Is that a rabbit on your face or are you just bad at shaving?
Facial hair can be a rite of passage that turns your dude into the lumberjack of your dreams, or the worst thing your guy ever does to his image.
Has he ever wandered out of the bathroom and asked “what do you think of this soul patch?” If so, he might need a little guidance. So, in case he asks… we compiled a list of our faves.
The best beard style depends somewhat on his face shape. We talked to two barbers in the know, and decided what will probably look best on your guy. Thank us later. Or now. We love Thank You notes.
Here are a few of the most famous beard styles for men have withstood the test of time… and clippers.
Best Beard Styles for Men
The Goatee
If your dude insists he looks like George Clooney, you might occasionally get stuck with the goatee.This classic beard style that encircles the lips dates back to the Ancient Greeks and is all about connecting the mustache and the beard to the untapped power that lies within their Ed Hardy t-shirt.
The goatee should not extend past the smile line and should have clean, symmetrical sides. Truly, the worst thing to do is have a goatee that’s lopsided. Yes: even worse than just having a soul patch. Or a goatee at all.
Ollie Foster director at Number 47 Barbers and winner of the National Hairdressing Federation competition for Male Hair in the UK, notes that the goatee is mostly suited to people with someone with a good jawline but a weak chin, and would prefer to cover it.”
Hobby Weiss, a Master Barber at Hawkins Barbershop in Nashville, considers the goatee the “mullet of facial hair,” but also notes that you can choose a goatee to draw attention toward the center of the face. But what is the rat tail of facial hair? Spoiler alert: It’s also the goatee.
Best on: Diamond-shaped faces
Sideburns
If your dude has a heart-shaped face and he’s into going to Colonial Williamsburg and saying “Blimey!” out loud, he definitely has enough “personality” to rock sideburns. A heart shape is about the only face shape that can pull off this big of a swing.
Weiss thinks that if your dude is looking for something to balance out a heart shaped face, you should probably go with a tapered beard instead. Unless, again, your dude does a lot of 18th century cosplay or serious BDE.
Best on: Heart-shaped faces
Scruff
Square loosely translates to “sexy jawline:” so he should stick with styles that aren’t overly thick and give his face a chance to shine.
One of our favorites is the scruff, which Weiss notes is best to keep close to the face to make that jawline look great. There are so many beard styles for men, but making sure this style doesn’t look like someone just forgot to shave is key. Intention, Intention, Intention. Do we sound like a middle school field hockey coach yet? Have some fun out there!
Best On: Square faces
The Mustache
The mustache is one of the most common beard styles for men, even though it’s not exactly a beard. Mustaches come in all sizes and styles to suit the need of the wearer. From the Walrus (think: Ron Swanson) to the Handlebar (think: Jonathan Van Ness), this style may take a while to grow out but is well worth it. These are not for just one particular face shape, but it’s more about personal style, notes Foster.
Best On: Any face
Clean Shaven
You can also recommend he go clean-shaven. Or, just a short stubble, to show off a heart-shaped or square jawline. Basically, if your guy is sexy without any facial hair then he’s probably got that unattainable ‘it’ factor. If he doesn’t, cover it up with a lot of hair.
Best on: Heart-shaped or square faces
The Corporate Beard
If you shave your boyfriend’s beard into The Corporate Beard in his sleep we think you’re really pushing the limits of GGG. But, if he wants this look, his barber should know to stay close to the face and maintains a clean neckline. Don’t let your guy think he looks hot when he goes into the big client meeting when he’s got a chinchilla growing on his face. Unless he works at Petco.
This looks best on an oval face, which if your dude has one, you’re in luck. That’s literally the best face shape for him to have.Weiss jokes that since he’s blessed with an oval face, “Random people [will help him] with yard work or carrying [his] bags.” But truly, this face shape can pull anything off. Even socks and sandals. Actually, we take that back.
Best On: Oval faces
The Full Beard
Ok, this one actually works great for almost every face shape. It’s a one-size-fits-all of facial hair. Depending on his face shape, he can shape his beard to highlight it.
Foster is predicting (and praying) for beard tapers – which is when the beard is trimmed gradually so that it’s fullest around the jawline – to make a comeback. Foster notes that that they grow out well, while Weiss is just praying all this marketing around excessive beard oils and tonics goes away.
Weiss’ advice? All facial hair style is about balance. “Strong jawlines can pull anything off… weak jawlines require overcompensation with a beard. Same for [weak] chins.” See: The goatee.
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