From a light covering of stubble to super long, thick, lustrous ‘yeards,’ there’s no doubt that beards are back in a big way. But, just like with any hairstyle, fashions change, and occasionally, you’ll want to switch things up a bit and try something new.
When it comes to changing the style of a beard, however, there is a common misconception that you need to shave it all off and start again. But, we’re here to tell you that you don’t need to take such drastic measures!
Slight angular changes, length gradients, and special beard products can completely change the appearance of your beard and take it from boring to bold.
So, if you’re thinking about changing up your look and trying something new with your beard, check out these 14 fashionable beard styles for 2021.
1. The Natural Beard
This style is becoming increasingly popular with busy men that want to achieve a modern facial hair look without putting a massive amount of effort into styling.
Super low maintenance, the natural beard gives you that effortlessly classic style without you needing to spend too much time getting it looking perfect. There’s no need for shaving lines or edges; you simply just let it grow.
Growth & Maintenance:
Although it’s undoubtedly the easiest beard to grow and trim, there is a little bit of tidying up to do. However, it’s nowhere near as much as you’ll need to do on a more defined beard.
All you need to do is take a beard trimmer with your preferred grade length and trim the sides and front around the mouth, leaving the neck unshaven. Simple!
2. The Rounded Beard
If you’re a fan of a long beard but don’t’ particularly like the wispy ends associated with them, then the rounded beard could be the perfect choice for you.
It’s definitely a statement beard and, matched with a suit and a pair of sunglasses, is an instant modern-day classic. A rounded beard is incredibly versatile, too, and would suit a variety of face shapes.
It’s also particularly popular amongst men that are a little more self-conscious about their jawlines, helping to provide a refined, sharp edge.
Growth & Maintenance:
The rounded beard style is a lot simpler to maintain than you might think. Simply grab yourself a pair of barber scissors and, starting at the corners, trim into a curve that peaks at the center of the chin.
If you’re starting from scratch, a little patience will be required as you wait for your beard to reach your desired length. However, the beauty of a rounded beard means that you can continue to shape and grow it simultaneously, rather than having to wait for it to reach a certain length before giving it that defined look.
3. The Faded Beard
Despite its traditional barbershop beginnings, the faded beard has become a staple of modern-day male grooming.
The long sides and front blend into super short, defined lines that fade into the skin through wet-razored, contoured edges. Often matched with a hairstyle that reverses the pattern of the beard, with short sideburns rising into longer hair on the top of the head.
Growth & Maintenance:
The best way to get a really good faded beard is to head out to the barbershop. The clean lines are hard to achieve by yourself unless you’ve got a particularly good eye for detail, while the gradient of length is best done by somebody with a steady hand!
4. The ‘Lined-Up’ Beard
This style is all about geometry. Lines so clean that you could cut yourself on them, the cheekbones and jawline get an incredibly sharp-looking effect that doesn’t only give the beard definition but can also add angular-illusion to your face.
Growth & Maintenance:
Another style that you can grow and trim at the same time, use a pair of clippers to first trim the hair along the lines as close to the skin as possible. Next, take a straight razor and wet shave over the lines you’ve previously created with the clippers to get that super-sharp definition along the edges.
5. The Extended Goatee
An excellent choice for bald men that want to make a statement with their beard, but also don’t want to spend a lot of time maintaining it. Grown as a standard goatee, the extended part comes from the hair growing back along the jawline to the corners of the jaw, while the cheeks remain clean-shaven.
Growth & Maintenance:
This is a pretty simple beard to grow and trim, and only requires the sideburns and central part of the cheeks being kept free of any growth. Use a straight razor to wet-shave down to the bottom edge of the beard for defined lines, and keep the neck free of any hair too.
6. The ‘Close-Cut’ Beard
Modern-day designer stubble, a close-cut beard is kept at a short length of around 3mm and has defined edges along the cheekbones and jawline.
The perfect look for the working professional, a close-cut beard allows you to sport facial hair in a smart-looking way and is much more likely to be accepted in a corporate environment over a more dramatic looking beard.
Growth & Maintenance:
Growing a close-cut beard is easy and won’t take you very long either since it’s kept so short. Clippers are the best tool at your disposal here, and a weekly trim on a short grade will keep the length of your beard in check. Use a straight-razor to create the defined edges as and when stubble begins to reappear.
7. The ‘Verdi’ Beard
Named after the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, this beard style is similar to that of a full beard. The difference, however, lies within the mustache, which is longer than the rest of the beard and styled at the ends.
This distinctive beard is gaining popularity among men of all ages for its interest and the variety of styles the ends of the mustache can be twisted into.
Growth & Maintenance:
Use clippers to create the initial lines along the cheek, lowering them down to create a chinstrap of longer hair. Go over this line with a straight-razor to give it some sharpness. Use a pair of barber scissors to keep the length of your mustache in check, and style it at the ends using a good quality mustache wax.
8. The Boxed Beard
A shorter style of beard with clean, defined lines along the cheekbones, a boxed beard is fashioned in such a way that it creates a narrow look running down the face and finishes with a boxy bottom-edge.
Growth & Maintenance:
Boxed beards require a bit of maintenance to get them looking good, but nothing too daunting. Use a pair of clippers to create cheekbone lines that run parallel with the jawline, then wet-shave to a more defined edge.
Use either a pair of barbershop scissors or clippers to maintain a uniform length across the entire beard and to keep everything looking sharp.
9. The Full Beard
The most iconic of all beard styles, the full beard is arguably the most popular choice at the moment. This isn’t only because it looks great, but it’s also incredibly easy to maintain.
Depending on the speed that your beard grows, it can take a while to reach its full splendor, but it’s thickness and natural-edges are worth the wait.
Growth & Maintenance:
Just let it grow! It’s really that simple. Once you’ve reached your desired length, use a pair of barbershop scissors to keep it in check. A full beard also benefits from a regular coating of beard balm or oil to keep it hydrated and healthy.
Daily combing with a beard brush will also help encourage the hair to grow in the same direction and will keep everything looking neat.
10. The ‘Garibaldi’
Named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, the man that unified Italy during the 19th century, this beard is thick and bushy. It also features a bushy mustache and thick mutton chops, with a rounded bottom edge.
Growth & Maintenance:
The Garibaldi beard is probably the easiest of all the beards on our list to look after, and its purposefully wild appearance requires very little maintenance. An occasional trimming with barbershop scissors to keep the length in check is all you’ll need to worry about.
The unruliness of a Garibaldi beard does, however, mean that you’ll need to treat it with beard oil regularly to keep it looking healthy and hydrated.
11. The ‘Yeard’
The iconic ‘Yeard’ has been springing up on men’s faces all over the world in recent years and is undoubtedly a statement beard!
Growth & Maintenance:
No shaving, clipping, or edge maintenance needed. You only require one thing to grow a yeard - a tremendous amount of patience! Twelve months of unmaintained growth is the aim of the game here.
The only maintenance you’ll need to do is a weekly wash with some beard shampoo to keep everything looking and smelling fresh.
12. The ‘Beardstache’
The most popular choice for those that take part in the Movember challenge each year, the ‘beardstache’ is essentially a long mustache matched with closely-shaven stubble.
This style is an excellent choice if you’re looking to make a real statement with your facial hair but don’t necessarily want to grow a full beard.
Growth & Maintenance:
Use the lowest grade of your clippers to keep the stubble trimmed close to the face, and allow your mustache to grow to your desired length. A pair of barbershop scissors can be used to prevent any wispy-edges from occurring.
A little mustache wax will allow you to create a variety of twisted-ends on your mustache, and a drop of beard oil will keep it hydrated.
13. Chin Strap & Goatee
This is the best style to go for if you’re looking for a way to really accentuate your jawline. The full goatee is paired with a chinstrap that is shaped to be narrow and have a shorter length, creating that defined line along the jaw.
Growth & Maintenance:
Whilst your goatee grows to the desired length, use a pair of clippers to create a narrow chinstrap line around the bottom of the jawline and running up to the sideburns. Use a straight-razor to remove any hair from the cheeks.
14. Groomed Stubble
Whilst groomed stubble isn’t strictly speaking a beard, it’s a popular choice for anybody that finds wet shaving leaves them with irritated skin. A little longer than 5 o’clock shadow, groomed stubble is also a great segway into a more dramatic beard style, giving you an idea of what you might look like without having to commit to growing it out.
Growth & Maintenance:
Simply requires running a pair of clippers on a short grade over the entire face every few days to keep it at a uniform length. A straight razor can also be used to create more definition along the neckline and cheekbones.
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