The 20 Best Beard Styles of 2021
They said the beard boom was just a fad, but here we are with beards as popular as ever before. Not even a global pandemic could put the brakes on our whisker fixation. From lockdown beards to mask-friendly manes, facial hair is still all the rage.
Beards have always represented masculinity and strength. For most of us, though, beards are about style and that has been a pretty constant fact throughout facial hair history. In recent years, beard styles and care practices have boomed.
Today, we’re seeing #Coronabeards and scruffy beard types, but as we emerge from our homes in a post-pandemic world, we’re going to want to look our best. That means selecting a complimentary beard style that is on trend. We’re going to help you choose. This guide goes over the hottest beard styles of 2021 so you can choose the look that’s right for you.
History of Men’s Facial Hair
The popularity of beards was first recorded in ancient Egypt with the prevalence of fake metal beards and in Mesopotamia, archaeologists have found evidence they were already using beard oil. In Greece, men would style their beards with tight ringlets that represented honor and in ancient India, the beard stood for wisdom.
The dawn of Christianity brought with it an interest in shaving, as the clergy were compelled by church leadership to clear away their facial hair, but the middle ages brought a ferocious renewed interest in beards, so much so that touching another man’s beard was grounds for a duel.
By the 1700s, military men in France were sporting beards and mustaches of many different styles indicating rank and experience. In the 1800s, the British army followed suit, mandating mustaches for all enlisted men. In the 1900s, beards were in and out and then in again and out again.
Who can forget the 1970s cop ‘stache or the rampant handlebars and the Beegees-Esque scruff? In the new millennium, hipsters made the beard cool once again with pencil-thin handlebars shaped to perfection, just out of the way enough to sip their craft beers.
Today, we see more beard styles out and about than ever before, from the scruffy bedhead look to the chiseled box beard and every style in between. There are endless styles to choose from, each with different origins, and each of them saying something different about the wearer. In this guide, we’ll help you pick a style that compliments you and your lifestyle.
How Do I Choose My Beard Style?
Even though there are countless beard styles to choose from, selecting the one that’s right for you isn’t going to be that difficult once you consider your facial structure and your lifestyle. We’re going to help you narrow down your search and choose a beard that’s right for you, your face, and your day-to-day activities.
Short Beard Styles
A beard is usually considered short if it’s less than 2 inches below your jaw. Let’s jump into some of the most popular short beard styles for 2021.
5 o’Clock Shadow
The 5 o’clock shadow gets its name from the stubble that appears on a freshly-shaved face after a long day at the office. It’s just the slightest hint of a beard, a mere suggestion. In 2021, it’s a great alternative to an irritating shave every day and if you’re taking good care of the skin underneath, and rocking a tidy haircut you’re going to look put together. Sometimes known as designer stubble, the style makes you look rustic and a little bit rebellious while giving off an effortless vibe.
To maintain your 5 o’clock shadow, just keep growth to under 3 millimeters and pay close attention to the skin underneath your beard. Grab a good beard oil to stay moisturized and keep the beard dandruff at bay. Outside of that, the 5 o’clock shadow truly is an effortless look.
Corporate
The corporate beard is the height of business casual. Instead of mandating a strict clean-shaven dress code in the office, a short, neatly trimmed, professional beard has become acceptable in its place. With between an inch and a half of growth, this beard style is easy to maintain using a good quality beard trimmer and a few snips around the upper lip. No matter what face shape you have, you’ll be able to rock this beard in the office or on Zoom while you work from home with no problem, looking tidy and put together.
To care for your corporate beard, you’ll want to make use of a premium beard oil, to keep any flakes from collecting on your suit jacket. Beard balm or beard butter will come in handy for taming those flyaways and depending on how well your mustache behaves, you might need to make use of some mustache wax. If you’re wearing a corporate beard in the office, slip a beard brush in your desk drawer for quick and easy grooming before hopping into important meetings.
Short and Rounded
A short and rounded beard is one of the best beard styles for any Kingsman with a round face. It’s easy to maintain with a good beard trimmer. Keep it to under an inch, and follow the curves of your face. Neatly trim your mustache to just above the top lip and you’ve got yourself a tidy short and rounded beard. This look is refined, but rustic at the same time. We’re loving this low-maintenance beard in 2021, but the emphasis should be put on the moisturizers and conditioners for this look, to build that full appearance and add to its roundness. The beard conditioner, beard oil, and beard butter combo is the cheat code for the short and rounded beard.
Short Boxed Beard
The short boxed beard requires a bit more care than the styles we have mentioned so far. A Kingsman with this style is going to need to keep short boxed whiskers meticulously trimmed and contoured, close to the face. It’s the perfect choice for the Kingsman who doesn’t want the bulk of a full beard. As if it was made for 2021, this beard style goes well with masks and a bald head. You’ll never have to deal with crimps in your whiskers after wearing your mask all day. Keep your beard oil handy, because you’re going to want to keep that visible skin moisturized and healthy-looking.
Scruffy
A scruffy beard is the quickest route to a truly rugged look. Sporting the scruff is masculine and bold, and the perfect accompaniment to a year spent in quarantine. Suitable for any face type, the scruffy beard is going to be around a half-inch in length, maybe more, and easy to maintain. All you really have to do is trim those whiskers when they get too long for your liking. You still want to make use of your beard oil and you’re going to want to invest in a good beard wash and beard conditioner to keep those longer hairs happy and healthy.
#CoronaBeards
Corona beards are sort of like playoff bears, but for a pandemic. It's a beard you start growing in quarantine with the intention of shaving once the pandemic is over. Just because we’re letting our beards grow freely, though, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take care of them. You need your daily beard oil to keep those whiskers happy. Your beard is going to get long and those things act like air filters, just collecting dirt and dust wherever you go, so you need a good beard wash and a beard conditioner to make sure you’re not drying out your mane.
Hollywoodian
The Hollywoodian is notable for the shaved cheeks. If you’re rocking a Hollywoodian beard, you have a goatee, mustache, and a chinstrap but bald cheeks. It’s a little more than a Van Dyke beard. Usually, no longer than 2 inches, this style requires maintenance but it’s a great choice if your beard is patchy in the cheek area. Born of Hollywood’s golden era, the Hollywoodian will accentuate chiseled cheekbones and best suit a square or oval-shaped face. Skin will be showing, so it’s important to take care of it using your beard oil daily and after every shower. Invest in a good beard trimmer, a beard brush, and some beard balm to keep up your grooming for a neat and tidy look.
Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi was an Italian opera composer who died rocking his iconic ‘stache in 1901. His facial hair style has lived long after, though, identified by the long, bushy mustache, carefully curled up at the corners. This style also includes a rounded, bushy beard that’s kept neat and tidy. A statement look, the Verdi turns heads wherever it’s spotted. It’s a little bit artsy and a little bit epicurean. To style a verdi, your beard should be trimmed and rounded to 4 inches or less. Grow your mustache out and ensure you have a premium mustache wax at hand to hold those twisted curls in place.
Long Beard Styles
Generally speaking, a long beard is a beard that’s over 5-6 inches. Long beard styles are memorable and iconic. Below are some of our faves for 2021.
Hipster Beard
A hipster beard is a well-groomed beard, reminiscent of the Verdi but longer. If you’ve got a hipster beard, you’re sporting some long whiskers on your chin. This thick, full beard look is neatly shaped with a rounded bottom and the mustache is often grown long enough to curl up at the tips. Also like the Verdi, this look is going to make people think you have a taste for the finer things in life and that you probably smell fantastic. They’d be right, too, because you have to care for this style of beard meticulously with beard oil, and beard balm to keep its shape as well as some mustache wax to hold that epic cookie duster in place. Beard wash, beard conditioner and beard butter are also must-haves for the hipster Kingsman, ensuring each and every hair is tidy, soft, touchable, and healthy.
Power Beards
A power beard is a rugged but pulled-together style of mane that shouts leadership and masculinity. Perfectly shaped with every hair in place, these beards are usually no longer than 6 inches. There are several variations of the power beard, so let’s take a look.
Power Beard + Walrus Mustache
The walrus mustache is unmistakable. If you want to make an entrance in the boardroom, this thick, full mustache, grown down below the bottom lip is perfectly paired with a power beard. There is no better way to take command of a room than with a look few people can ignore. Sported by icons of wisdom and masculinity like Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters and Nick Offerman of Parks & Recreation fame, the Walrus has had a resurgence in recent years. Maintaining a walrus mustache is as easy as daily grooming, training each whisker to grow straight down. Beard balm or mustache wax are great choices for keeping each hair where it needs to be.
Power Beard + Trimmed Mustache
Compliment your neatly maintained power beard with an equally groomed mustache. The Kingsman who sports this look comes off as tidy, organized, perhaps even trustworthy while putting out the vibes of a born leader. Complement this look with a tidy haircut. You need all the tools for this one, but your beard balm and beard brush are going to come in the most handy for grooming to make sure this meticulous style is kept in place.
Spade-Shaped Power Beard
You can shape your power beard in many different ways but one of our favorites is the spade-shaped beard. Exactly like it sounds, this beard style comes to a point at the end, slightly resembling the shape of a spade. It’s meticulously neat and carves out that jawline like little else. If you’re shooting for a spade-shaped beard, it’s going to take a lot of practice or a trip to your barber. You’ll need some beard balm and a beard brush to keep up your grooming and perfect shaping and, as always, we recommend you take care of your whiskers and skin with daily use of beard oil.
Yeards
When you grow your beard for a full year, it’s known as a yeard. Of course, you can trim here and there in the name of tidiness and beard health, but by the time the year is out, your beard should be at least 6 inches long. It’s the perfect beard for 2021 as many of us are still working remotely to stay safe. The longer your beard grows, the more breakage and dry skin you’re going to encounter, so keep that man healthy with a full beard care kit.
Tweards
Now that you know what a yeard is, it should come as no surprise that a tweard is the same thing only doubled. Growing your beard out for two years is a challenge but you end up with a full, glorious beard that oozes masculinity. Like the yeard, you’ll need to take care of it. At the very least, you’ll need to massage a few drops of beard oil into it daily.
Terminal Beards
Terminal beards are yeards and tweards taken to the extreme. You’ll achieve a terminal mane when your whiskers reach the longest they can grow. For each Kingsman, there’s a limit to how long your beard will grow if left to do so, and that length is your terminal length. For some, it’s longer than others. This look sounds like it doesn’t require much maintenance but in order for a beard to stay in good health while growing that long, you’ve got to take care of it. That means using the right beard wash to cleanse those long hairs gently, and replacing any lost moisture with beard conditioner, beard oil, and beard butter. You’ll need a good beard comb, too, to keep those inevitable tangles at bay.
Partial Beard Styles
If you’ve grown a goatee or sported a walrus mustache and a bald beard, these are partial beard styles. Any mix and match combo of a beard, sideburns, mustache, and goatee without the full complement is a partial. Let’s take a look at some of the trendiest partial beard styles for 2021.
Mutton Chops
Mutton chops may be a blast from the past but this iconic sideburn look is going to get you some attention in 2021. At Kingsmen Premium, we think the mutton chop sideburns have been badass since Hugh Jackman rocked them as Wolverine. Really, all you have to do to achieve this look is grow a full beard and then shave the neck and chin bald. You’re dealing with full, bushy sideburns though, so don’t get stingy with the beard oil!
Patchy
When someone mentions a patchy beard, there’s a certain negative connotation to it. It brings to mind bald patches, but we’re here to tell you that if Keanu Reeves, James Franco, and Chris Pratt can rock one, so can you. This look embraces what you have without apology. Beards do not need to be perfect to look good. A patchy beard can compliment a free-spirit persona but it also pulls together a perfectly tailored suit. The secret to sporting a patchy mane is confidence. Beard oil helps, too.
Pencil Mustache
The pencil mustache immediately brings images of Salvador Dali to mind with its slender curve hugging the shape of the upper lip. It’s especially suitable for a Kingsman with darker types of facial hair and certainly requires a lot of trimming to keep that neat and tidy shape. Keep your chin and cheeks bald to keep the focus on the mustache. Mustache wax is your best friend when you’re sporting this eye-catching look that shouts confidence, sophistication, and worldliness.
Beardstache
The beardstache is a combination of a 5 o’clock shadow and a full mustache in any shape you desire. It’s an effortless look that suits a relaxed and centered beardsman who works with his hands. It’s the perfect combo for masks, too, because your whiskers are going to be too short to cause the unmistakable chin wave that comes with covering your mouth all day. It goes great with a scruffy haircut. A beard trimmer, beard oil, and some beard balm are going to keep your beardstache looking great on the daily.
Best Beard Styles by Face Shape
While we’re pretty certain a Kingsman can pull off any beard look, there’s no doubt that some styles compliment certain face shapes better than others. Take a look at which popular 2021 beard styles might be best for your face shape.
Diamond
A diamond-shaped face is easily spotted by the prominent cheekbones. As such, beard styles that emphasize your chiseled bone structure are perfect for your face shape. Looks like the Hollywoodian or a nice rounded goatee will compliment a diamond face without making that diamond shape too sharp.
Oval
Kingsmen with an oval face shape have won the beard style lottery because any choice of facial hairstyles is going to look great on you. Short, long, partial, or a stubble beard, it doesn’t matter. You’re going to rock any beard you sport.
Rectangle
Mutton chops and chin straps are some of the beard styles that will look perfect on this face shape. Keep your chin bald or short while those sideburns take all the glory. This is going to highlight your rectangular bone structure.
Round
Offset the roundness of your face by bringing your beard to a point with a spade-shaped beard. You can achieve the same thing with shorter whiskers on the bottom of your face and a look like the short boxed beard or the van dyke beard. These are also perfect beard styles for bald men.
Square
Square-faced Kingsmen are going to look best in goatee styles like the Van Dyke beard, and mustache looks enabling them to show off their rugged jawlines. A shorter haircut on the sides is key, here, while keeping those lines around the neck crisp and clean.
Triangular
A partial style with a prominent mustache will draw attention away from your jawline, evening out your triangle shape. Keep the hair on the lower parts of your face short while putting emphasis on the upper regions.
Final Thoughts of the Best Beard Styles of 2021
We’ve only just skimmed the surface when it comes to beard styles, but this guide should give you enough information to choose an on-trend 2021 look for your whiskers. Whichever beard styles you end up with, though, you’re going to need to take care of that mane, so hop on over to the Kingsmen Premium shop to keep that scruff looking healthy, dapper, and well-cared for.
