While longer hair is in, there’s always room for the traditional men’s short hairstyles that look better every year.

Men’s short hairstyles are slightly on the wane at the moment, displaced by lean, long hair down to the collarbone. However, there are still some timeless, good-looking men’s hairstyles that will never go out of style. Regardless of the haircut, make sure the styling looks as natural and as accidental as possible. Then trend for both women’s and men’s hairstyles this season is a played-down, toned-down image that conveys, “I didn’t fuss over this one.” Even if you spend hours in front of the mirror trying to achieve the perfect hairdo, the final product should look like you spent less than 10 minutes on it.

Men’s short hairstyles look good at work and in most professional environments. Generally good all-around trims are the best. Hair should be trimmed short all over and not left too long on the top or very short or shaved on the sides, lest the man in question end up with the proverbial mushroom haircut.

The bangs can be checked with a side part or, if short, can be combed down for a modern Caesar look. If you’re thinking along George Clooney lines, that’s correct. Either of these men’s short hairstyles still works this season.

Additionally, the tousled bedhead look in men’s short hairstyles is not yet passé, so don’t get rid of your hair gel or styling wax just yet. You can still highlight your hair for more of a surfer look, or try home sun-bleaching with lemon juice. However, darker hair and lowlights are currently king, so you may want to go down that path.

Men’s short hairstyles to avoid would include any Dennis Rodman imitation, any attempt at combing over the billiard ball, and any haircut resembling an inverted mixing bowl unless you specifically want to wind up in a book like James Innes Smith and Henrietta Webb’s “Bad Hair.” If you want to sport a mohawk of any sort, do so at your own risk, as in the United Kingdom it was recently voted one of the worst hairstyles of all time.

How to avoid these monstrosities? Communication with your hairdresser prior to any hair cutting is key, and it really helps taking along a visual aid of any of the men’s short hairstyles you would like to see in your own mirror. If you don’t have a hairdresser you like, look at your friends, decide who has the best haircut and ask for a recommendation.

Our new short hairstyles are not that new after all. History’s trends are here to stay, indicated by every new short hairstyle.

When we talk about new short hairstyles, “new” is a relative term. An often-quoted phrase from the Bible says, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” In a sense, hairstyles are no different. The new short hairstyles and ultra modern looks we admire today are in many cases remakes of previous hairstyles. Skillful hairdressers have simply added a new dimension, a different angle or integrated a dynamic concept to create our trendiest looks.

For example, one of these new short hairstyles that’s not so new is the bob. A bob is a chin-length hairstyle for women that usually includes some defining angles and a well-proportioned set of bangs (fringe, for our British counterparts). While today’s bob is slightly choppy, very textured and full of movement, it’s not a completely innovative concept. The flappers in the 1920s inaugurated the bob, a rebellious haircut during a long-tressed era. These women in the Roaring Twenties got rid of their hair as fast as they got rid of the required skirt lengths and other taboos, such as smoking, drinking or partying without acceptable supervision.

Another one of these new short hairstyles that evokes a past era is the shaved or nearly shaved head for men. We’ve seen Brad Pitt and David Beckham go through the phase, and Vin Diesel looks that much tougher with no hair. Shaved heads go clear back to our precursors in ancient Egypt, although men also wore black wigs to not get a sunburn. Later, Greek men cut their hair short but eventually also opted for a shaved pate.

Relatively recent new short hairstyles have sported a bleached, surfer-looking blond color. While we may think we’re so cool with our hairstyling products for “naturally” bleaching hair in the sun, a similar set of bleaching products were all the rage in the Europe of the Middle Ages. Both men and women tried their hand at using saffron, bleach and other dyes to obtain the coveted golden hair.

Other new short hairstyles are based on Elvis Presley, 1940s movie actresses, the ’70s mullet or the ’80s punk inspiration. In short, we may have come a long way, but nearly everywhere you look, you can find a renewed hairstyling pattern – new, yet with a retro hint to it. Vintage is in but with a new twist. Let’s just hope white powdered wigs or three-foot dos kept for months on end don’t come back.