THE JOURNAL
From left: Mr Paul Mescal, New York, 2 May 2022. Photograph by Mr Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images. Mr Luka Sabbat, Milan, 24 September 2022. Photograph by Mr Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com. Mr Steve Lacy, New York, 23 September 2022. Photograph by Mr Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
If the 2010s could be summed up by the ubiquitousness of the “hipster beard”, then in the 2020s, the wheel of fortune appears to have landed on the moustache. Don’t believe us? A glance at today’s Gen Z stars provides plentiful evidence. Mr Steve Lacy is not just a chart-topping musician, he is the proud owner of a moustache. So, too, is the actor and arbiter of cool Mr Luka Sabbat.
Earlier this year, Mr Paul Mescal, the star of Normal People, stepped out with a thick bushel of upper lip hair and set social media alight. The footballers Mr Marcus Rashford and Mr Héctor Bellerín and the actor Mr Timothée Chalamet are among the list of 20-something pin-ups who have also toyed with the look.
So, what to make of the moustache’s resurgence with the youth of today? Trends are mysterious things and tricky to deconstruct, but we could put it down to two forces. On the one hand, call it a post-pandemic hangover. In the depths of lockdown, men who found themselves forcibly estranged from their barbers – and just a bit bored, frankly – opted to try something new. The resulting in DIY buzz cuts, straggly beards and moustaches have stuck around.
But the re-emergence of the moustache also appears to fall under a broader 1970s revival, ushered in by brands such as Gucci and Wales Bonner, the singer Mr Harry Styles and the 2021 film Licorice Pizza. However, where flared trousers and supersized lapels are for the most part benign, the moustache carries certain connotations. It is not just retro, but retro porn star. There is borderline sleazy eroticism to a man who sports a moustache, which in some ways only makes it feel more subversive (read cool) in 2022.
That’s not say the moustache’s newfound eminence has made it any less divisive. As part of a full unit, upper lip hair seems not to provoke a flurry. It is only when riding solo that the energy in the room starts to shift.
When the actor Mr Chris Evans grew a moustache for his role in The Gray Man, his co-star Mr Ryan Gosling made it clear that he absolutely wasn’t feeling it. Even in the context of Chalamet’s more envelope-pushing looks – the glittery Louis Vuitton harness he wore to the Golden Globes, the bare chest at the Oscars, the backless halterneck top at the Venice Film Festival – it was his whisper of upper lip hair that even his most obsessive fans struggled to get onboard with.
Those in the process of sprouting their own would be wise to prepare for a little light teasing (and a handful of dictator comparisons). And be aware that, no matter how much you love your ’tache, at least one friend or family member will find it abhorrent and urge you to shave it off immediately.
Casablanca AW22 presentation. Photograph courtesy of Casablanca
LOEWE AW22 runway. Photograph by Mr Daniele Oberrauch/IMAXTREE.COM
Wear it well and with commitment, however, and it could just be the style statement you have been searching for. Ask yourself: would the faces of the silent movie star Sir Charlie Chaplin and the Queen frontman Mr Freddie Mercury be half as memorable without their fulsome moustaches? Would the actor Mr Tom Selleck ooze the same lumberjack sex appeal if he were clean shaven? In the realm of fashion, Messrs Luke Day (formerly of GQ) and Ben Cobb (the editor of ES Magazine) have rocked strong moustaches for years now and the pair routinely appear on the world’s most stylish lists.
Ultimately, the brilliance of the moustache is that it’s as ephemeral as it is impactful. Like all great statement accessories, it’s a finishing touch that infuses whatever you wear with an edge; a plain outfit paired with a confident moustache instantly becomes A Look. But then, should you fall out of love with yours or simply decide it’s had its day, then a return to your comfort zone can be found at the end of the razor, with zero risk of buyer’s remorse.