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Key Styles for 2012
Shave your style's crystal ball predicts more mustaches for 2012. David Glover explains the why and how!
The latest ‘must-have’ for 2012 is growing right under the tip of your nose.
It’s been some time since a moustache was considered the new ‘cool.’ The 1980’s saw men becoming increasingly body conscious and the explosion of the grooming industry sealed the demise of the moustache along with most forms of body hair.
Now, after working through the confusion of ‘metrosexuality’, and with the resurgence of clearly masculine style, men are reclaiming their self-confidence and individuality by taking reference to gentlemanly facial hairstyles and making them new, modern and relevant again.
The ‘new’ moustache is as sophisticated and stylish as it is an individual statement. Naturally they come in many different shapes and it is important to find the one that suits you best. Here are three of my favorites.
Mini Horseshoe
The traditional horseshoe moustache has pipes that extend from the corner of the mouth all the way down to the chin. The mini version is different: it bends around the corners of the mouth but stops short of growing all the way down. It is an easy style to maintain and works extremely well on guys with smaller mouths.
GET THE LOOK:1.Grow the whiskers on the upper lip while shaving the cheeks, neck and chin cleanly. Don’t allow the moustache to extend more than a half-inch beyond the corners of the mouth.
2.On the top, shave a straight line from your nostrils to the outer corners of your mustache.
3.Shave from the corners of the mouth down toward the chin on an angle to form a slight point at the corners.
4.Trim along the upper lip line to clean the lower whiskers and define the corners.
The Chevron
The chevron is probably the most recognizable of all moustaches. After being heavily associated with 70’s icons like Tom Selleck and Freddie Mercury, it has taken some time for this style to loose its ‘porn star’ image. But time heals all and the chevron has been sported recently by many celebs from Brad Pitt (think Inglorious Bastards) to Jude Law (think Watson). Even Selleck himself is enjoying a resurgence of popularity!
The chevron differs to the horseshoe moustache in that it does not turn down at the corners of the mouth or extend out the sides. It has a very straight edged, somewhat square finish that suits guys with plenty of space between the nose and the upper lip. It looks best when neatly trimmed clean of the upper lip line otherwise it has a tendency to look like a ‘walrus’ - something different altogether!
GET THE LOOK:1.Grow a full upper lip growth while shaving the rest of the growth clean.
2.Don’t allow the whiskers to extend below the top lip line or beyond the outer corners of the mouth.
3.Shave a clean line across the top of the moustache from outer corner to corner (under the nose) so that it doesn’t look like an explosion of nose hair.
4.Remember…cleaner is better for this one.
Van Dyke
The van dyke is a versatile look that can be styled so many different ways. It is a moustache and a goatee combined, with the cheeks shaven clean, and is particularly well suited to younger guys who don’t yet have a complete growth pattern.
The cheeks can be kept at a shorter stubble length and the corners of the moustache can be extended and even curled with wax. A soul patch can be added under the bottom lip and the chin whiskers worn fuller to have the focus of the face directed to the mouth and chin area.
The van dyke works very well for guys with angular faces as it has a softening effect.
GET THE LOOK:1.Shape the mustache in the same way as described above but pair the mustache with a soul patch, chinstrap or a goatee as desired.
2.Experiment with shaving the cheeks clean or growing the outer corners of the moustache and adding ‘pipes’.
