25 Mannish Beard Styles — Express Your True Masculinity
Beard styles you choose say a lot about you. There are quite a number of beard styling options out there that dictate everything from the hairstyle one should match it with to the outfits that best go with the look. Characteristically worn rugged, styles such as the more traditional full beard have taken on different forms that vary in the length of the trim or the coverage to spawn interesting styles. The 25 examples we will look at feature some of the most prominent styles with a few minor variations that have been added to give them unique finishes.
# 1 Rugged Full Beard
Some men like to let loose when it comes to facial hair. Oozing masculinity and the dominance of an alpha male, the ruggedness of this full beard exudes boldness and unbridled confidence. The trim is minimal—a bit of shaping is all—and as such the resulting look is all natural. Although some men opt for bald shaves with full beards like this, things look just as good (if not better) with grown, chin-length locks.
# 2 Groomed Full Beard
Of all the magnificent styles, nothing bears the perfect balance between dapper and rugged better than a full beard with some distinctive grooming. Giving the sideburns a nice trim and distinctive shaping enhances their definition and also creates a stylish taper as the beard gradually gets thicker towards the front.
# 3 Rugged Ducktail
The distinctive trait of the ducktail style is the gently tapering design of the beard that results in a slightly pointy tip. Other than that, a nice taper fade will set you apart from the crowd especially with shaped sideburns. The main focus of this beard style is to keep things rugged and this explains the rough texture of the facial hair.
# 4 Simple Goatee
One of the simplest variations of the goatee style involves a light stubbly facial hair chin curtain. For one, the goatee looks better when joined with the stubbly beard surrounding it and it also adds an air of youthfulness to the look.
# 5 Extended Goatee
Growing your goatee a bit longer is a nice way to add some character to your facial hair. In any case, prominent goatees tend to have an edge over flat goatees as they are more noticeable and also give the face a nice shape. Whether paired with a full beard or on its own, an extended goatee remains one of the manliest styles.
# 6 French Fork Beard Style
Those men who like to do more than just have facial hair tend to go overboard with the styling—this is the best way to go overboard when it comes to facial hair. A French fork is basically a parted goatee, with both sections featuring quite some length as depicted in the example. The length can vary, however, from the more conservative types to the flashy kind as shown in the example. Ideally, you should only go for the French fork if you are fully confident in your full beard.
# 7 Van Dyke
The Van Dyke tops the list of unique facial hair styles as it incorporates both the fashionably groomed and ruggedly manly appeal of facial hair. Basically, a Van Dyke consists of a well-groomed full beard with the goatee and the moustache left a bit longer to add some rugged emphasis. A distinctive characteristic of the Van Dyke is that it is relatively neat so despite the length, the goatee has been combed to give it a dapper finish.
# 8 Short Anchor Beard
The anchor beard style is simple and gets the job done. A favorite among men who prefer shorter beards, the simple hairstyle bears the same measure of elegance the traditional handlebar moustaches do without the same pomposity. It is a hassle-free and low-key style that suits every beard length and facial shape.
# 9 Anchor Beard with Full Chin Curtain
As with most facial hair styles, length is a great way to let your facial hair embellish your looks. This anchor beard takes on more volume and also features a more prominent chin curtain which, despite its slight ruggedness, has been combed out to create a dapper finish.
# 10 The Garibaldi
The garibaldi is all about volume. If you already have the length, consider a good combing out or even using beard volumizing products to get it nice and puffy. Ideally, minimal grooming makes the finish more natural and a head full of hair does not hurt the look at all.
# 11 The Verdi
The Verdi is an old style and to date, some of the audacious among us still rock it with the confidence it deserves. A twirled handlebar moustache acts as the final embellishment to a fully bearded face which boasts of volume, volume and more volume. The rugged texture is a much needed finish as it gives the look a definite air of manliness.
#12 Circle Beard
The circle style focuses all the facial hair towards the front of the face while leaving the cheeks and the sideburns relatively clean shaven. The length varies although shorter, stubbly circle beard styles look a lot more appealing. If your full beard growth is spotty, this is the next best thing you can try.
# 13 Friendly Mutton Chops
This is another classic style that was initially reserved to the dapper and the refined. Today, it takes on quite a few variations, one of which is termed as friendly. The friendly mutton chops differ from the traditional style at the front where the goatee has been shaved off completely. This leaves a small soul patch, the moustache and a full beard in a style that is as unique as any other facial hair style.
# 14 Imperial Beard Styles
The imperial style is an embellished version of the classic moustache and soul patch facial hair. It features a bit of flair in the trim of the moustache that gives it a bit of resemblance to the handlebar and the slightly pointy soul patch. A clean-shaven chin and cheeks caps off the simple yet timelessly classy look.
# 15 Light Stubble
The reason why most men prefer short stubbles is because it affords them the luxury of a full beard without sometimes the excessive volume and/or rugged texture. A short stubble, when trimmed right, frames the face fantastically and appears more shadowy than hairy. Ideally, a chin curtain paired with a light moustache and soul patch is the best short stubble look although you can trim off one or the other for a more unique style.
# 16 Medium Stubble
Medium stubble is significantly thicker than light stubble albeit distinctively less hairy than a full beard. It is the closest one can get to having a neatly trimmed full beard without all the rugged textures. Connecting sideburns are a great touch as they help to join the facial hair with the rest of the hair in stylish fashion.
# 17 Long Stubble
Long stubble affords you all the ruggedness of a full beard minus the volume. It is still one of the greatest styles as it adds all the manliness of the full beard but is much less of a hassle to clean and maintain. Minimal grooming and lengthy locks cap off the manly appeal of this look.
# 18 Balbo Beard Styles
Arguably the main focus of this style, the bold moustache goes a long way in making this stylish bearded look more masculine. A stubbly goatee with a soul patch finishes off what is a relatively conservative Balbo style for men who think less is better.
# 19 Salt and Pepper Garibaldi
Bearing a bit of semblance to the way Amish men style their facial hair, the full Garibaldi style boasts of nothing but volume and an undeniably manly rugged texture. As shown, a bit of maturity spices up the look as the grey and black look even more distinguished when paired.
# 20 Crisp Van Dyke
Some fine trimming and crisp cuts have turned this Van Dyke beard style into an extremely polished beard style that goes well with the Gatsby hairdo. Crisply trimmed sideburns taper into a well-groomed full beard whose length is focused more towards the front in the classic Van Dyke fashion.
# 21 Chin Curtain with Moustache
Chin curtains are great for framing the face without altering the shape as is common with thick full beards. Keeping it relatively short (ideally a full stubble) and with a neat trim helps to create an effortlessly masculine finish. Pair it with a light moustache to create a unique style.
# 22 Full Stubble
Keeping your facial hair relatively short (shorter than a full beard at least) opens a variety of styling options in the form of trims and cuts. This long stubble full beard bears the thickness of a full beard but has been given a nice angular trim which goes a long way in enhancing the frame it gives the face.
# 23 Voluminous Full Beard
Reminiscent of the Amish style, this extended version of the full beard style is all about confidence and rugged manliness. It features a superbly thick volume and lots of rugged textures that suggest a distinctive alpha male dominance.
# 24 Distinguished Medium Stubble
Styling stubbly beards is all about finding the right cuts and trims to help it conform to your facial features. This crisp style consists of a light, stubbly length with a distinctly darker chin and a slight moustache and soul patch. If your facial hair gets patchy when grown out long, this might be a good enough compromise.
# 25 Thick Full Beard
The confidence afforded by a thick, full beard is undeniable. However, keeping it fairly groomed sets the distinction between a rugged yet dapper gentleman and a shoddy beard. Shaping it slightly is all you need to do to maintain a beard that exudes unbridled dominance.
Beards are here to stay, that much we’re certain of!
