El High Top Fade

The high top fade is a funky throwback to the streets of mid-'80s New York City, back when hip hop was on the rise and every self-respecting B-boy’s hair had to keep up. Debates still rage over exactly which of the five boroughs’ legendary MCs invented the high afro fade, but it’s been hot on every block from the Bronx to Brooklyn ever since. 

This look is all about an aggressively close shave on the back and sides. The transition from no hair to a full mane on top is abrupt – hence the name. It’s a style that’s graced the heads of many celebrities, and it looks tight with an afro.