At the Oscars, Leonardo DiCaprio’s mustache was one of the night’s eye-catching details. Beards, whether full, narrow, or even absent as of late with Pedro Pascal, become quick conversation starters. Not only in Hollywood, but around the world. The longtime mustache-wearer Pascal surprised at the Oscars with a bare face, totally shaved, almost unrecognizable to some. It’s time for a few fundamental beard questions.
Why are beards such an emotional topic?
Whether full, slim, or shaved off, facial hair immediately draws attention. Many men use their beard growth as a statement. At the Oscars, one of the world’s most-watched events each year, trends and statements are especially visible. After the gala, many people talked about DiCaprio’s mustache, while online fans lamented Pascal’s mustache.
Other beard statements were on display as well: Timothée Chalamet wore his subtle mustache (a milk moustache rather than a thick bar), as did Michael B. Jordan. Some people even refer to this as the Anchor Beard, because hair on the chin joins the mustache to resemble the shape of an anchor.
The “daddy type” and Hollywood star Ethan Hawke now usually appears with a Henriquatre (hair around the mouth), while Ewan McGregor sports a trimmed full beard.
The beard fashion is evidently in motion and not very clear-cut. Even Harry Styles, who last weekend on Saturday Night Live half-outed himself as queer, wears more or less facial hair at times. The style for many men is to change their facial hair every few days or weeks. This is perceived as a form of freedom.
Is beard fashion still a sign of the times?
Until a few years ago, cultural scholars would probably have tried to read the zeitgeist through supposed beard trends. The long-awaited full beard was seen as a sign that urban men wanted to appear especially unfeminine, but because their hipster beards were well-groomed, they presented themselves as tamed wild men.
The “New York Times” once described the moustache as “masculine, but also playful — in a world that already enjoys playing with gender styles.”
Is the upper lip moustache back in style or not?
If you believe the media and social media, it’s been extremely in vogue for roughly three to four years to let an upper lip moustache or upper lip stubble grow. New pop stars have also stood out during this period with the look, such as the American pop singer Benson Boone.
Among younger generations, the so-called schnurri is by no means cringe or linked to ideas like “Only porn stars wear it” or “Characters with shady vibes.” The moustache is considered sexy — regardless of whether you ask men or women, heterosexuals or homosexuals. Also popular is the stubble moustache (stubble), the three-day beard with a mustache.
Is the mustache especially youthful?
Trends in fashion generally originate with younger people. Young guys often grow a upper lip moustache first because that’s the first facial hair you get. Then it usually moves to the chin. When older men want to look younger, they sometimes grow exactly that kind of beard to appear younger or to be associated with youth through the beard. To view the mustache merely as part of an ’80s comeback would be to oversimplify.
When did the fat moustache reach its heyday?
In the 1980s, the Chevron beard—a wide stripe covering the entire upper lip and angled toward the mouth—was in vogue—and an emblem of (chauvinistic) masculinity: think Magnum P.I. star Tom Selleck, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, Hollywood star Burt Reynolds, or Schimanski actor Götz George.
Isn’t such a beard also uncool pretty quickly?
Not every man with a beard looks stylish wearing it. Having style is more than just sporting a few hairs on the face. A mustache can look very different: from the affable DJ Purple Disco Machine to the popular dad-like TV character “Ted Lasso” (Jason Sudeikis) to the scheming drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Looking ridiculous instead of laid-back is a common fear in the context of the mustache, which is derisively nicknamed as a snot-stache, porn moustache, or thigh brush.
Timothée Chalamet was, for instance, mocked at the Golden Globes in 2025 for his little moustache. Host Nikki Glaser quipped at the time: “You have the most beautiful eyelashes — on your upper lip.”
