Get the Look – Cillian Murphy from Peaky Blinders

Set in 1919, when Peaky Blinders was originally broadcast in 2013 it wasn’t where most people would expect to be getting their style tips from. Despite this, the Birmingham gangster epic has taken the world by storm, and helped inspire the wave of vintage style that’s evident across all of the UK.

As Season 4 is currently in production, we at Wayne Anthony’s thought we’d take the time out to look at one of the style icons of the series, Thomas Shelby (played by Cillian Murphy). As the protagonist of the story, Shelby has been getting a lot of attention for his classic look and we’ve been getting a lot of requests to duplicate it! If you’re wanting to perfect the 1920s-gangster hair, here’s what you need to do.

The Cut

The Peaky Blinders look is sharp and striking, think a combination of bowl cut and short back and sides. As is apparent from the period Peaky Blinders is set in, the style is a more stylised version of the military haircuts of the time.

If you’re looking to replicate this, ask your barber for a shaved back and sides (almost skin short, number one or two) with no taper, and maintain some length on top. You will want to ensure your fringe is slightly longer than the rest of your hair on top so that you can either slick it back into a quiff, or leave it down across your forehead. This is not the classical 1940s style, with a gradual taper, and is a very sharp and fresh look.

For a modern twist, ask your barber to cut in a gradual fade up to the longer hair on the top of the head. If your hair struggles to lie flat this may be the best option for you!

Styling

The Peaky Blinders style is one that’s easy to style, but may require some maintenance if you want to keep it looking fresh.

To style this cut, try something like our Wayne Anthony’s Pomade to give the hair some texture and flexibility. This will allow you to either slick the hair back into a quiff, or leave it in front of the face to replicate the style Cillian Murphy has on the show.

To keep yourself looking sharp, we recommend you get a trim every four weeks to stop the back and sides from getting overgrown, as well as stopping your fringe from getting too long to style effectively.

 

Like what you see? If you want to try this style out for yourself, pop in to see us at our barbers in Hipperholme and get that vintage look you’ve always wanted.