A man’s clean-shaven face is a symbol of elegance and grooming. And this season, with the light hand of advanced stylists, bloggers and celebrities, beards are in vogue, so a representative of the stronger sex with a neat goatee or brutal balbo today no longer surprises anyone. A fashionable beard for a man is a tribute to trends and an integral element of style, and in addition, a way to attract the attention of the opposite sex, because, let’s face it, girls believe that bearded men look much more attractive than their clean-shaven counterparts.
Fashion for a beard in men: where did it come from
Where did the fashion for a beard come from for modern men? To answer this question, let us recall the knights, Vikings, epic heroes — the representatives of the stronger sex have worn beards from time immemorial. In Russia, for example, it was believed that the longer and thicker the vegetation on a man’s face, the richer the family, the healthier the offspring, the stronger the clan. It is no coincidence that the word «beard» itself consists of two bases — «wealth» and «family».
All noble men wore a beard, as it was considered a symbol of power, high birth, status. They also knew how to take care of their wealth — they combed, twisted, braided braids, gave the desired shape, proudly decorated them with precious stones.
The fashion for a lush or pointed beard was created by famous people — rulers, military leaders, party leaders. Ordinary men imitated them, using fashionable men’s mustaches and beards in the image, giving the same shape as their idols.
Today, the stronger sex has many reasons to grow stubble, because it:
- Makes the image more attractive, adds charisma and restrained chic.
- Demonstrates gender identity — one of the main differences between a man and a woman, conveys strength, stern courage and endurance.
- Improves self-esteem. According to psychologists, bearded men are more confident and decisive in their actions.
- Helps to hide cosmetic defects in appearance — scars, scars, acne.
- Allows you to choose the shape of the bristles, based on your type of appearance, face contours, haircuts, stylistic orientation of the image as a whole.
- Favorably distinguishes from the crowd of smooth-shaven representatives of the stronger sex. The bearded man is always paid more attention. The main thing is that the bristles are well-groomed and evenly fill the chin, neck and cheeks.
Finally, the demand for beards sometimes means nothing more than a reluctance to shave. However, men often forget that, firstly, it is much more difficult to maintain aesthetic facial hair than smooth shaving, and secondly, a beard sometimes adds age, making a man ten years older.
9 best beard styles
There are many types of stubble, among which every man can choose the best option for himself, focusing on individual preferences and type of appearance.
- Skyrim
At the peak of popularity, the beard is extravagant and fashionable — skyrim. The fashion for it was formed by fans of the computer role-playing game «Skyrim». In this mythical world, heroes have to fight trolls and dragons, which is why the style of the beard is very original. As in the Scandinavian style, it contains a variety of weaving and styling, large and small braids, jewelry made of beads, flowers, leather. The characteristic difference between the bristles is length and density. A highlight to a beard can be given a contrasting color to the hair on the head. Ideal for men with a large square face and strong-willed chin. - Hollywood
The stylish Hollywood beard does not lose its relevance. It was popular in the 30s of the last century, but it is still very popular today. Brett (the second name for the beard) can be shaped with vegetation at least 1 centimeter, and then shaped with a trimmer. Particular importance is attached to the outlines of the upper line and the mustache, which is connected by thin bridges in the area of the corners of the mouth. Hair, comparatively short, covers the chin and lower jaw; the puffs do not grow back. Looks good on a triangular face with a narrow chin. - Balbo
Its name is short balbo’s goatee received from the Italian Air Marshal of the Mussolini era, Italo Balbo, who wore it at one time. It resembles an islet, an anchor, or an inverted T. Vegetation covers the entire lower jaw, the mustache is separated from the beard by a neat shaved strip, does not touch the beard, and does not shave at the corners of the mouth. Thanks to this shape, the top and bottom lines of the beard are aligned. To make the balbo look perfect, the strip of hair going down from the center of the lower lip is not shaved. The rest of the hair on the neck, chin and cheeks must be removed. Just like the previous style, the stubble is suitable for a guy with a triangular or oval face and a narrow chin. - Anchor
The anchor barb, which got its name from its visual resemblance to a marine design, involves the complete cleansing of the face from hair from the area between the chin and mouth. One neatly shaved strip of rectangular shape is left, rising to the lower lip. The «anchor» should be short, not too thick and slightly pointed. Stylish pencil mustache complements the stubble. Stylists recommend this style for men with round and oval faces. - Goatee
The goatee (imperial beard) looks unusually impressive and adds presentability and authority to a man. It was introduced into fashion by the Spaniards during the Crusades, but even today the representatives of the stronger sex, striving for refinement, choose just this type of beard. It is impossible to confuse it with another style, it is so bright and expressive. A distinctive feature of the goatee is a stylish hair island with a rounded shape. It is located in the center of the chin. Short bristles give the grooming. The beard looks good on any face except a round one. - Russian
Russian, or, as it is also called, a full beard, looks rich and magnificent. Only men with naturally thick hair and increased vegetation can grow it. A wide, straight beard gives the image of a man masculinity and brutality, which is why it is very popular. Abundantly covering the cheeks and neck, it looks as natural and at ease as possible. However, this does not mean that beard grooming is unnecessary. In order for the hair to look well-groomed, its growth must be periodically controlled. Looks good on an oval face. The Russian beard is often confused with a duck tail. In the second case, the facial hair is also thick and lush, but the tip of the beard tapers neatly downward. Barbers advise it to representatives of the sterner sex with a diamond-shaped face. - French
The French beard, which is also called «French pirate», «French fork», is a full beard with a mustache that completely covers the cheeks. Sideburns are required. This is not the most popular style, only gaining popularity. It is mainly chosen by men looking for something special. Looks good on an oval and elongated face. - Garibaldi
The Garibaldi-style beard was named after the legendary Italian commander and politician. It is a cross between a lumberjack and a Dutch beard. It has a wide shape and fuses with sideburns, while its length, including the mustache, cannot exceed 20 centimeters, otherwise it does not make a very pleasant impression. Garibaldi’s beard should look as natural as possible. This brutal style is a great option for square-faced people. - Light unshaven
The fashionable top completes the bristles of a light degree of unshaven, adding restrained charm and brutality to the image. It is enough not to touch the razor for a couple of days, and now vegetation appears on the man’s face. But to give the desired shape, you will have to work hard, it is better to contact an experienced craftsman who will arrange the regrown hairs into a beard. The length of the bristles is on average 0,5 cm, although in some guys it manages to grow up to 1 centimeter. The advantage of a three-day bristle is that it suits all men, without exception.
Common types of beard haircuts
There are so many beard styles out there that it’s impossible to list them all, and their 2018 trends are growing. Specialists in the modeling of hair on the lower part of the face (barbers) offer the most fashionable haircuts, their various options and alternatives, starting from the oval of the man’s face. With the help of a special program, which is installed in any self-respecting beauty salon in Moscow, the master explains to the client why and why he needs such a youth beard.
Thanks to a properly selected haircut, you can correct your appearance, how successful the experiment will be depends on the professionalism of the barber.
So, beard haircuts that are in fashion now include:
- Chinstrap.
The literal translation means «chin strap». The beard is neat, representing a thin border, framing the face from temple to temple, like a frame. - Burnsides.
A haircut that is sometimes called «Wolverine», like the hero of the movie «X-Men», involves thick fluffy brutal tubs and a clean-shaven, clean chin. - Van Dijk (Captain Jack).
A kind of French beard. It has an oval shape, a stripe on the chin and a mustache curled upwards. - Spartan (or box).
Full beard with little trim on the cheeks. The chin and jaw are accented. - Goatee.
A popular haircut option is a short and thin beard in the chin area. - Suvorovskaya.
A haircut is considered risky, since it does not suit everyone, for example, it does not suit men with a triangular face. An obligatory addition is a mustache. The middle of the chin stays clean, whiskers run down below the lips to form a frame.
For a haircut, the barber uses a razor, scissors, a hair clipper, a trimmer, and combs. The set of necessary tools depends on the thickness and length of the beard. Great importance is attached to the mustache, which gives the desired shape and moves to the lateral parts of the beard. If the hair in this area is thick, special scissors are used with the ends curved and directed upwards. Fashionable men’s mustache — horseshoe, English (with long ends), soldier (the ends are twisted up), thin straight (no wider than a pencil).
A beard is one way to change your image, express your personality and add masculinity to your look. If a woman achieves self-expression with the help of bright makeup, fashionable haircuts and hair coloring, then the representatives of the stronger sex should grow a fashionable beard, and the attention of the opposite sex is guaranteed.
