Julian Edelman has attracted a parade of imitators.
The Patriots’ wide receiver might be surprised to know that his hairstyle — a modified ’50s cut that’s short on the sides and long on top — has sent Boston men to the stylist in droves for the same manicured look. Edelman’s trendsetting look may be the only good news the team has heard this week.
“They began to call it the Edelman after the Super Bowl parade when he was riding high on the top of the boat,” said Lance Collins, a hairstylist and colorist at Salon Mario Russo, who estimated he has cut 45 “Edelmans” since February. “It’s striking hair.”
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What stands out, Collins said, is the cut’s abruptness. The sides, cut with a razor and clippers, have a “military buzz feel,” and “there’s no transition from short to long” on top.
“I often cut dry so I can see where the hair is going to move to, and then it’s easier for them to have to find the part as opposed to force it. If [maintenance] lasts longer than five minutes, men don’t want to do it,” he said.
The look, usually teamed with facial hair, produces game-changing results. Steve Willard, a software engineer who lives in Cambridge, said his hair status went from basic (read: boys regular) to cool with the cut.
“I do get a lot of compliments,” he said. “Recently one of my co-workers did a variation.”
But the 24-year-old, who isn’t a Pats fan, thinks the Edelman label is just a way for guys in Boston to embrace a style that doesn’t feel “too hipstery.”
Willard’s inspiration actually came courtesy of World War II military photos he found a couple of years ago, but he admits he’s also channeling Don Draper of “Mad Men,” which ends its run Sunday.
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It’s good to see a hairstyle going out on top.
Jill Radsken can be reached at jill.radsken@gmail.com.