Words: Jonathan Wells
On Tuesday night, Mel Gibson hit the red carpet for the premiere of his new film, the war epic Hacksaw Ridge. He also brought along his beard to the event.
A thick salt-and-pepper affair, Gibson’s beard overshadowed everything from the film’s rave reviews to the actor-director’s own collar. But, whilst his out-of-control facial fur may have torn out focus away from the multi-million dollar movie, it did help draw our attention to a pressing issue: how exactly do you wear a beard with a suit?
As we roll into winter, more and more men will begin adopting fulsome whiskers to protect their chins and cheeks from the oncoming cold. So, learning to teach your suit and beard to play nicely together is of the utmost importance.
Gibson’s got it wrong. There’s no easy way to say it. He’s lost any discernible neck, made his head look completely enormous and his bristles stretch down so far that, had he opted for the standard red carpet neckwear – a bow tie – it would have been lost amidst those silvering strands forever.
Of course, you don’t want to forgo your beard altogether – but, before you go full-Gibson, take some time, follow these rules, and ensure that your facial hair and formalwear can live together in stylish harmony.
One of the key choices you will have to make is that of your shirt collar. With a beard likely to obstruct your neckline, try a long point collar to give your shirt a fighting chance of visibility.
Steer clear of round, cutaway or spread collars as they may get lost beneath your bristles and never go open collar – there are few less appealing looks than a man whose beard is constantly snagging on his top button.
It is imperative not to over-adorn. If your beard, like Gibson’s, is virtually a tie in itself, then adding a wide, loudly-patterned accessory will simply confuse things. Instead, pare it back. Try a slim, block colour tie – perhaps plump for a knitted one to bridge the gap between your casual beard and formal suit.
Use a large knot, such as a full Windsor, to ensure visibility, and leave your pocket square at home. Your beard counts as an accessory, so when you start adding tie pins and collar bars and other sartorial extras, you run the risk of decking yourself out like a Christmas tree. And that is not the type of trimming you should be focusing on…
As proud as you may be of your facial fur, if you want to wear a suit, you have to tame it. Keep it tight, closely-cropped, but still long enough that patches of unsightly chin skin aren’t visible through your beard.
Stand in front of a mirror and put on your shirt and tie. If you can’t see the knot of the tie, or even a sliver of neck – keep trimming. Just make sure that whatever you take off the bottom, you also take off the sides. If you simply chop from the bottom up, you’ll be left with bushy ‘burns that make your face look wider than it actually is.
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