Every bearded gent knows the importance of having a neatly groomed beard. For the early Egyptians, an elongated goatee was a sign of wealth and high-status, while the Romans cultivated theirs to express strength, humility, and even days of mourning. It’s therefore safe to say that through the ages, beards have been a reflection of one’s lifestyle. For the modern-day man, style is an added factor, and when it comes to the kind of trims, lengths, and cuts, there are plenty. We break down the top beard trends of 2019 and tell you which one works the best for you.
The classic goatee
The classic goatee is short on effort yet big on style – it has long been the favourite of musicians, intellectuals, and those with a rebellious streak. As a style staple among actors, musicians and those to embrace the create arts, the goatee shot to fame with Johnny Depp, Leonardo Dicaprio and even sportsmen like David Beckham. Goatees are great for adding a little edge to your style – they look especially good on slim, angular faces and can make a round face look slightly slimmer. Allow your facial hair to grow to a length you feel comfortable with, and maintain this with a beard trimmer. Use your jawline as a guide as to where to end your goatee.
The Beardstache
Falling somewhere between a stubble and a full beard, the beardstache is a hybrid where the moustache is kept longer and fuller than the surrounding hair. We’d credit Pierce Brosman, Henry Cavill and Ranveer Singh for sling-shotting this trend into the spotlight. It’s a polarising style that has been called everything from the hot new thing to the facial hair equivalent of a mullet. But when done right, it has a distinct appeal. It works well on most face shapes but requires thick facial hair, and looks best on guys with a wider philtrum (the stretch of skin between the top lip and nose) and a prominent chin due to it drawing attention higher up the face. The look can be created from the starting point of a full beard or by simply allowing the stubble around your upper lip to grow longer from scratch.
The Russian beard
This is the dialled-down, neater, and overall less bohemian version of the full beard. While the short beard is a more versatile, understated, and office-friendly alternative, it suits many roles of the modern man. This trend came to light when actors like Bradley Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal made red carpet appearances in the early 2010s. We think this trend is great simply because it doesn’t need much maintenance. The key is to keep it tidy, but not overly preened. A neatly trimmed beard will suit most face shapes, although you may need to tailor the corners to emphasise your best features. For round faces, you might want to reduce the length at the sides slightly to make your face appear more rectangular. Have a double chin? Try taking the beard down all the way to the Adam’s Apple to disguise it.
Faded beard with an undercut
The fade is one of the most common grooming techniques from a gentleman’s hairdressing manual. A common hairstyle trend (undercuts, anyone?), it’s now making a debut in the world of beards as well. A favourite amongst the hypebeasts, and extremely mainstream with its appeal, the fade has a much more youthful feel to it. Actors like Zayn, Conor McGreggor and Shahid Kapoor sport this.
The rule is simple – have an unbroken flow from your sidelocks towards your chin with incremental increase in length and thickness. It’s easy to see that this trend isn’t for everybody – you’ll need a thick beard growth to pull this off, else your beard will appear patchy. If you are good with the trimmer, this could be a part of your daily routine. But we’d advise a bi-weekly stop at the barber’s for best results.
Salt & pepper
This is 2019’s hottest beard trend yet. We’ve seen actors like George Clooney and Anil Kapoor embrace their age with a standard stubble trim that has a uniform length throughout. Ensure that you trim the edges well, lest the salt and pepper look seem messy.
All images: Courtesy Shutterstock
Mikhail Gomes
Features Editor, Lifestyle Asia India & Contributor - Augustman
A watch aficionado, Mikhail also enjoys learning about fine whiskies, and one day hopes to establish his own menswear label. At Lifestyle Asia India, he writes on watches, menswear, auto and tech.
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