12 Incredible Side-Swept Quiff Styles [2021]

Quiffs are extremely versatile. Whether it’s messy, short, neat, or long, you’ll always know you’ve got options. You’re about to see some phenomenal examples of side-swept quiffs done right. 

It’s always a safe bet. 

One of those styles that may not be all that adventurous, but will look suave and sophisticated each and every time. 

That’s the beauty of it. 

Before we launch into the pictures, let’s briefly discuss what the style actually consists of. 

Let’s get to it. 

What Is A Side-Swept Quiff? 

A side-swept quiff is a variation of the quiff where the forelock (hair above the forehead) tilts to one side or the other. 

It really isn’t any more complicated than that. 

A lot of men find that their quiff leans to one side or the other in any case, particularly when the hair is a little thinner. 

Styling a side-swept quiff may simply mean exaggerating this natural tilt to one side and setting it in place. 

But even within this narrow subset of quiff styles, you’ve still got plenty of options to choose from. 

There are many, many different variations you could potentially select for yourself. 

It’s time to take a look at some of the best of them. 

12 Great Side-Swept Quiff Styles

Here’s a nice little source of inspiration for you. There’s a great chance that one of these will be the one that calls out to you. 

1. Slicked Side-Swept Quiff

This “wetter” texture can be achieved through the use of a styling product with the right amount of shine. 

A pomade or gel would usually be more appropriate than a clay. 

The comb-over to the left is a great way to keep longer hair tidy. 

Instead of keeping the hair flat, adding some vertical height above the forehead in the form of a quiff elongates the face and makes it look more oval-shaped overall. 

The layered and textured appearance of the quiff can be achieved using a comb. 

Overall, a sophisticated variation that’s definitely worth trying. 

2. Wavy Side-Swept Quiff

The full and wide appearance of this quiff is a nice way to frame the top of the face. 

Although the wetness here might be a little misleading, the same broken, separated texture of the quiff can be achieved by working it to the side using your fingers. 

Never underestimate just how much you can achieve by working the quiff with your fingers; no combs or brushes necessary. 

You’ll be able to achieve textures that would never otherwise be possible. 

This is also a great example of just how good a clean-shaven face can look with a side-swept quiff. 

It adds a touch of youthfulness; something you may well be going for. 

It’s also a good option for men with “longer” face shapes such as oblong, rectangular, or diamond. 

This is because a quiff, as you’d expect, can make the face longer. Growing a beard may exaggerate this effect even further by elongating the bottom half of the face. 

3. Neat Side-Swept Quiff

You may want to keep it neat. 

No fancy textures, waves, or comb-overs. 

This quiff style has volume but not so much that it draws attention. It’s subtle, elegant, and sleek. 

It’s been swept to the left. The neat and full appearance can be achieved using a round brush and a blow dryer. 

Finish off by using a small amount of styling product to keep it in place. A matte-finish clay would be a nice touch. 

4. Small Side-Swept Quiff

Minimizing the height of the quiff is sometimes worth doing. 

Sometimes, you may not want much vertical height. It keeps it tidy and avoids elongating the face more than you might want to. 

Using a round brush to curl the top of the quiff while blow-drying backward and to the side is a good way of achieving this. 

This picture is also a good example of how round-framed glasses are a nice way of adding balance. It may not be relevant to all of you, but it’s something worth noting. 

Wherever possible, adding contrast is often effective. The elongating effects of the quiff are contrasted by the roundness of the glasses. 

Being intentional with this sort of contrast is a great way to up your style game.

5. Sleek Side-Swept Quiff

If you want to keep this very sleek indeed, you’ve got the option of carefully sculpting the quiff so that not a single hair is out of place. 

It looks very intentional and suave, but may not be for everyone. 

It’s relatively high-maintenance. You’ll need a styling product with a pretty strong level of hold. 

Once again, this “wet” finish will require the right type of pomade or gel. 

If you’re looking for an incredibly clean finish, this may well be the one for you. 

6. Messy Side-Swept Quiff

This one very nicely contrasts the ultra-tidy one before it. 

The gloriously messy and tousled side-swept appearance isn’t as easy to achieve as you might initially think. 

It’s all about getting the right amount of mess. Not too much, but not too little.

Keeping the sides and back short and neat is often best here because it prevents the hair from looking to0 out of control. 

The tousled look is best achieved by working it using your fingers. 

Clays and pastes are great matte products that can help you achieve this texture while also producing lift and volume.

As you can see, the hair further back and behind the quiff isn’t flattened. Instead, it’s also been gently tousled without taking too much attention away from the quiff. 

7. Windswept Quiff

To get this light and airy appearance to the side-swept quiff, gently blow drying it will definitely help. 

Some pre-styling mousse may also help. Again, clays and pastes would definitely be worth trying out. Light, airy, textured.

Afterward, lock it in place by drying it with cold air before applying a small amount of styling product. 

Too much product will most likely just weigh it down and may also add too much sheen. 

8. Side-Swept Quiff With Fade

Exaggerating the side parting when styling the side-swept quiff is a great way to add some lines and angles to the style. 

This style would almost qualify as a “pompadour”. 

But as the forelock is considerably taller than the hair behind it, calling it a quiff is definitely more appropriate. 

The faded sides just add even more height and prominence to the quiff. As you can see, tapering the beard into the faded sides produces a very impressive effect as well. 

Growing a full beard such as this isn’t as big of a deal when you keep the quiff neat and short. 

In fact, one of the benefits of sweeping the quiff to the side is that you do reduce some of the height. 

Compare this with styling it straight up and you’ll be able to see the difference. 

Once again, if you want to avoid elongating the face too much, style a shorter quiff or exaggerate the extent to which it’s swept to the side. 

It may be because you’ve got a naturally “longer” face shape. Or, it may be because you want to grow a fuller, longer beard and you want to avoid adding too much height up top. 

Either way, know that you’ve got options. 

9. Sharp Side-Swept Quiff

If you want to exaggerate the angles or curvature of your side-swept quiff, flatten the hair behind it. 

This adds height and prominence to the quiff itself, making it stand out and more obvious. 

The best way of achieving this is actually by applying downward pressure using a blow dryer. 

In other words, blow-dry the forelock upward and the hair behind it downward. 

Simple. 

Blow dryers aren’t just great for adding volume where you want volume added. They’re also great for reducing volume where you want volume reduced. 

10. Undercut Side-Swept Quiff

This light and airy side-swept quiff is made all the more impressive by the faded sides. 

Clipping the sides and back short is a great way to draw attention to the hair on top, no matter how you choose to style it. 

Whether it’s a man bun, a pompadour, or yes – a side-swept quiff, fading the sides will give the styled hair on top even more prominence. 

It’s an undercut because the sides and back are clipped short. There’s a sharp transition between the top, sides, and back.  

As you can see, it draws attention to the textured quiff on top by reducing the volume of hair on the sides and back. 

11. Long Side-Swept Quiff

Some of you may find it hard to see why this should even be called a “quiff”. 

But because the forelock has vertical height, it should technically be called a quiff. It’s just the quiff is long and extends quite low down the side of the face. 

If you’ve got longer hair, it’s a great way to keep it tidy while also adding a bit of height above the forehead. 

You’ll most likely need some styling product in order to achieve this. 

Due to the weight of the long hair, something with a pretty strong level of hold may be necessary. 

12. Subtle Side-Swept Quiff

Some side-swept quiffs are subtle. 

In other words, the sweep to the side just isn’t as obvious. 

If you’ve got pretty thick hair, it’ll be more of a struggle to achieve that combed over appearance. 

But even a subtle tilt to one side or the other can be noticeable and impressive. 

Figure out whether you prefer more exaggerated sweeps or more subtle ones by trying them out and seeing for yourself. 

Conclusion

There you have it. 

As I mentioned, there are plenty to choose from. 

Experiment regularly and find out which variation is the one for you. 

Enjoy.