Become Bearded Brotha!
The shape of your face is the biggest factor determining the right beard style for you. Dudes fall into eight basic face shapes as listed below. We recommend some specific styles for each of the eight facial shapes. So figure out your shape, choose a style that works with that shape, and get going grooming your whiskers into something that looks and feels like it belongs on your mug.
1. Oblong
Stretched at the forehead and at the chin, this facial structure likes beards which fill in at the sideburns, cheeks, and ‘stache without chin hair. Styles like “Mutton Chops”, “A La Souvarov”, “Dali”, or even “Friendly Mutton Chops” work to balance your oblong-ness into an attractive and attracting attraction.
2. Rectangle
Rounding out the right angles is crucial to soften rectangularity. We highly recommend the “Chin Curtain”, “Short Boxed beard”, “Ducktail”, or “The French Fork” for dudes cursed with right angles.
3. Round
Circular faces need angularity so you don’t look obese. Focus your facial frontier on your chin, with styles like “Chin Puff”, “Van Dyke”, “Balbao”, “Sparrow”, “Goatee”, “The Zappa”, or “Soul Patch”. All of these styles will take the wobble out of your weeble and square up your roundness.
4. Oval
Congratulations, homies. This is the best face shape to have, because it can literally host ANY beard style. Take your pick. Change it up often. Gloat at dudes with other shaped faces. Try something strange like “Imperial”, “Hulihee”, or “Old Dutch”. You lucky SOD.
5. Square
You’ve been called this before. Time to lose your right angles. Soften yourself up so you become more approachable. Try “Petit Goatee”, “Anchor”, or even the “Hollywoodian”. Focus growth on the chin, with or without a ‘stache and sideburns. Avoid full beards. They will simply square your square-ness.
6. Diamond
Strap on a chin strap if you’ve got this shaped face. Anything from “Rap Industry Standard” to “Chin Curtain” to “Anchor” will work as will extended ‘stache styles like “Fu Manchu” & “The Winnfield.” Diamonds are a girls’ best friend. Strap on one of these beard styles and you’ll be even better than that!
7. Inverted Triangle
Avoid chin hair and focus your growth on your ‘stache and side burns. “Mutton Chops” (or The Friendly Version), a “Fu Manchu”, or even “Franz-Josef” would be a totally engaging look and a real head turner. Conversely, inverted triangular-faced dudes can simply sport a “Soul Patch” and call attention to the inversion. Just make sure the soul patch is also triangulated for maximum attention-grabbing looks.
8. Triangle
Grow some chin hair. A “Goatee”, “”Anchor”, or even “”Van Dyke” is perfect to grace your isosceles triangle. The “Hollywoodian” or “Old Dutch” would also work. For an ‘unserious’ presentation, highlight your triangularity with a “Petit Goatee”, but be prepared for stares and head scratches.
Mohawk Matt is Founder and Chief Barber at Bolt Barbers and a Guest Author at http://www.shaveyourstyle.com where his article originally appeared.
