For the past few months I have been growing a beard uninterruptedly. I began this facial growth for a multitude of reasons: I'm lazy, it displays my non-conformity, it shields my face during winter and it's a sign of my pessimistic outlook on the chances of an imminent career promotion.
I have found that I am not alone in my last reason. The current economic downturn has given a rebirth to facial hair. I and many other men are growing what are called "Recession Beards." These are beards that some men grow if they have lost their job or are experiencing a lack of mobility in their careers. We start growing these recessionary beards because there is no better time to experiment with your appearance than when one is unemployed or locked into their current job for the foreseeable future.
The current recession is not good for much, but it has made beards fashionable again. Up until now there has been a lack of puberty when it comes to facial hair. The last president to sport a beard was William Howard Taft, 1909-1913. If I were President Obama's advisor, I would strongly urge him to grow a recession beard to show his support of the unemployed.
So, why did beards die off anyway? It is believed that during World War I soldiers were forced to shave to ensure gas masks fit properly. Shortly after, the film business became popular. Many of the films during this period were depictions of World War I. For the sake of authenticity, the actors wore crew cuts and were clean shaven, which made the clean-cut look popular.
This completely changed people's attitudes toward facial hair. The only beard that was popular during this dry patch was in the form of a Wooly Willy. Americans didn't see much facial hair again until the '60s when the counterculture sprouted and grew enough facial hair to make up for the bald decades before it. Ubiquitous facial hair was stunted again in the mid 1980s.
Beards haven't been prevalent since. During the 1990s, the only styles that had a remote popularity were the Goatee and the Van Dyke. Both of which were the diet or the lite versions of a beard.
I have found that I am not alone in my last reason. The current economic downturn has given a rebirth to facial hair. I and many other men are growing what are called "Recession Beards." These are beards that some men grow if they have lost their job or are experiencing a lack of mobility in their careers. We start growing these recessionary beards because there is no better time to experiment with your appearance than when one is unemployed or locked into their current job for the foreseeable future.
The current recession is not good for much, but it has made beards fashionable again. Up until now there has been a lack of puberty when it comes to facial hair. The last president to sport a beard was William Howard Taft, 1909-1913. If I were President Obama's advisor, I would strongly urge him to grow a recession beard to show his support of the unemployed.
So, why did beards die off anyway? It is believed that during World War I soldiers were forced to shave to ensure gas masks fit properly. Shortly after, the film business became popular. Many of the films during this period were depictions of World War I. For the sake of authenticity, the actors wore crew cuts and were clean shaven, which made the clean-cut look popular.
This completely changed people's attitudes toward facial hair. The only beard that was popular during this dry patch was in the form of a Wooly Willy. Americans didn't see much facial hair again until the '60s when the counterculture sprouted and grew enough facial hair to make up for the bald decades before it. Ubiquitous facial hair was stunted again in the mid 1980s.
Beards haven't been prevalent since. During the 1990s, the only styles that had a remote popularity were the Goatee and the Van Dyke. Both of which were the diet or the lite versions of a beard.
Even though beards haven't been popular in traditional American fashion, they do carry a lot of significance in other cultures. If you grow a beard in some cultures, you are seen as respected, knowledgeable and as a member of high-social status. In other cultures, like America, you may be seen as filthy and unsuccessful. I think strangers look at me in both ways. Some have said I look like a professor. Others say I look like an unkempt vagabond or terrorist. I think I look like a manly gentleman who is proud of what his face can grow.
Each culture has some interpretation of what a beard means to them. In gay culture the term beard refers to a person of the opposite sex that you would take with you to an event to give the impression that you are heterosexual.
Whether you are using a beard as a way to hide something or as a facial character builder, almost every style has had its heyday. Even men with non-growth patches, which most men experience, flaunt their facial locks. One of my coworkers grew a neck beard (Neard), which looks exactly like it sounds. It was laughable and he knew it, but it was his recession beard and it is the only place his mug can grow hair. However, there are a few men, Henry Thoreau and Horace Greeley who wore the Neard proudly.
There are many styles that are much cooler than the Neard. Some of my favorites are the Handlebar Mustache, the Zappa, the Friendly Mutton Chops and the Dali.
No matter which style you pick or the reason behind the growth, you are sure to look more intriguing. Men, if you are one who likes to support a cause, grow a beard as symbolic support to the unemployed. It's like pasting one of those "support our troops" ribbons on your car, but it's free and not cliche. Ladies, convince your man to grow a beard. If he resists, tell him you will grow your pubes until he starts his beard. I am sure he won't be shaving for weeks. Welcome back, beards.
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