Short Back and Sides: What Your Barber Hears and What to Add

What a barber hears when you say "short back and sides"

A barber hears a general direction, not a finished haircut. It tells us the sides and back should be clearly shorter than the top and that you want a tidy, traditional result. It does not tell us how short the sides go, whether you want a taper or a fade, how long to leave the top or how to finish the neckline.

So when someone sits down and says only this, we ask a few follow-up questions. That is not us being difficult; it is the difference between the cut you pictured and the one you get. Our journal piece on what to tell your barber covers the vocabulary that makes this conversation quick.

Where the order comes from

The phrase comes from British barbershops in the early twentieth century, particularly around the First World War, when soldiers needed short, practical cuts that kept hair off the collar and under a cap. It became the standard civilian order through the mid-century and spread to Canada with the barbershop tradition.

It has survived because it describes a shape that works for most people: neat around the ears, clean at the collar, with enough on top to comb or style. Many older clients still order it word for word, and many younger ones say the same thing with different words, such as "a low taper, longer on top".

Clipper or scissor: two ways to cut it

Both are correct, and each gives a slightly different result. The choice depends on how short you want the sides and how soft you want the finish.

The three details you should always add

To get exactly what you pictured, add three pieces of information to your order. Each takes a few seconds to say.

• How short on the sides: a guard number, a "finger length" or a style name such as a taper or low fade. If you are not sure, say "short but no skin showing" or "down to the skin at the bottom".
• How much on top: in centimetres or in terms of what you do with it, such as "enough to push to one side" or "just take a centimetre off". This is the part most people forget.
• The neckline: tapered (fades naturally into the neck), squared (a straight line across) or rounded. A taper grows out more cleanly; our tapered vs blocked neckline comparison explains the difference.

What a good short back and sides looks like

A good one has a smooth transition where the sides meet the top, with no shelf or visible line unless you asked for one. The hair around the ears is clean and follows the curve of the ear, and the sideburns are even on both sides.

At the back, the length should follow the shape of your head so there are no flat spots or bulges. At Markcutit we finish with a razor lineup around the ears and neck, then the hot towel, wash and head massage that come with every taper haircut. If you want to see what our classic cuts look like, the portfolio has examples.