Most Popular Moustache Styles for 2024
Posted on Feb 1, 2024
Picking out the right moustache style is a very personal decision- it depends a lot on your facial features, fashion and grooming preferences. We’ll look at popular mustache styles and go over some grooming tips, too.
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How To Choose A Moustache Style For You?
We’re thrilled to see so many mustache styles coming back into fashion- facial hair has experienced a bit of a renaissance in the last couple of years, making it easier than ever to find a mustache that perfectly complements your personal style and face shape.
Here are some of the basics when it comes to choosing the best mustache styles for you:
Flatter Your Face Shape
The facial hair style that you choose should work with your face shape. You’ll want something that balances everything out.
If you have a long and narrow face, avoid the long types of mustaches with heavy vertical lines, for example- instead, go for a relatively thin mustache that’s close to the line of your top lip. Pencil mustaches, or a Clark Gable style are examples of this.
If you want to add length to a square or rectangular face, try a thick mustache or a full beard. Handlebar styles work well on their own, too.
Finally, for guys with pointy chins or triangular-shaped faces, you can accentuate your cheekbones with a dramatic-looking Van Dyke mustache on your upper lip, or choose a subtle pencil mustache.
Think About Your Facial Features
Whatever mustache style you decide on, remember that your facial hair should highlight your best features, as well as matching your face shape.
You can offset a large nose with a full mustache, for example, but a tiny, thin moustache will make your nose look bigger. Likewise, if you have a thin lip line, you can disguise it with a fuller mustache style.
If you’re also growing a beard, pay attention to your cheek lines, since you’ll want your cheek hair to draw attention to your cheekbones and not add too much bulk if you have full cheeks. At the same time, you can use a beard to fill out narrow cheeks a bit.
Consider Hair Growth
Growing facial hair takes more time for some guys than others- unfortunately, we can’t all look like Tom Selleck without a bit of patience and effort. Choose mustache styles that reflect your facial hair growth patterns- it’ll make your life easier, and probably look better, too.
Sadly, some of us will never be able to grow a walrus mustache, but we can still look great if we keep our mustache short and tidy. Whether you have thin or thick hair, choose a natural style that’s easy to grow and maintain.
If you really want to try out an ambitious mustache style, consult a professional barber for tips on caring for your mustache hairs and the best way to grow it out.
Plan For Maintenance
Even the most natural mustache styles require some maintenance to keep them looking good, so be realistic about how much time and energy you want to invest in your facial hair.
If you don’t want to revisit the barber to get your mustache trimmed regularly, then you’ll want to buy a moustache trimmer and manage any stray hairs at home.
Make sure to buy a beard comb or a mustache comb to keep everything looking tidy. Also, keep your mustache clean and conditioned- you can buy a gentle beard shampoo and conditioner at the barbershop, along with some beard oil and mustache wax (very important for shaping it, especially if you want to wear a fancy mustache style like a handlebar).
Finally, take good care of your face- keep the skin on your upper lip clean, exfoliated, and moisturized.
Top Tips On Moustache Styling
Take Good Care Of Yourself
If you stay hydrated and spend some time on your skincare, your moustache and beard will look better, and grow more consistently. Of course, you’ll also want to buy some beard oil to keep the hair in good condition.
Practice Using Mustache Wax
You might have to experiment to find the best moustache wax for you. These products come in different consistencies, and you’ll want to get comfortable working with them. Don’t be afraid to experiment at home until you get the look you like. A perfectly curly moustache takes practice.
Train Your Hair
Different mustache styles will require your facial hair to lay a certain way. Just like the hair on your head, the hair on your upper lip will start growing in a certain direction if you always keep it styled straight or pull it that way. You’ll need to retrain your ‘stache to sit in certain styles.
Pro tip: To get the perfect mustache style, try warming up your wax with a blow dryer, then switching to cool air after you’ve shaped everything. This will help to set the hair in place.
The Best Moustache Styles For 2024
There are so many types of moustaches trending right now, and it can be hard to choose a favorite. We’ve compiled a guide to the top mustache styles, as well as some tips to help you pick the best one for you.
Full Handlebar Mustache
The handlebar mustache is a classic style, with thick hair that curls upwards at the corners of the mouth. Sometimes, you’ll see this referred to as a Mexican moustache. Guys wear handlebar mustaches with or without a beard- either way, you’ll want thicker facial hair and enough time to spend on grooming and maintenance.
Imperial Mustache
When asked to picture an historical figure with a famous moustache, people often think of the German emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II and his long, loosely-curled mustache. The imperial style is similar to a handlebar, but extends onto the cheeks slightly. It’s a great choice for men with square faces and darker hair.
Petite Handlebar Mustache
The petite handlebar mustache is a smaller version of the classic handlebar mustache style, with ends that sweep slightly upwards at the corners of your mouth, but don’t extend over the cheeks. It goes well with most face shapes, and is easier to grow than the longer version. The petite handlebar mustache requires less upkeep, too.
Charlie Chaplin Mustache
This one is also sometimes called a toothbrush mustache because of its unique shape. The hair is combed into a straight line, with shaved sides. It’s not very popular nowadays, but who knows- it might make a comeback.
Fu Manchu Mustache
The shape of this mustache is similar to a horseshoe, but with some differences. A wide gap is left in the center, and the ends are grown long, waxed thin, and left unattached to the cheeks. You’ll need a lot of wax and patience to style a Fu Manchu into shape.
Pyramid Mustache
Different names for a moustache don’t always tell you what it will look like, but in this case, the name perfectly describes the shape. It’s narrow at the top, spreading out diagonally to form a triangular pyramid shape. It’s dramatic-looking, but simple to achieve.
English Mustache
This is a tight and narrow mustache that’s parted in the middle, with the hair swept down into well-defined ends. An English mustache works well with thinner hair, and requires a lot of grooming, trimming and wax to keep it tidy.
Pencil Mustache
A pencil mustache is kept thin and short, and it’s great for guys who want to avoid hair covering their upper lips at all. The thin style balances out oval, diamond and heart-shaped faces well.
Parted Pencil Mustache
For a vintage style, part the center of a pencil moustache and leave a visible gap. The size of the gap can vary depending on your preferences, but in general, it’s best to keep it thin. We recommend wearing it with a clean-shaven look. Famously, Brad Pitt wore this style of mustache in Inglorious Bastards.
Walrus Mustache
Walrus mustaches are big and dramatic-looking. This is a style that covers the entire top lip, and often extends to touch the bottom lip, too. This mustache can take as long as six months to grow and requires some upkeep- the hair will need to be combed straight down and trained not to curl.
Painter’s Brush Mustache
A painter’s brush mustache is similar to a chevron mustache, but with slightly rounded edges. It’s low-maintenance, relatively easy to grow, and flattering on almost any face shape, making it a great option for anyone starting out.
Chevron Mustache
The chevron mustache style is very popular and instantly recognizable- you’ve probably seen it on a lot of famous celebrities with moustaches, like Tom Selleck. This style follows the lip line, creating an inverted V shape. It’s a great starter mustache, since it’s easy to maintain.
Cowboy Moustache
This is a longer, less tidy version of the chevron, with the sides growing out until they touch the bottom lip. It’s a casual classic, and looks great on anyone who doesn’t have a long face shape.
Hungarian Mustache
If you’re a fan of the handlebar mustache but want something even more dramatic, then you should consider a Hungarian mustache. It also looks great when paired with a beard. Guys with strong chins look great with this style.
French Moustache
This is a fun mustache style to experiment with, since it curls dramatically at the ends. Many guys wear this one with a soul patch, but you can wear it without a beard, too. It looks great on an oval or oblong face.
Horseshoe Mustache
This style works best with a longer face or prominent chin- Hulk Hogan is famous for wearing it. You’ll need a lot of cheek hair to create a horseshoe mustache. We recommend starting by growing a circle beard, then shaving off the soul patch and goatee portions.
Lampshade Mustache
This is also called a “Cop Stache”, and it’s one of the classic military moustaches, too. It’s narrow under the nose and gradually widens towards the corners of the mouth. A lampshade mustache is a very versatile style that world on most face shapes, but you’ll need to groom and trim it often.
Beardstache
This isn’t really a specific style of mustache, but rather a look you can achieve by pairing a full mustache with a stubble beard. It’s casual and sexy, and looks awesome with many of the more casual mustaches.
Recommendations
When you hear the word mustache, what comes to mind? Most guys picture a few specific styles, even though there are almost endless possibilities.
We hope that we’ve inspired you to try out a few new looks and experiment with your facial hair. If we’ve missed any styles or you have any tips of your own to share, please let us know.
Citations
Of beards and men: The revealing history of facial hair
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi
What do women want? Facialmetric assessment of multiple motives in the perception of male facial physical attractiveness
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1991-01192-001
Man to man: A content analysis of sole-male images in male-audience magazines
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080
Peter
Peter is a barber and writer specializing in men's grooming. He's fascinated by the ever-changing world of men's hairstyles and fashion, and enjoys sharing his insights through writing. Peter has a sharp eye for what looks good and loves keeping men in the know about the latest trends. He's passionate about helping men look and feel their best.