Which one for you?

I feel like I have expressed the way that I feel about mustaches and the benefits of having one, so I am not going to beat on the same drum again by trying to convince you. Instead, I think that I should show how many different mustache styles there are out there. For those of you thinking about growing one, the first thing to do is decide what kind of mustache will work best for you. Here is a link that shows a broad variety of mustache styles that might suit you, courtesy of the American Mustache Institute (AMI).

http://www.americanmustacheinstitute.org/MustacheStyles.aspx


For those of you who are overachievers here is something that you might want to aim for in the future.

http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/history/

Here is a video of a past competition as well.







Here is another video that I found which could be helpful for those considering how to start growing one.

Reason #6

I should start off by saying that right now my wife is wearing a huge sun hat that looks completely ridiculous. As a gentleman I am supposed to refrain from commenting, because otherwise I would be in the "dog house." Why is it that if I wore something like that, or any man in general, she would be allowed to say something about how bad it looks but I can't say anything to her? I thought our country was all about equal rights and privileges for men and women, but when it comes to style experimentation, especially with hair, the situation is anything but equal. It's interesting that women can cut and dye their hair in all kinds of bizarre colors and shapes, but men aren't allowed the same freedom of hair experimentation without serious social repercussions. While I say this, I do recognize that there has been an increasing number of men who have been growing their hair out and making changes like wearing a mustache or beard, but the percentage of men who get away with this is very small.
The most common response when I ask someone why they don't try and grow a mustache is that they don't have permission from their significant other. I hate to break it to you, but for the most part, women are completely unfair with their hair experimentation standards. There have been numerous times where my wife has experimented with her hair and the results have been, well lets just say that they weren't terrific. How come when women do this men are supposed to be supportive and accepting regardless of their true opinion, but men are not shown the same courtesy? Why don't women let men grow a mustache? Why can't the same tolerance be shown by both parties? As far as I can tell the discrepancy is fairly absurd. (I also should say that my wife is an exception; she is fully supportive of me having a mustache and would also let me grow a huge beard if I wanted to.)
My last and final reason why every man should grow a mustache at some point is because we can, and by doing so we help bridge the gap of hair experimentation inequality. We need to break the chains of restrictions and be free, to a certain extent. I apologize if I have made generalizations about women, but I feel I have a solid point. And I once read in a certain book that the guilty take the truth to be pretty hard.

Reason #5

By now most of you have decided which side you stand on regarding the mustache issue. I hope that I have at least shed a little bit more light on the positive aspects of having a mustache that most people don't really think about. Deep down inside I even have a vain hope that maybe I convinced a guy to grow a mustache, or better yet, have convinced a girl not to discard the idea before you've seen the results. If that is the case then I feel like I have made a difference, if not, then I have to admit I am still going to be able to go on with my life.
The fifth reason that a man should grow a mustache is because growing one gives you membership in the elite group that is called the mustache brotherhood. This is obviously not an actual group, though there are groups that you can join if you have a mustache, but rather it's an idea. It's not the kind of thing that you carry around a membership card for as proof of participation, it's more an unspoken respect that you receive from other members. I have heard a few men refer to growing facial hair as, "a man's responsibility to prove that he is a man." While I don't wholeheartedly endorse this idea I have experienced the manly respect that comes as a result of growing a mustache. I mainly refer to, "the nod." That may sound rather ambiguous, so let me explain. It's almost an unspoken rule that whenever you come across another man with a mustache, you both give each other a nod of approval and respect. You are both united through your mustaches and are instantly cordial toward one another. I have received the nod on numerous occasions, most recently, though, was actually in this class. A guy with a very nice handlebar mustache walked past the windows during class and stopped to get my attention. We exchanged a quick glance and then both showed our respect for the mustache with a nod. Nothing else needed to be done or said, the nod carries more meaning on it's own.
The reason that I am using "the nod" as one of the reasons to grow a mustache is because it helps validate you as a man. I certainly do not think that only by growing a mustache do you receive such validation, but it is one means of doing so.


Sorry about the bad link last week. This is the mustache commercial that I was trying to share.