|
Original article by Aleesha Harris
From full-on beards to trim mustaches, facial fringe continues to be a top trend in 2018.
Its continuing — and even increasing — popularity begs the question: Is facial hair the new “it” accessory for stylish men everywhere?
“We see that guys, particularly younger guys, are comfortable using facial hair as a fashion accessory,” says Emily Dalton, co-founder of the men’s skincare brand Jack Black.
In recent years, we’ve seen mountain man-approved beards — think oversized iterations that reach wild new lengths. But this year, it’s all about keeping things neat and tidy.
“Gone are the scruffy, unkempt — smelly —beards that have been popular the last few seasons,” says Judah Down, the owner of JD’s Barbershop in Gastown. “A proper, groomed-and-trimmed beard is more the look now.”
While trim beards are in, Dalton admits there is still a vast array of facial hair styles that are in vogue at the moment.
“There is a very large range of facial hair that guys are wearing today, whether it’s a full, luxurious beard, or a few days worth of scruff,” she says.
As for mustaches — the slightly more contained version of facial hair that ranges from a soft dusting of hair on the upper lip to a full-on handlebar work of wearable art — they’re not quite as hot as they once were.
“Moustaches are still around, although I don’t think they’re as popular as a few years ago,” Down says. “‘Movember’ helped blow mustaches up, and it seemed like they were everywhere, but that trend has cooled down a bit.
“There’s still the diehard mustache enthusiast out there, so they’ll never totally disappear.”
Whatever the preferred type of facial fringe is, experts say we shouldn’t expect to see the popularity of facial hair as a whole decrease anytime soon.
“We believe they are here to stay — at least for the next few years,” Dalton says.
|
