Start with a clipper-over-comb technique at the recession area to instantly flatten the sides. This will become your guide for the fade. Starting here eliminates the dreadful wedge shape that only Elvis looked good with.

With the clipper set to zero, work from the bottom to the top and freehand fade into your initial guide. This will save you A LOT of time mucking around with various guards. With a bit of practice this whole motion should only take 1 or 2 minutes.

The back of the hair wraps down slightly; asymmetrically underneath the crown. Taking time to work this out is vital; your client cant see the back of his own head so its up to you to make it work.

Repeat on the opposite side. Essentially you’ve created a corner or triangle through the middle, which allows the cut to be styled both ways easily without the sides falling apart.

Begin horizontal sections, slightly lower than straight out from the head. The crown area is slightly disconnected and you can see that from the ear forward its begins to heavily disconnect. You want the length to be shorter in the back to longer in the front, so that when it's slicked back it doesn’t over hang the crown too much. If it is not done this way, when it is slicked back it looks like Miley Cyrus in the Wrecking Ball music video.

The crown is the area that you need to be strict about, and there are many ways to approach this. It all depends on the client’s growth patterns as to what you choose. Rob chose to remove the disconnection over the crown.

Blow-dry or apply product. If you want it flatter and slicker, apply product to damp hair and comb. If you want more height, blow-dry with a brush.

Rob handcrafts his own pomade, which is designed for clients with this type of haircut. For this look, use  a fair amount of Morris Motley Heavy Pomade in Sweet Smoked Leather scent. Or use whatever pomade you prefer.