Jim Morrison was one of the most important figures in the Swinging Sixties. But the snake-hipped Doors' lead singer didn’t just shake things up through his music, he also embraced bohemian fashion and made the ultra-curly, au natural hairstyle the coolest 'do in the world.
Before Morrison's rise to fame, hairstyles for men were generally more conservative: side parted, heavily gelled and firmly stuck in one place. Morrison's curls, on the other hand, were all over the place – framing his face with thick, lion-like locks that fell just above his shoulders. His hair had freedom and it perfectly matched the free-spirited philosophy of the age.
It's also a look that has been perpetuated by many of the world's most exciting cultural figures since. Mick Jagger embraced the curly shoulder-length look and today Harry Styles is a key proponent of the style's ultra choppy layers. And, of course, let's not forget Timothée Chalamet, whose perfectly lustrous and free-flowing locks have been the talk of the town since his role in Call Me By Your Name.
When it comes to cultivating your own curls it's important to figure out the nature of your hair. Curls are measured on a numbered chart – from one to four (the greater the number, the tighter the curls are together). Morrison's hair is probably a high two, but this hairstyle could easily be achieved with curls in the range of one to three. So if you're blessed with a natural wavy texture grow it out to a shoulder length and ask your barber for a uniform length haircut (meaning each section of your hair should be kept to the same length – we advise around five inches).
As master barber Joe Mills has previously told us, "The key to styling curly and wavy hair is to work with the curl and not to brush it or run your fingers through it too much, as this tends to make it fluffy and un-styled. Shampoo with Davines Love Curl Shampoo to add moisture, then use a tangerine-sized amount of Kevin Murphy Body Builder Volumising Mousse and apply evenly throughout the hair." For a final touch, lock in your curls with Aveda's Curl Enhancer. Voilà! Rock star grooming, sorted. Now all you'll need is a pair of leather kecks.
