The So-Bad-It’s-Good Facial Hair That Dominated at Men’s Fashion Week
The So-Bad-It's-Good Facial Hair That Dominated at Men's Fashion Week
Is it an overgrown caterpillar? A piece of fraying dental floss? No, it’s a mustache—the sleazy, breezy, beautiful piece of upper-lip hair most typically seen on men. Your grandpa might have a well groomed one à la Captain Hook. Your rabbi, a crumb-catching, disheveled variation. Your elementary school biology teacher, a skinny and slightly terrifying strip of fuzz that vaguely resembles a toothpick! And now, street style stars and male models on fashion's favorite runways have one, too.
See, the mustaches that have made a cameo at this Spring 2018 men’s fashion week are not of a pompous, old-timey, or dictator-style thickness but rather of a more modest size. Like string. Take, for instance, the dandy boys at the Palomo Spain show. Most of the men showcased ever-so-slight, pencil-thin mustaches—think John Waters–style precision—either going straight across the upper lip or elegantly dipping down towards the corners of the mouth. At Y/ Project, a suited model sported a naughtier version thanks to his stubbly goatee. And the man that’s long been making a case for fancy philtrum hair on the sidewalk? Luka Sabbat, whose barely-there ’stache adds some spice to his signature smirk.
As for hairier examples? Standouts include editor Ben Cobb, the unofficial ambassador of an hirsute ’70s-era kisser. His Burt Reynolds whiskers were fodder for numerous street style portraits on the streets of London, while an unidentified (but exceptionally buff) model with a raven Fabio-inspired mane made the case for a similar look, thanks to his soul patch at Yohji Yamamoto. The same went for the hunk at GBMH, who strutted the runway with two types of facial hair—and Godfather-esque confidence.
But the most sexy Brillo pad–boaster award goes to the lanky lad captured in Vogue’s recent Paris street style roundup. His zipped-up track jacket and burgundy blazer are, well, great accessories to the main attraction: a lustrous, healthy mustache that has a life of its own.
