on beards

[eirias]

Apparently beards are trendy or something.

No survey ever conducted about women's attitudes toward beards, even those not underwritten by the Gillette Company, has indicated that more than 2 or 3 percent of women would describe a full beard as sexy. ("I hang out with those girls who are in that 2 or 3 percent," Mr. Martin, of Vice, said.)

In my opinion, the sexiness or not of a beard depends on a few things:
1. whether the person is actually capable of growing a non-pathetic beard
2. whether the person keeps it neat
3. whether it suits the person's face.

On the right guy, a beard can be totally hot. Just so you know. (Unfortunately for viewers of the article: Mr. Ralph Lauren Model? Not the right guy.)

Comments

[drspiff.livejournal.com]

My personal opinion about beards and facial hair in general is that 90% of all guys who aren't clean shaven are that way to appear older than they are. I look young for my age... I mean I have a really boyish face and one way to remedy that would be to grow me a beard. But I'd just be hiding my insecurities rather than facing them in a healty manner. So I'm happy with a baby face.

[thekat03.livejournal.com]

hmm... i think part of the full beard being sexy is the shape of the beard on the guy's face. i agree that mr ralph lauren model looks quite goofy with the beard he's sporting, but commander riker? much more appropriate looking.

i rather like goatees more than full beards, generally, though... leaves more kissable room without getting a mouth full of hair (:

[ksledgemoore.livejournal.com]

maybe, but I think that only works for youngish guys. As you get older you like being mistaken for being young. So, I would drop that percentage a lot. I would say that a large percentage of guys with beards are doing it because they are too lazy to shave. My husband is usually clean shaven because most people (including me) think he looks a lot better that way, but when we're apart for a while and/or he doesn't need to look good for anything in particular, he grows out a beard. This is partially because it saves time in the morning and partially because his skin is sensitive and shaving is pretty painful.

[cognative.livejournal.com]

I was just about to make a post about this. Why is it the minute I do something the NYTimes starting writing stories about it being trendy?

I can't really grow a thick beard. It stays pretty short. I think it makes me look older. A. seems to like it so it may appear every once and a while.

[eirias.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was thinking of you (among others) when I wrote this -- you are someone who can look pretty good either way!

(What other lifestyle decisions of yours have been scooped by the NYT, incidentally?)

[eirias.livejournal.com]

Given dense enough hair, I bet you'd look pretty good with a beard, actually, from what I remember. (Not that there's anything wrong with boyish!)

[evil-fizz.livejournal.com]

I think the reason it looks so lousy on Mr. Lauren model is that it adds three inches to his chin.

My dad's had a full beard since I was 8 and now pictures of him clean shaven throw me for a loop. He's also one of the few men I've seen on whom a full beard looked right.

Mustaches, however, are an entirely different matter.

[nein09.livejournal.com]

I think Eldan's seasonal beard (furry in the winter, less furry in the summer) suits him pretty well. I dunno about the 'trendy' part, though.

[oonh.livejournal.com]

I think that beards are not sexy when they start looking parasitic.
Of course, guys aren't in my target market (or maybe the opposite), so take this with a grain of pepper.

[eirias.livejournal.com]

No, I agree; a man should own his beard and not the other way around.

[eirias.livejournal.com]

Mustaches, however, are an entirely different matter.

Another matter in what sense? Appropriate on nobody? Or are you someone who likes mustaches? As someone whose gut reaction to a solo-mustache is "creepy," the thought that someone out there might like them fills me with this odd mixture of revulsion and awe. :)

[eldan.livejournal.com]

I think you're right about the model. It's not so much that he's the wrong man for the beard, as that it's the wrong beard for the man.

[eldan.livejournal.com]

too true. The part in the article about men not wanting to bother grooming made me laugh. I mean, yes, keeping a beard neat is less work than shaving every day or two, but neither of the men in the photos could plausibly be people who just don't bother grooming. Speaking from experience, not grooming at all makes one look like a tramp within weeks (and the beard gets uncomfortable if it's unkempt).

[evil-fizz.livejournal.com]

Mustaches are up there with terry cloth tank tops on my list of "ew, NO" fashion statements. It's exceptionally rare to see a guy who can pull one off without looking like a runaway extra from 70s porn.

Likewise, I do wonder about the person who likes mustaches...