A type of short
haircut in which the sides and back are cut very short, often to the skin, and less than an inch is left on the top. It probably originated in the
Navy (hence its name "crew cut"), where it allowed
sailors' hair to be cut very short while still protecting the tops of their heads from
sunburn while working on the
deck.
The militaristic look of the crew cut was very popular in the U.S. in the 1950's and went out of style in the 60's with the popularization of long hair. Nevertheless, it remains a fairly common hairstyle to this day.
Different styles of crew cut are often seen. One of the more popular is the flat top, in which the hair on the top of the head is cut to create a sharp, flat, bristly effect, like the top of a scrub brush. Another is the fade, a modified crew cut with layered sides.