but this style is simply an overgrown crew cut.
This cut has been around for years, and it has always been associated with “gentlemen”, but nowadays anyone can wear it even if they do not consider themselves as such.
The Princeton as it is also known as can be designed and made in a myriad of ways and this variety is what has led to the different variations of it.
However, if you are thinking of wearing this magnificent haircut, the following are 55 brilliant ideas that you should try.
# 1 Ivy League Haircut with Receding Hairline
Cover your receding hairline with a twist on the formal ivy league cut. Spike the top high with lots of texture so it draws the attention away from the sides’ recession. A fade on the side helps, too.
# 2 Ivy League Haircut with Fade
This similar style to the last has nothing to hide. The top is spiked and tapered forward, clean but with more texture towards the front. The sides feature a steady fade to skin that looks wonderfully neat and youthful.
# 3 Messy Ivy League Haircut
This style is for guys who have messy, textured waves. The top is kept thick, dyed to stand out, and falls gently across the forehead for a casual look that works when dressing more sharply, too.
# 4 Modern Ivy League Haircut
Sleek and ultra-modern, this classic ivy league cut jumps into the 21st century by introducing longer, sweeping hair extending from the front hairline beyond the crown of the head. Smooth and stylish, it’s a look that anyone can rock.
# 5 Military Ivy League Haircut
A sharp, snappy style, this military-inspired ivy league cut works for a low-maintenance ‘do. The sides feature a high skin fade while the top stands neatly but is relatively short compared to some other ivy league cuts. It’s neat, trim and suits any man.
# 6 Classic Ivy League
This style is one of the earliest forms of the Ivy League, and it is perhaps what most people would associate with a look as it also happens to be the most common of all the variations.
It involves a neatly trimmed hair that is equal in length throughout the head. Hair is short, but size is long enough for it to be swept to the side or to be styled into short curls. Classic Ivy League is best suited for round and oval face shape.
# 7 The Smart Guy Look
Smart guys are called so because they always find a way to steal the show with their appearance. What most people don’t know is that the main thing that gives them their smart looks is hair.
The smart guy design that brings together the traditional Ivy League and a side part is an example of a hairstyle that can make a man stand out.
In this cut, a longer top is maintained while sides and a back are shaved short. The high crown is then given a side part and then finished by being pushed to the side.
# 8 Short Spikes
Spiky hair always looks good on men when done professionally and by an experienced stylist or barber. In this cut, pikes are maintained throughout the head and in uniform length.
What makes them look particularly good is that the spikes are short, and they are very firm and shiny.
The appearance of these short spikes proves that the choice of hair product plays a significant role in getting a great hairstyle.
# 9 Small Faux Hawk
You do not always have to overdo things to look good in a faux hawk and this design proves it beyond any doubt. The style maintains a short faux hawk in the middle of the head with the sides trimmed short.
The wavy hair also makes the look more fantastic. But men who do not have a naturally wavy hair can achieve the same look with the use of hair products.
# 10 College Boy Waves
In college, you are free to do anything you wish with your hair as there are no strict regulations concerning it in many institutions.
Boys with a wavy hair have many advantages when it comes to haircuts and styles as these types of hair is easier to work with than most other types.
In this particular cut the wavy hair is given a minor side part then the crown strands are swept to one side. The rest of the waves are pushed back to finish an ordinary college boy look.
# 11 Curly Ivy League
Curly hair is beautiful even without any styling, and if you need to style it, then you can achieve a fabulous look with a good gel and your fingers.
For this style, the curls are trimmed to a medium length or to about three inches long. A generous amount of gel or any other quality hair hold product is used, and then you can style the curls with your fingers.
Try and leave the curls looking as natural as possible as they will be more attractive this way.
# 12 Smart Side Sweep
Most hair experts will tell you that the simplest thing that you can do with your medium length hair to look smart is side sweeping it.
For this side swept hair to look beautiful it should start with a neat side parting. Top hair is swept to the side then the rest of the hair is swept to the opposite direction.
Remember to use a generous amount of the right hair product for the side swept hair to look fabulous.
# 13 Blond & Innovative
This blonde haircut will make every man with blonde locks cut them short. What makes it special is that it is very innovative, and it goes out of the norm that is keeping blond hair long.
The hair is reduced to about two inches at the top then the sides cut short and given undercut to finish a very innovative look.
# 14 Gelled Harvard Clip
No other hair product comes close to gel regarding popularity among men. And this is rightfully so because it always has a way of breathing some new life into any hair no matter how dull it may be.
The Gelled Harvard Clip is all about gel because it does all magic and besides, from the hair trimming the only other things needed is to push the front strands slightly to one side to finish an eye-catching look.
# 15 Total Slickness
Whether you like slicked hair or not this style will impress you, and you will perhaps also want to try it. Texture of the hair is amazing and the dark color is also very attractive.
After the application of a hair product to give it a shine and to make it easy to slick, hair is given a hard side art then slicked.
The deep part line forms the base from where the hair is totally slicked in all directions except the front.
# 16 Good Old Look
Sometimes all you have to do for a great haircut is to stick with the good old look like in this style. Keep your hair natural and only do a little trimming to give it some uniformity.
If there are signs of white or gray hair you should also maintain them as they are, because this adds to the beauty of the style. A slide side part can also spice up things, but it is not always necessary.
# 17 Slick-Back
Slick-back hairstyle shows why the comb is and will remain to be the best hair styling tool or equipment to be invented.
This hair maintains a scissor trimmed medium length that is slicked back. Before the slick back, some hair product can be used, but it will still look good even without any or in its natural texture and appearance.
# 18 Voluminous Smartness
Voluminous hair is beautiful by all definitions especially if it is natural. And all you have to do with it is trim it nicely and use a comb to style it.
Even without all those fancy designs, it will still look good like in this style where it is just pushed back.
The best thing about volume is that you can make almost any hair full through creative trimming and use of hair products. This means that the style can be worn with different types of hair as all that is needed to give it some volume.
# 19 Spiky Locks
Short spiky locks in this style are very well done, and they show that there are several ways that you can make your spikes into an Ivy League.
Although the spikes may not ultimately look like what you traditionally call locks, they can still be categorized as such because of the way they are styled.
Most of the attention in this hairstyle is concentrated at the top section because the back has simply been slicked.
# 20 The Professor Style
Professors have a particular distinct serious hairstyle that looks pretty much plain and simple.
This professional look involves doing almost nothing to the natural hair except cutting it short (scissor trimming), washing it clean and using a small amount of gel or any other men hair product.
Provided you get the length right it is very easy to maintain and is perfect as a professional or formal cut.
# 21 Perfectly Designed
There is perfection in all aspects of this haircut starting from the trimming, color, and texture of the hair. Just by looking at it, you would know that it is the work of a skilled and very experienced barber.
Design involves a longer crown hair with the sides being scissor cut short and a small part created at the top section. Although the color in this style is natural, you can always use a dye if you have a different color.
# 22 Just Some Bangs
This style is all about natural bangs that look exquisite, and they show the magic that scissors can do provided it is in the hands of a skilled stylist.
The bangs are very natural and what makes them attractive is how they are trimmed since there is little styling done afterward. Color, texture and the volume also play a significant role in making this look stand out.
# 23 Stylish Student
Students always aim at distinguishing themselves from the rest and the best way to do this is by getting an incredibly stylish haircut like this one.
The stylish student here maintains a high, voluminous and wavy top with the sides and back trimmed with the clipper.
Apart from the perfect cut, all that is needed is some hair product as the natural wavy hair provides all the styling needed. Regular trimming of the top and sides is necessary to maintain this style.
# 24 Do It Right
With the Ivy League haircut, the only way to look gorgeous is by doing everything right. If you mess up with the cut or with the styling, then you will have a very different look from it.
This particular haircut demonstrates a design that is done perfectly right. Voluminous wavy hair is given a scissor trim then a side part.
Hairs at the top are swept to one side then given some height while those below the part line are slicked.
# 25 Caesar & Ivy
Creativity brings out the best hairstyles, and sometimes it involves combining two very different styles as in this haircut.
This do has both the elements of a Caesar and Ivy, and it looks splendid. It is short and uniform in length throughout and it is almost spiky with a touch of messiness.
# 26 Perked Up Fringe
This is a classic style that proves why the Ivy League is considered one of the most stylish haircuts of all times.
Cut done here could easily pass for an ordinary longer top and shorter sides but perking up of the nicely timed fringe is what makes it gorgeous.
Although there are many ways that fringe can be styled the one in this cut is just incredible, and the clean shaved face ensures that all the attention remains on the edge.
# 27 Textured Ivy League
Texturing the hair might require some skills, but if you get it right, you will look outstanding. A good texture can also create a clip like in this style.
Apart from the texture what makes this design amazing is the black hair color and the natural curls.
However, these two are easier to make, and so if you can get a good texture, this style will be very simple to wear.
# 28 The Rebel Style
Contrary to what most people think you can still rock a rebel look with a Harvard clip like in this style. Although it is mostly associated with formal looks, a rebel look is very possible with a little creativity.
In this cut, a longer top is maintained with the sides and back faded. The long crown hair is then made into Caesar waves that are then swept to one side to finish the rebel look.
# 29 Smart Pompadour
The pompadour or the pomp as it is more fondly referred to as will always be on trend and so provided you get it right you can be assured that you will always look stylish.
For this variation, the pompadour is kept short, and it is not as high as the traditional one. However, it still maintains all the other characteristics of it like short sides and back and the application of a generous amount of gel or pomade.
# 30 V-back For Students
This V-back style for students takes self-grooming to a whole new level, and if you wear this style, you will draw all the attention that you wish.
It is made by living an extra long hair at the crown while the sides are cut short and faded. The lengthier top is then scissor trimmed to form a V shape at the back when slicked back.
After the fade, the back should also be shaped into a V to complement the shape at the top section.
Idea # 31
Idea # 32
Idea # 33
Idea # 34
Idea # 35
Idea # 36
Idea # 37
Idea # 38
Idea # 39
Idea # 40
Idea # 41
Idea # 42
Idea # 43
Idea # 44
Idea # 45
Idea # 46
Idea # 47
Idea # 48
Idea # 49
Idea # 50
Idea # 51
Idea # 52
Idea # 53
Idea # 54
Idea # 55
From the 55 styles above there is probably a couple or more that can suit your hair type, face shape and most importantly personal preferences and tastes.
However, as you go out to get an Ivy League haircut, it is important to remember to try a few as this is probably the only way to get one that best suits you.
Apart from this, you can always vary your favorite haircut and transform it into Ivy League provided you are creative enough.