The observant among us may have noticed that in recent years the mustache has really made a comeback in the US and across the world. Gone are the days of the hipster beard, and beard grooming product, and in are the days of the lip warming mustache.
But, what cultural epochs and events might have caused the mustache to come back? Is that guy really handsome, or does he just have a mustache (Also check out What Does A Mustache Say About A Man?)? In th
is article we are going to explore why the mustache has come back into fashion, when it used to be so repellent, and what might have caused it to make such a comeback.
Keep reading the article to learn more about the modern mustache and why it has made a comeback.
The Beard Is Out, The Mustache Is In
The beard was probably the last facial hair trend and came along with the hipster trends of the 2010s, thick glasses, traditional thrifted clothes, maybe even a flat cap, we have all seen this type sat at the bar of a brewery asking about their newest IPA brand.
We can partly consider that the new trend of the mustache is partly in reaction to this, for those who don’t like a clean shaven look it can be hard not to be grouped in with the hipsters in the 2010s.
As people got bored of the beard, the mustache suddenly became new and different again.
Another trend that has likely influenced the rise of the mustache, especially in America, is the analogous rise of the mullet – there’s no doubt that the mullet and mustache combo is in vogue.
Business up front and party in the back perhaps typifies most of America’s youth these days, trading bitcoin and stocks in the day but braving the crowds of Coachella and sinking Buds by night.
The mustache has built on the basic mullet look itself and changed it from something quite low-brow to actually stylish. Often a mullet on its own can scream ‘redneck’ but with a mustache this look is suddenly nuanced with the addition of grooming and provides a look that says ‘I’m not afraid to be different.’
Moreover, a lot of men will have let their facial hair grow free in lockdown, perhaps having fun with the freedom of being wild and untamed.
Now that things are opening up again, the mustache is the perfect opportunity to groom the beard into something special and showy for that first night back out, or just to show the world you are ready to welcome the outside back in.
Mustache Masculinity
In more recent times we can see more male celebrities embrace gender fluidity, which we are all for – just think Harry Styles and Matty Healy.
And in many ways the mustache is a celebration of male grooming, both masculine by nature but also a little effeminate.
The mustache is both rugged and groomed and shows a male is comfortable with their masculinity but isn’t afraid to sharpen his edges and make himself look smart.
Their study in 2022 found that 9.6% of the U.S. male population were wearing mustaches, prompting the release of their grooming range ‘King C. Gillette’ in response to the growing trend of grooming.
Some might argue that the mustache has perhaps made a comeback for the opposite reason. That the mustache can perhaps help males hold onto their masculinity when gender fluidity has become the norm, a celebration of masculinity itself, perhaps.
In another way, the mustache can be considered an embracement of male sexuality. Sexuality, for all genders, is something that has become freed up a lot more recently, with the shackles of societal disapproval being shaken off.
Women and men respectively are now much more open about sex, and being sexy (Also check out Best Sexy Mustaches). Whether that’s women embracing their bodies, or men embracing their body hair.
The mustache has always been associated with the sex icons of the 70s like Tom Selleck, with certain mustache styles even being referred to as a ‘porn ‘stache’.
Men are just much more free to embrace their good looks should they wish to, the mustache proudly states that you care about how you look, and aren’t afraid to show it.
Mustached Icons
A simple scan of the Instagram discover page, or 5 minutes of 2023 London Fashion Week can really assert the dominance of the mustache as a facial hair fad.
The amount of mustached male models was perhaps the highest it’s ever been since the mustahce’s hay day in the 70s.
While your average man isn’t that influenced by the fashion world, it’s undoubtedly true that what happens on the catwalk is often a reflection of the current day’s trends and fashion fads
Perhaps where these fashion trends, that start on the catwalk, really come into their own is on our screens.
The average joe can be quite influenced by the male icons on their screens, whether they typify some form of masculinity that they love, or its their partners who love that lip warmer.
Whatever the reason, the 2020s has shown us many mustachioed men on the big and little screen respectively.
There are a few examples that stand out, such as Pedro Pascal in pretty much everything he’s done, from Narcos to Star Wars, The Last Of Us to Game of Thrones, the chivalrous Chilean has been a proud proponent of the mustache and a dreamboat for the ladies, seemingly since he came from the womb.
In other words, he’s the final boss when it comes to male mustache envy, comfortable male sexuality, and rugged charm to steal the hearts of men and women from Santiago to Salem.
Beyond Pascal, cultural icons like Justin Bieber have even been caught sporting a mustache, along with the likes of The Weekend, Euphoria actor Jacob Elordi, and more.
Since Matt Carpenter of the Yankees shaved his own beard into the thick mustache he now sports, ‘matt carpenter mustache’ has been a highly Googled term related to carpenter since.
Speaking of highly searched terms, Miles Teller was already a highly appreciated hunk but he also sports a mustache in the 2022 Top Gun: Maverick film.
As a result ‘top gun mustache’ as a searchable term has racked up 3.8 billion views through TikTok and had a 3200% increase in Google searches since the film was released.
Among the Gen Z age group, the mustache is picking up pace as a ticket to masculinity town. With many running jokes on TikTok and similar social media platforms ‘Is he handsome or does he just have a mustache?’
Final Thoughts
As you can see the beard has really succumbed to the newfound popularity of the mustache among Gen Z and Millennials alike and their prospective partners.
The mustache is a sign of the modern man, free to express his sexuality, self-love, and masculinity in his own way. The mustache shows a man who is groomed, who cares about his appearance, but who is also rugged and unabashed.
