Men and Their Beards (2)
Machismo in a Mustache
A certain private investigator in Hawaii, wearing extremely short shorts and a Magnum mustache, is one of the most famous men to sport this type of facial adornment ever to grace the television screen. Alongside Burt Reynolds and some other heartthrobs of decades past, he helped revive the Latin-lover, machismo mustache.
This classic type of mustache is often preferred by men who like to showcase their masculinity in this way, and in the worst cases, they add their bare chest hair into the visual mix as well. A hint from a woman: Keep the beard, but keep it well-groomed, and please, button up and take those thick gold necklaces to a gold buyer.
Successfully pulling off this look is an art form in itself. Just the right ratio of roughness and grooming is needed for the irresistible, sexy effect that worked so well for Harrison Ford, Crocodile Dundee, David Beckham, and that sexy guy down the road from where you live.
But a little warning must be expressed here as well. Even handsome celebrities like Brad Pitt and Ashton Kutcher can ruin the effect by going overboard with the fuzz, down the neck or too high up the cheeks. A scruffy beard doesn't mean you can ignore your grooming kit and razor.
The Dandy
Dali pushed it to the extreme and twirled it to its limits; John Waters wears it in its most dainty form. The narrow, finely styled pencil mustache is still today the attribute of a man with a high fashion sense, a vintage charmer with the tendencies of a bon vivant. He appreciates fine arts and fine cuisine and most likely knows how to wear a tuxedo and what cufflinks are for.
A man of the old school who has nothing to prove except for his good taste. Unfortunately, the fine art of the pencil mustache is disappearing, and to get some eye candy, we sadly have to resort to classic movies featuring Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, and their dandy contemporaries.
Nothing says 'I'm cool' more than a goatee. From Adam Sandler to Will Smith, men adorn themselves with hair around their lips and chin. Bohemian and hip, this look has been adopted by people of all ages and walks of life. It doesn't require too much maintenance but usually looks like the man who wears it takes care of himself.
Soul Patch
Where is the soul in it? A fleck of hair on a man's chin may be another way of expressing one's coolness and making a statement of existence outside of boxes, but really, come on? This often less than a square inch, tiny little garden of male vanity is perhaps the most negligible and unnecessary of all facial hairstyles. Sorry, guys. It does, however, have quite a different effect when combined with a mustache: Welcome back, Musketeer!
Whether you think 'shaving sucks' and let it all grow wild, you just want to look older and distinguished, or you spend hours fine-grooming your mustache to express your sense of fashion, keep it clean and classy, and don't forget that a nicely-shaven face is the preferred option for most women out there.
See also:
Men's facial hair styles
Beards and mustaches Q&A
The best beard for your face shape