Half the men who sit down cannot name the cut they want, and that is no fault of theirs — nobody teaches the vocabulary. Here is the short glossary, so you can ask for what you actually mean.
Fade vs. taper
Both shrink the hair as it goes down. A taper keeps a little length all the way to the edge — tidy, conservative, grows out softly. A fade takes the hair down to the skin somewhere on the head; “skin fade” means exactly that. A fade is sharper and needs cutting more often. Either is part of The Haircut.
How short on top
This is the part to be specific about. “Short” means different things to different people. Better to say it in inches, or to pinch the length you want and show the barber, or to name what you do with it in the morning — comb it, push it back, leave it.
Scissor cut vs. clippers
A scissor cut leaves more length and texture and is the move for classic, grown-up styles. Clippers are faster and more uniform. A good haircut usually uses both — clippers for the sides, shears for the top. If you want one even length all over, that is The Buzz.
The neckline
You get a choice at the nape: blocked (a straight squared line), rounded (softened corners), or natural (the barber follows your hairline and shaves the stragglers). Natural grows out cleanest. Ours finishes with a hot-lather neck shave either way.
When in doubt, describe the result
You do not need the jargon. Tell the barber what you want it to look like and how much work you will do in the morning, and the cut follows from there. Jessica will fill in the rest. The shop is by appointment — book online or telephone the shop.