By Michael Rovner for Style + Tech For Men
Now that the full-beard trend is going the way of the goatee, the mustache is getting more face time with trendsetters. So how can you wear one without looking like a cheese ball?
The truth is, not every guy can. But it can be a powerful accessory and it works well with some of the looks we’ve being seeing on the runways, such as at Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren.
Says Dr. Aaron Perlut, chairman of the American Mustache Institute (an advocacy group, think tank and community center — who knew!) and America’s foremost expert on mustaches: “There really is no best style. It’s more about the image you’d like to portray.”
So, broadly speaking, you have choices. If you’re going for an elegant look, opt for the handlebar, as worn so well by mustachioed luminaries like baseball great Rollie Fingers and art-world legend Salvador Dali. This look is high-maintenance with regular waxing required, but if you have the time, it’s worth it. A more macho look can be achieved with the Fu Manchu, as seen on Hulk Hogan or baseball legend Goose Gossage.
More common these days is the Chevron, which stays above the corners of the mouth. “You see this on 97 percent of cops, as well as Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds,” says Perlut. “It’s very popular in blue-collar circles.”
Whatever look you choose, just make sure you have the cajones to pull it off. As Perlut says, “If you’re going to wear a mustache, don’t expect support from those around. It’s about self-confidence. You’ve got to be able to walk down the street and karate-chop someone for no reason and then go eat a panda steak.”
Michael Rovner Michael Rovner has written for Vogue, Esquire, and Details. He has been on staff at WWD, Star Magazine and Life & Style. He has also covered fashion and style for the New York Post and The New York Times magazine.
Politico has an interesting article on politicians and their mustaches, and what seems to be a new trend in some races.
North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven’s Facebook page for his U.S. Senate campaign has more than 7,000 fans.
The Republican’s mustache has its own page, with 750 fans and counting — nearly double the number of his Democratic challenger.
In past years, an ambitious politician like Hoeven might not have been eager to rock a ’stache, which until recently has been as taboo for blow-dried, television-era politicians as the mutton-chop sideburn. But this year, Hoeven is part of a boomlet of statewide candidates who are flouting conventional wisdom by proudly sporting a ’stache.
Hoeven and his ‘stache are pictured above, and Politico goes on to list other candidates this year who also sport a mustache.
The article also addresses some mustache stereotypes.
Long-standing stereotypes surrounding mustaches help explain why, until recently, so few pols have sported them.
“Lower-nose accoutrements are often associated with certain professions, such as law enforcement, motorcycle maintenance, pornography, pipe fitters and horseshoe fitters union 173,” said Aaron Perlut, chairman of the American Mustache Institute, a mustache-advocacy group based in St. Louis. (White House senior adviser David Axelrod and Attorney General Eric Holder were both finalists for AMI’s 2009 Mustached American of the Year award.)
Mike Gelman, owner of the popular D.C. men’s salon The Grooming Lounge, said mustaches have been associated with the most sinister people who have sported them — such as Josef Stalin and Saddam Hussein.
Trends can change quickly, so perhaps one prominent politician can change everything.
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Posted in: Grooming, New Trends, Old School
Tags: Aaron Perlut, American Mustache Institute, famous mustaches, John Hoeven, law enforcement mustaches, Mike Gelman, mustache, mustache stereotypes, mutton-chop sideburn, sideburns, The Grooming Lounge, the ’stache caucus, ’stache
