The tape up haircut was popularized by the African-American community in New York City back in the year 2000. Its popularity rose so much that the haircut became a staple for New York’s urban style in fashion. When you have a style with such versatility, it is not hard to imagine how it evolved and stayed relevant through the years.

Some may confuse the tape up with a taper fade or a fade, but you can check out one of our articles about the fade haircut to understand why it is, in fact, not the same as a tape up. No matter the length, a classic fade will usually be consistent throughout the neckline or drop to a certain degree, depending on the fade style. The tape up differentiated itself because the fade stops around the ear and a classic look for this haircut will have a tapered neckline.

As we all know, fashion and styles do tend to come back, but it could be said that the tape up never truly left and has since been exposed to different kinds of influences. Right on brand with the cultural melting pot that New York continues to be, a staple NYC urban style haircut like the tape up has crossed borders and cultures across the globe.

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Textured Top and Tape Up

This look might be for you if you’ve got straight and fine hair. Notice how they’ve used their natural hair texture to play along with a textured top.

We love to see bangs done this way because they seamlessly merge with the slightly heavier top.

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Tape Up Haircut and Undercut

This tape up look works especially well because the medium-short length on top plays off well with the relatively short line up. This gives it a softer framing effect on the face. In this case, it works exceptionally well with the model’s facial features.

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Park Bo Gum Classy Tape Up

Park Bo Gum is a South Korean actor and singer sporting a variation of the tape up we tend to see a little less of.