37 Mustache Styles That Stood the Test of Time

Mustaches are cool, whether you want to admit it or not.

Also, they are making a comeback, if you haven’t noticed.

A lot of people are deciding to grow hair on the top of their lips so they can have an impressive modern style.

With so many choices available one can be excused for not knowing which one to try.

Unfortunately, this can also lead to a lot of mistakes and many wrong styling choices.

There is such a thing as a good-looking mustache and a bad one.

We are here to help you spot the difference between the two and help you learn how to create a good one.

We have all the mustache types you need here.

We also include a few styling tips here and there so your mustache can grow to be as strong as possible.  

Most Popular Mustache Styles

Chevron

The chevron was made famous throughout the seventies by many actors.

Worn by legendary TV private investigator Magnum P.I, it is the mustache for you if you’re into all things vintage. We think it’s past time for this one to come back into style.

You’ll love how easy this mustache is to grow and maintain. Just grow it out for a week or so. Keep it trimmed fairly short.

And make sure that neither side extends past the lips. Follow these grooming tips, and in no time, you’ll be sporting this retro comeback.

Fu Manchu Mustache Style

We’ve all seen this style worn in our favorite kung fu movies.

During the eighties, they passed from Asian movies into the American mainstream, eventually becoming the go-to mustache for pro-wrestlers and Harley Davidson enthusiasts alike.

The “Manchu” can be grown two different ways. For those with thick facial hair, let the Manchu grow in as thick as you like. It should grow down the face in parallel lines from the edges of the mouth to the jawline.

Those of us with thinner facial hair can grow a thin mustache keeping it trimmed at the edges of the lips. Keep the rest of your face shaved clean.

Now just grow the ends of the mustache long until they reach your jawline.

If you’re a real kung fu artist, throw a couple of braids in there, and you’ll have a movie deal before you know it.

Handlebar Mustache

A favorite of 1800’s cowboys and 21st-century hipsters alike. If you want a mustache that people will notice, the handlebar is the ‘stache for you.

Be fair warned, though; this mustache required a little more grooming and patience than your typical one.

To start your handlebar off, you’re going to want to keep everything but your upper lip cleanly shaved. Don’t ever trim your new handlebar mustache. You’re going to need that length later.

Once you have the length, you simply need to wax it up and get to twisting. Before long, you’ll have the most iconic ‘stache in the office.

Pencil Mustache

This pencil mustache is so thin that it looks as if it might be drawn on. First made popular by famous actors of the silver screen Clarke Gable and Vincent Price.

These days it is most notably worn by Hollywood director John Waters.

This mustache requires more of the face to be shaved than most others. To get the perfect pencil-thin look, you’ll need to shave from the bottom of the nose to nearly the top of the lip.

The “pencil” should be kept neatly trimmed and will rarely be longer than the edge of your mouth. The intricate shaving involved with this one may have those who suffer razor burn shy away from it.

If you just follow the advice from Groom Culture on how to avoid razor burn, you can be sporting your new look fear-free.

Pancho Villa Mustache Style

You’ll recognize this one as being worn by villains in nearly every “spaghetti western” ever filmed. If you’re going for the slightly unkempt look for your new ‘stache, then “Pancho” is for you.

It will look great whether the rest of your face is clean-shaven or not.

The basic grooming is going to be very similar to the handlebar mustache described earlier. The major difference is that no wax will be applied and no twisting and training is needed.

Your new Pancho Villa should grow in bushy and natural, giving you that “bad guy in the cowboy movie” look.

Dali Mustache Style

Show everyone your love of art and style by sporting a Dali. This mustache is named after the famous early 20th-century Spanish artist Salvador Dali.

The guy who demands sophistication in all things should consider growing in a Dali.

Think of the Dali as a cross between the pencil and handlebar mustaches previously discussed. You will need to keep it thin between the nose and upper lip.

You’ll also need to make sure to keep everything from the edge of your mouth outward and downward shaved clean.

Once you start to grow some length at the ends, simply use the best mustache wax to wax it and pull it upwards toward the ears.

Walrus Mustache Style

The aptly named walrus mustache has been worn throughout history by great thinkers, writers, and presidents alike.

The unique design, when grown correctly, completely hides the mouth. This makes it the perfect mustache for any guy who isn’t exactly thrilled with the size or shape of his lips.

When you grow your new walrus mustache out, keep the length just barely past the edges of your mouth and keep the rest of your face shaved.

Now you just need to work on the length. Once it starts growing out, just keep combing it downward with a mustache comb until your lips are no longer visible.

Natural Mustache

By far the most popular mustache, the natural look, is what most guys decide to go with. You’ll find it’s the easiest one to grow and takes less time to maintain.

The natural can be grown into any shape and can be as long or short as you like. The natural is also the mustache that most others will be groomed.

Once you grow the natural in, you can start to decide from there if you’re going to keep it looking natural or groom it into one of the many mentioned previously.

Best yet, should you screw up grooming your natural into a different mustache, it can be shaved right off and grown back with little effort.

Lampshade Mustache

The lampshade mustache gets its name from its shape, which resembles a lampshade. This kind of mustache is labeled as the cop ‘stache mainly due to the grooming regulations for service members.

For most men in uniform, the only permitted facial hair is the mustache, which includes the military.

The mustache, however, should not go beyond the edge of the top lip, higher than the bottom of your nose, and shouldn’t touch your upper lip.  

Eddie Murphy and Sgt. Slaughter is among the well-known people to rock the lampshade mustache.

With this kind of mustache, you need to allow it to grow naturally with minimal grooming along the way. It should take at least a month or two to grow a full lampshade mustache.

Parted Pencil Mustache

The parted pencil mustache is grown as well as groomed, just like a pencil mustache.

The difference, however, lies in the added hard line at the philtrum. You can use an electric trimmer to do this.

How wide you decide to go is a matter of personal preference, but it is recommended that you keep the mustache on the thinner side. 

Painter’s Brush Mustache

The painter’s brush has the same thickness as a chevron mustache except for the downward angle. Just like the lampshade mustache, the painter’s brush mustache should not extend wider than the nose. 

To grow such a mustache, allow the hair to grow naturally but keep it trimmed along the upper lip such that it forms a horizontal line. After that, you can trim a rounded edge along the edges of the mouth. 

Dallas Mustache

The Dallas mustache is what you get after you have clean-shaved your neck, cheeks, and chin with an electric razor or trimmer. 

Allow the mustache to grow but make sure that you trim any stray hairs along the top edge. You can then train the whiskers using a mustache comb or brush. 

Cowboy Mustache

The cowboy mustache can be traced back to way before Woody in Toy Story. It is a messier, longer as well as scragglier version of the Selleck mustache. 

You can tidy up this kind of mustache with scissors such that you don’t look over unkempt or too neat. 

Toothbrush Mustache

The toothbrush mustache is usually a stubby mustache that is shaved on both sides, with the hair remains of the same width as the nose. 

Charlie Chaplin and Adolf Hitler are known to have rocked the toothbrush mustache with style being revered today. 

Wild West Mustache

The wild west mustache resembles a cowboy mustache but with a hint of the handlebar. 

Gunslinger Mustache

The gunslinger is a fuller mustache whose sides extend to the corners of the mouth before extending upward. 

The style is best suited for men with larger facial features, common in almost all Western movies. 

Super Mario Mustache Style

The Super Mario mustache combines two of the best mustache styles; the Petit handlebar and the scalloped edged handlebar mustache. 

The style is best suited for men who have oval or round faces. The style got its name from the Super Mario brothers Luigi and Mario.  

Petite Handlebar Mustache

The petite handlebar mustache is a smaller version of the standard handlebar mustache. It is shorter in length and the handles don’t extend past the corners of your mouth. 

It is ideal for men whose terminal length makes it impossible to grow a full handlebar mustache. This kind of mustache is grown just like a standard handlebar, with the only difference being keeping everything short and compact. 

The petite handlebar mustache requires a lot of grooming. You need to keep the hairs short and the center trimmed above the upper lip for a clean look. You will also be required to shave the hairs beneath the handles at the mouth’s outer edges and shave a hard part of the philtrum. 

English Handlebar Mustache

The English mustache is as distinguished as it is aristocratic. It resembles a standard handlebar mustache, but the handles are not curled. Rather they are waxed horizontally and shaped to a certain point. 

When growing an English mustache, allow the handles to grow from the edges while the center remains neatly trimmed. 

The last thing you want is the hair covering the lips. For an even more distinguished look, you need to create a hard part at the philtrum. 

The English mustache requires a lot of grooming to maintain the look. You need to keep the center trimmed above the upper lip, for instance.

You also need to shave the hair beneath the handles frequently and keep the hairs off the upper lip. As such, you can trim the hair or use a blow-dryer to push them horizontally from the philtrum and off the lip. 

Hungarian Handlebar Mustache

The Hungarian mustache is a combination of a handlebar mustache and a walrus. It is a big mustache that sits lower on the cheeks. Franz Ferdinand, Greg Berzinsky, Eric Bandholz, Wyatt Earp, Jeffrey Buoncristiano, Doc Holliday, Rich Uncle Pennybags, and Seth Bullock are known to rock the Hungarian mustache. 

This kind of mustache is grown the same as a walrus and then shaped to have long hair and swooping handles. It could take up to a year to get the desired length, so you need to be very patient. 

The mustache, however, requires less grooming compared to the standard handlebar. Most of your grooming will require you to comb or brush the hair to keep the mustache clean and neat while training the hairs to curl naturally. 

You will also need to shave any hair beneath the handles from time to time. Since the Hungarian mustache has natural curling handlebars, you will need to train the hairs to curl in the direction you want them. You can use your index finger and thumb to curl the edges of the mustache. 

Horseshoe Mustache

This is the American muscle car of all mustaches. It is big, loud and very popular, especially in the south. It is often confused with the Fu Manchu, but the two are completely different.

For one, the horseshoe mustache is a thick and full mustache that connects to two vertical hair strips growing parallel to the mouth and extending to the jawline. 

The horseshoe mustache can be achieved by growing a circle beard and then shaving the chin. Some people confuse long walrus with horseshoe mustaches, but there is a difference.

The walrus is a mustache that has grown long enough to hang low next to the mouth resembling a horseshoe moustache. 

Hulk Hogan, Danny Espinosa, Aaron Rodgers, Sam Elliott, Jared Allen, and John Lennon are among celebrities who have rocked a horseshoe mustache at some point. 

The fastest and easiest way to grow this kind of mustache is to grow a full beard or a circle beard, which should take at least six months to get the required thickness before shaving off the goatee, mutton chops, and the soul patch. 

Zappa Mustache Style

When it comes to the Zappa mustache, there is so much that goes on with it. There is stubble on the cheeks and a bushy mustache curves downward but not like a horseshoe mustache. The mustache is then completed with a square-shaped soul patch. 

The Zappa mustache works best for men who have square faces and it gets its name from the legendary guitarist and songwriter Frank Zappa. 

Imperial Mustache

The imperial mustache is often confused with the Hungarian and standard handlebar mustache. It is, however, different in that it incorporates upper cheek hair that creates a thicker handlebar. 

The hair connects with the cheek hair before curling straight up. It also differs from the two in that the ends are not shaped to a point; rather, they are more natural, creating a fuller shape.  

Since cheek hair is needed when growing an imperial mustache, it would be easier to start growing the mustache and the beard simultaneously. 

Once the hair is long enough for the handles, shave off the beard leaving only a small amount of cheek hair at the moth edges to incorporate it into the base of your handlebars. 

You also need to train the handlebars to curve upwards by combing or brushing the hair daily. Apply mustache wax for hold but avoid shaping the handlebars to a point.

In terms of grooming, you will need to trim the mustache daily to keep it clean and free of stray hairs. You also need to maintain the cheek hair by maintaining the length and shape.   

Beardstache

A beard stache is a combination of a thick mustache and stubble, an attractive look that is bound to turn a few heads. 

This facial hairstyle has been trending for quite some time for good reasons. If you have always thought about growing a mustache but have never dared do it because you were unsure if you could pull off the look, the beard stache is a good place to start.

While the beard stache may seem like a low-maintenance style at first, careful grooming goes into maintaining the look.

One of the things that you must have in your grooming kit is a quality beard trimmer. Every few days, go over the cheeks, jaw, and neck to maintain a stubble that sits somewhere between a full beard and a five o’clock shadow. 

For the upper lip, ensure that you keep the hair trimmed and use a beard comb and beard oil to keep the hair nourished and neat. 

Cantinflas

To pull off this look, shave off all your facial hair except the hair above the corners of the mouth. Keep those patches trimmed thin while making sure that they curve slightly downwards. This mustache style is best suited for gentlemen who have triangle faces.

While the style is not as common today, Mario Moreno, the Mexican actor and comedian, made it famous. 

A La Souvarov

This is usually a combination of a mustache and sideburns. It is made up of sideburns that extend beneath the corners of the mouth before they connect with the mustache. 

Since a lot is going on with the A La Souvarov, it is best suited for men who have larger facial features. The A La Souvarov is named after the Russian general Alexander Suvorov, who popularized the mustache style. 

Freestyle 

According to the World Beard and Mustache Championships rules, the freestyle is usually any type of mustache that does not fit into the standard mustache category. 

This means that you can shape your mustache to resemble anything, including a fish and it would be classified as a freestyle mustache. 

Mustache Styles and Different Face Shapes

Round Face

Wide jawline and cheekbones are best suited for styles that tend to add length to your face. As such, avoid thick and bushy mustaches that only sit on the lip but rather opt for a style that stretches lower down around the mouth. 

The horseshoe mustache is a good choice if you are bold enough or a beard and mustache combo like the Van Dyke. 

Square Face

If you have a strong and masculine jaw with angular features, only a few mustache styles will not suit you. 

With that in mind, you are better off going for a strong and good option like the bushy chevron or the beard stache. 

Oval Face

If you have an oval face, then the only problem is deciding on what mustache style to pick. 

To make things easier, you need to consider your hair growth. If, for instance, the hair on your upper lip is thicker and fuller, then there should be nothing holding your back. 

However, if you suffer from patchy growth, you might want to consider styles that hide the patchy spots, like the pencil mustache. 

Benefits of Growing a Mustache

Decreases Cancer Risk

Covering your face with either a mustache or a beard helps protect your skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, which helps lower your cancer risk. 

Foster Trust

According to various studies, men in commercials with some form of mustache tend to elicit more trust than those who are clean-shaven.

Fewer Cuts

A mustache requires you to allow the hair on your upper lip to grow without any interference. This means that you don’t get to shave as you would if you didn’t have a mustache which decreases your risk of cutting yourself when shaving.

Reduces Costs

When you have a mustache, you don’t get to shave as regularly as those without do. Without regular shaving, then less money goes into your grooming routine. 

Attractive Look

While this doesn’t directly link to many health benefits, it is one of the reasons you might want to consider growing a mustache. 

One of the criteria used to determine attractiveness is facial symmetry. Beard and mustache have for decades been used to disguise subtle facial symmetry, which increases attractiveness. 

How to Maintain a Mustache 

Step 1 – Trim once a week

Facial hair grows at an average rate of 0.27mm per day. While this might not seem much, your mustache hair might grow too much that it overwhelms your face. As such, you need to target at least a once-in-a-week trimming. 

Step 2 – Trim less at the beginning

You should remember that you can always go back and trim more if required, but the same cannot be said for the other way. 

When you begin trimming, avoid trimming too much at once, rather trim a little and then go back and check if you need to trim more. 

Step 3 – Modify the mustache with clippers

While using grooming scissors is cheaper, ensure that you use clippers to get the job done well. Use a clipper guard to trim down the mustache length, starting with a higher guard to ensure that you don’t cut it too short before you remove the guard and trim the hairs along the lip.

Step 4 – Take care of the skin

If you allow the mustache to take center stage of the face, you need to pay the same attention to your skin.

To ensure that your skin is always looking its best, get on a regular care routine that fits your schedule. 

Step 5 – Be cautious when choosing mustache wax

If you have sensitive skin, you need to be very careful when choosing mustache wax. Most mustache and beard wax contain ingredients that clog the pores, the primary cause of breakouts. 

If you have already tried mustache wax and keep breaking out with acne around the mouth, then you might want to consider using beard oil only or try another brand of mustache wax. 

Most Common Mustache Mistakes

Expecting the Impossible

According to research, facial hair grows at an average rate of half an inch per month. Your mustache is not going to resemble the one Tom Selleck has right away.

For a mustache to grow to the right size, you will have to wait for two to three months. It will be weird when you start, but you can always grow it with a beard and then lose it when the mustache has grown to the right size. 

Trimming the Mustache Wrong

A full mustache consists of hairs of different lengths. When you start growing the mustache, you will trim the hairs closest to the lip line and allow the hairs closest to the nose to continue growing. 

Not Using Grooming Products

The mustache should be treated the same way you treat your beard, which means investing in grooming products meant to hydrate and nourish the hairs and the skin underneath. 

Beard balm and beard oil, for instance, are important in maintaining a healthy-looking mustache. 

FAQ

Are mustaches in style?

There is no denying the mustaches have already made a comeback. Today the classical facial hair has once again become popular among stylish gentlemen across the world. 

How do you shape your mustache?

How you shape your mustache will depend on the mustache style that you are going for. However, the mustache should cover the upper lip partially and should not get into your mouth at the end of the day. 

Should your mustache cover your lip?

Growing a mustache should only partially cover the upper lip and should not get into your mouth when you are growing a mustache. As such, you need to trim the mustache edges such that they don’t extend lower than the corners of the mouth. 

Do ladies like mustaches?

When it comes to facial hair, research has shown that women are more attracted to men who have facial hair than those who don’t. Women are even more attracted to a man who can grow a mustache for several reasons. Men who have mustaches look rough yet royal, older, and more mature. A mustache also gives a man the kind of badass look that women find attractive.