Blokes embrace the perm, but '80s style is out NEW WAVE: Tom Combes is one of the men taking the plunge with perms. Pic: Peter Wallis Source: News Limited OVER THE TOP: Phil Spector takes the perm to new levels. HELLO '80s, perms are making a comeback - but for blokes. Yes, men are heading to the hairdressers to have their locks curled and kinked in the latest hair trend. But forget the tight ringlets of the fashion decade we'd rather forget - the new look is a soft, modern wave. Twenties trends and hairstyles back in fashion "Everyone wants more of a beach wave rather than permanently straight hair," said Ellie Mitchell of Highgate Hill salon Chroma, in inner Brisbane. `We call it a style support now, it's no longer really a perm, so that way it doesn't scare people. But the '80s technique is actually being used to create styles from another era - the 1920s. With the popularity of The Great Gatsby and TV period dramas such as Boardwalk Empire, '20s styles are huge. "We've had a lot of guys coming in and getting it done so they can get the real quiff look that's so popular at the moment," Mitchell said. ``You've got your guys who want to be a bit more adventurous and fun, and using the right terminology is going to show them that it's something that they can use that is still very masculine. In fact, the look is so sort after that West End salon HQ Male Grooming have even brought out a 1920s haircut menu featuring styles named after Boardwalk Empire characters. "Boardwalk Empire has had a massive impact on style and grooming here of late, and it's a style we're being asked to recreate more and more," the barber's Jon Miller said.