The trend of having a big bushy beard is normally
considered a little scruffy. But for anyone reaching for the razor, you might
want to think again. The days when women used to appreciate a man with a clean
shaven look may be coming to an end.
While men’s trends change quickly, facial hair, especially
beards have never been more appealing. With the beard style back in trend, men
are taking utmost advantage of wooing women with a stubble or a long bearded
image. It is no secret that fashion is a fickle game and as soon as a trend
becomes truly popular and is adopted by celebrities, many want to copy it.
Many celebrities are now sporting long beards. In
barbershops and men’s medicine cabinets around the world, sections devoted to
facial care have grown. Items such as beard soap, wax, combs and oils have
become staples. Beard-appreciating groups have gone viral on social media and
men have been flaunting their beards using the hashtag #beardgamesmatters.
One of them is the “Beard Games Matters” Facebook page
created by American artist Mike McMillan in an effort to create space where
other bearded men could collaborate and learn about his beard care products. To
people’s surprise, the group, which boasts 82 000 members, has recently gone
viral.
“I am shocked that women really love beard like that. I
always thought that they liked it when we had the clean look but I guess I was
wrong,” commented one Facebook user Tinei Musano.
Pictures of bearded men are splashed all over the page and
all sorts of accolades mainly from women have been thrown. It is quite clear
that women have grown to appreciate a well-cared for beard and some have even
confessed that bearded men are more attractive.
“A beard is one of the ways that a man can stand out in a
crowd without resorting to a too wild for work look. Perhaps men are simply
hoping to reclaim a bit of their alpha male status by wearing such a masculine
style. It makes them more attractive,” commented one Theresa Chikore on
Facebook.
Another reason however that men have turned to growing
beards is simply to help them look older or more mature as noted by 23-year-old
Tinashe Makamure from Chitungwiza.
“A full beard shows the world that a guy has become a man.
I love keeping my beard because I look mature and people respect me more. Of
course, the right style can also help an older man show off his youthful side,”
he said.
Some ladies also agree with him as said by 29-year-old Tami
Mlambo from Avondale.
“This is obviously dependent on many factors and it is
completely subjective but I think whether or not a woman likes a beard is a
little related to why men love certain features on women. I think a lot of
women think facial hair on a man makes him look more masculine and mature. A
man, not a boy and I am one of those women. I have always preferred at least a
little stubble to a clean face, and my boyfriend has a beard, and I love it,”
she said.
Some think that the masculine styles that a beard
represents are a direct reflection of the blurred gender roles in society. As
women become more powerful and men take on increasingly gender neutral roles,
beards are a way of showing the world that a man is still masculine as
explained by gospel musician Mathias Mhere.
Rick Ross
Rick Ross
“Yes I think a beard is really stylish. It just distinguish
us men from women and it is one thing we get to keep to ourselves,” he said.
Beards have always held a certain allure for an example,
the father in many families is often the one to wear a full beard, while
younger men wear more carefully trimmed styles.
Wearing a beard may reflect a bit of yearning for days past
when men’s trends relied less on fashion and more on the benefits of age. A
study co-authored by Glasgow University’s Dr Anthony Lee and St Andrew’s Sean
Talamas, found that a beard could compensate for smaller features. They said
“We found that bearded faces in which the jaw size was manipulated to appear
less prominent were judged as most attractive, followed by bearded faces and
clean-shaven faces with larger jaws.
“Clean-shaven faces with smaller jaws were rated the least
attractive”
In the study, 37 male faces were rated for their
attractiveness, and dominant appearance, when clean-shaven and fully bearded.
For all men having a higher facial width-to-height ratio worked out by
measuring distance between cheekbones, the top lip and eyelids was a sign of
both masculinity and attractiveness. Some women have confessed that men with
beards throw out a confident and strong personality.
“Whether it is a goatee, a stubble, a moustache or a
full-grown beard, facial hair make men look confident. There is something about
men with beards. They define the sense of being a man. It is the masculine look
that just make them attractive,” said 25-year-old Runyararo Fundi from
Highfield. “A beard makes men look more mature and serious when compared to men
who go clean shaven. This is another reason we love bearded men, because it
makes us feel secure and easily rely on them,” said 23-year-old Teclar Masamba
from Borrowdale. Herald
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