text by Lisa Brodar

No man can consider himself stylish this season without facial hair. Here in Maine, the rugged, unshaven look has always been worn if not for fashionable but more practical reasons, like keeping warm in colder weather. With winter quickly approaching, I am starting to see previously naked chins covered with soft stubble, and those who regularly wear a full beard are wearing them with a bit more satisfaction, probably because it was much more uncomfortable during the warmer months! I imagine that when a young man comes of age and no barriers prevent sporting facial hair, he would want to let his beard grow unchecked. “I am a man!” he need not declare with his whiskers in full view. But not only are beards worn for warmth and convenience, and of course for declaring one’s manhood, they are worn almost like an accessory, often paired with fashionable duds and custom-tailored suits. Personally, I love the cave man look atop a beautiful, suit-silhouetted figure. Meantime, with the current economic situation, sporting a beard is much more economical than the cost of daily grooming to keep one’s face clean-shaven.

I also love a beautifully kept moustache. Moustaches seem more for show than anything practical. I mean, how much warmth can a moustache provide? And they still require daily grooming, waxing, and I imagine they get food and an array of other matter stuck in them. When a man sports a moustache, he seems to be saying that he’s a manly man but cares about his grooming, and can still hold an office job without worrying about dress codes. Or maybe he competes at beard and moustache conventions and loves doing crazy, twisty things with his stache. Certainly, some men look sexier with moustaches – take Tom Selleck for example. And a moustache on a man with an otherwise baby-face may help him to feel less adolescent-like.

Top photo by Foster Huntington. Second from top photo Ad de Hond. Second from bottom photo by Simon Simard. Bottom photo by Eric Harvey Brown.