A designer stubble is a beard style that breeds confidence and masculinity in a man.
It is a rugged style that might seem unkempt, but actually requires a whole lot of grooming and shaving.
It does look like you haven’t shaved for a couple of days in a row.
But you can’t really let your facial hair grow loose and wild and hope that it will turn out sexy.
There are a few tips and tricks that will help you attain the perfect designer stubble that you’ve always wanted.
And we have them!
The idea behind this article is to teach you how to create a rugged designer stubble on your own.
By simply following the advice we included and the steps that we incorporated here, you will be on your way to a 1 to 3 mm-long beard that will look awesome and sexy on you.
Table Of Contents
What Is a Designer Stubble
A designer stubble refers to a style of facial hair characterized by a short beard style growth that aims to give you a masculine, rugged or deliberately unkempt look.
It is an incredible choice for anyone who is not fond of displaying a full beard while still wanting to add a rugged look and style to their face.
It is a popular style that you can now find many companies that manufacture professional beard scissors and the world’s best stubble trimmer designed to help maintain the great look of the designer stubble.
It requires you to trim your beard at a 1- to 3-mm length. It is also roughly around 3-day worth of beard growth if you compare it to the 5 o’clock shadow, which is shorter.
Most Popular Designer Stubble Styles
Medium Stubble With Minimal Trimming
You can sport this style by having a defined neckline and cheek line. Your stubble also needs to have an even length. It should look natural without appearing highly groomed.
Natural Medium Stubble Beard
This style comes in the form of stubble with a medium length that looks natural. You do not need to trim or define your neckline if you want to have this style. If your face has hair growth with sufficient coverage it will most likely look like a 3-day beard.
Original Designer Stubble
This one is characterized by a well-groomed designer stubble that you can also improve even further by choosing the right beard comb and using it. You have to develop a perfectly defined mustache, neckline, cheek line and sides for this style.
The beards’ underlip should also be well-defined. As for the stubble’s length, it should be around 3 mm.
Boxed Designer Stubble
It is the shorter version of the famous short-boxed beard style. One distinctive feature of the boxed designer stubble is the cheek line, which is lower than natural.
This style also comes with a well-sculpted neckline as well as a thick stubble that runs in a vertical position along every side of your face. These features are combined to showcase a beard style, which resembles a box you can see on the lower part of your face.
Patchy Medium Stubble
If your beard is patchy, letting it grow long may only make it look unkempt and scraggly. An alternative is to sport a patchy style for your stubble. Generally, a patchy beard looks better if you keep it short and even – an example is the patchy medium stubble.
Stubble Anchor
This facial hair style comes in the form of a beard with a shape that resembles a nautical anchor. It works perfectly well with the 3-mm length of your stubble. It features a partial chinstrap that you can attach to the soul patch under your bottom lip.
There are even instances when it comes with a disconnected mustache.
Stubble Extended Goatee
This one is a variant of the goatee, a style characterized by the presence of hair on your chin and the lack of it on your cheeks. When planning to sport this specific goatee variation, you need a mustache, which you have to extend to your beard and a full or partial chinstrap. Just remind yourself that hair should not be present on your cheeks.
Benefits of Growing One
Attractive
Many even say that designer stubble is the most attractive out of the many styles of facial hair. A lot of women even find men who sport designer stubble more attractive than those who are clean-shaven.
Allows Experimentation of Different Styles
The length of your designer stubble is so good that it allows you to experiment with different styles. You can pick subtle styles or the much more outlandish ones.
Looks Masculine and Rugged
It can make any man look truly rugged and masculine. It is why it is the preferred style of many men who are part of the Hollywood elite.
How Does It Work
A designer stubble works by giving any man a rugged and masculine look. It is a 3-day beard, which is around 1 to 3mm in length. It falls halfway to the 5 o’clock shadow, which is its shorter counterpart.
You can also classify it as the longer version referred to as the heavy stubble or 10-day beard. Overall, it works even further by giving you a professional and attractive beard style that you can confidently show off because of its popularity.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Looks genuinely attractive.
- Provides you with a masculine and rugged appearance.
- Versatile that it allows you to experiment with various styles.
- Comes at just the right length.
- Quick to grow.
Cons
- Not the simplest style to maintain. Fortunately, you can somewhat simplify the maintenance process with the correct technique, proper routine and the best beard grooming kit collection.
Designer Stubble and Different Face Shapes
One impressive benefit of the designer stubble is that it is highly versatile. The versatility is so recognizable that you can grow it on any primary facial shape without any problem.
This style perfectly fits facial shapes with defined jawlines and chins, especially if you have no plans of hiding such features with a larger beard. It also works for those with oval, diamond, oblong and square facial shapes.
If your facial shape features a weaker jawline, a face with a short vertical height or a narrowing width around the jaw, it would be much better to go for a longer and bigger beard style, one with a more visual appeal when compared to stubble beards.
Note, though that despite having a triangle, heart or round facial shape you can expect the designer stubble to be a much better option compared to sporting a completely clean-shaven look.
The reason is that the designer stubble can add more definition and masculine scruff to your lower face.
How to Grow a Designer Stubble
Step 1 – Get your clipper
Use it for trimming your beard or facial hair in front of your shaving mirror. On your clipper choose the 0.5 m so you can trim against the growth of your facial hair.
Step 2 – Let your beard grow out
Allow it to reach at least 3 cm by avoiding shaving for a few days so the stubble can grow naturally. Alternatively, you can allow your facial hair to grow until it becomes itchy.
The entire process may take quite a long, especially if your facial hair growth is kind of slow. In that case, you may have to wait up to three weeks to get sufficient stubble that you can work with. If you have problems with follicular growth then one-month growth would be enough.
How to Trim and Shape It
Step 1 – Trim away the length in increments
This is necessary to ensure that you do not take too much hair.
Step 2 – When trimming, begin from the neckline
To do that, you may want to create a line beneath your chin then clean the neck underneath it.
Step 3 – Trim the area beneath your cheekbones
You should start from the sideburns up to the beginning of your mustache. Cleaning the area under your mouth should come next. With the help of a stainless steel shavette contour your necklines and cheek.
Step 4 – Fade the neckline
You can do that if you decrease the number of guards and the pressure on every pass.
How to Maintain It
Step 1 – Trim and clean the stubble twice or thrice every week
This should help prevent the hair from becoming scruffy. In that case, you can shave it every few days to retain the shadow look while ensuring that it does not develop into a complete beard.
Step 2 – Cleanse your skin every day
This can help eliminate beard itchiness. Use a beard shampoo and a premium beard balm to keep your stubble-free from itchiness and maintain its cleanliness.
Step 3 – Form a line on your neck, then shave regularly
This is an essential maintenance tip if you prefer to sport a more polished look.
Step 4 – Apply a facial cleanser
It is also advisable to exfoliate twice or thrice each week.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s
- Clean and groom your facial hair. Use a good facial hair shampoo to clean it and rinse it out thoroughly.
- Invest and use a quality beard conditioner. This serves as a quality beard softener as it helps in maintaining the softness of your facial hair.
- Use an electric beard razor as much as possible. This razor should have adjustable trimmers and attachments.
They work better than other hair trimmers, as you can set them based on your preferred short length.
Don’ts
- Do not forget to use a scrub two times every week. It can help a lot in preventing ingrown hairs as well as the buildup of beardruff.
- Do not neglect the importance of using beard or facial hair care products. Moisturize and exfoliate the skin under your stubble so it stays healthy. It is also highly recommended to use professional beard oil to soften sharp hair while lowering the risk of irritation.
FAQ
Why is it called designer stubble?
The designer stubble got such a name because many consider it the ideal beard style for everyone. It is so versatile that you can also sport it without clashing with any hairstyle you are wearing.
The fact that it is the chosen style of many stylish men, like Jason Statham and Tom Ford is also one reason why many consider it a designer style.
Is designer stubble attractive?
Yes. A lot of women find designer stubble more attractive compared to full beards. Many also find it more masculine, rugged and tougher, making you more appealing to the opposite sex.
What is the best length for designer stubble?
If you want your designer stubble to look as attractive as possible then you have to find the perfect length for it. A rugged-looking yet attractively masculine designer stubble should be around 3-mm long.
It often represents the average facial hair growth of men that is approximately 3 to 4 days already.
How fast does designer stubble grow?
The designer stable is around 3-mm long and you can achieve that in roughly three days – that is, if you have a clean-shaven face as your starting point.
Who are the famous men that wear designer stubble?
A lot of famous men sport designer stubble making it their go-to beard style. This is especially true for several bearded actors in Hollywood. Hugh Jackman, Jason Statham, Chris Evans, Ben Affleck, Chris Hemsworth, Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling.
Conclusion
With the versatility of the designer stubble and its attractive and masculine appeal you will feel more confident about yourself when you wear it. It is now even considered by many men as a fashion accessory – one that they can sport and wear with confidence and pride.
Jay is one of the members of the Beardoholic writers team and NFL, celebrity barber. As a master barber with years of experience, Jay can make your beard look any way you envision. Jay’s specialty is black men’s hair and beard styles, but he also has deep knowledge on how to create a perfect neck and cheek line, short or long beard and virtually any beard and hair shape and style.