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I've worn a beard since I started growing out my hair, but have gone back and forth between having a full beard and a goatee. I've most recently been wearing the goatee, but am finding myself tempted to grow out the full beard again. I've included a collage of pics with both types, and would like your opinions as which you think looks better.
Thanks in advance,
Jim
Hey Jim, it all looks great because you have a very nice thick beard, but I am leaning towards just the goatee, but really it's a tossup. Wish my beard was as thick...and my hair...
Cheers,
Max
I would say the one on the bottom left looks the best, but which ever you think feels/looks best or whatever is upto you :)
That's the problem, LOL. I can't make up my mind!!!!
I think both looks are good for you but I'm leaning toward the goatee, it looks more distinguished.
Bruce
Hi Jim, the full beard is cool, but the goatee is very good indeed, it suits your facial structure and your hair with a centre part.
So . . . GOATEE
Cheers Dave
go with the goatee
Hey all mlhh guys, I haven't posted in a long while, but I've checked the board nearly every day. Working on my thesis so been very busy lately.
To Jim, if you are able to grow a full beard, you should definitely do so. I want to grow a full beard, but unfortunately I've got some spots... so I can't...
Later on I'll post some new pics, cause it's been more than a year since my last haircut and quite proud of it!
Hi Jim, I think a full beard looks the best for sure. Being a guy with a full beard, I am a bit biased in that direction.
Scott
hi frodo,
to be honest, i usually do not like beards. i personally think you would look better without a beard but answering your question, i think the 2nd pic on the top row looks best on you.
hope it helped ;-)
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the idea of a poll.
If I remember you correctly you do stuff for the SCA right. I suppose it depends on the period but I would have thought a full beard would have been better, or could go radical and try clean shaven for once.
And before anyone asks I'm happy with a goatee and I've tried with the full beard and sorry the itching got too bad.
Cheers,
John.B
I think the full beard looks better on you, good luck on you desicion. It's good that you can change your beard style easy :)
.
I myself, for myself, on myself, prefer a full beard for several reasons: I like the way it looks and feels, and to trump that, it's so easy for I do not have to do anything to it more than once or twice per week, then just shaving the neck and re-defining the cheek line and then the only once per quarter trims to keep the length where I want it.
But, since you did ask, I like the middle picture on the bottom that you had as an avatar photo for the longest time. I also wonder too if when trying the goatee if you have ever brought it in closer around the mouth rather than the wide, far back on the neck, style in the several photos. That presents another look altogether. Another option to is a graduated length full beard with rather short sides and a longer chin portion which can look cool too. However, this is hard to maintain for me at least since it involves more frequent trimming. I will try and attach a picture of what I am talking about.
Another option is what amounts to essentially super mutton chops with a mustache and the central portion of the beard or goatee shaved, but this seems more "late 19th century British Empire" whereas most of what period costuming you've shown us here and there seemed to reflect the late Medieval/Renaissance/Early Modern Periods. Like the Henry VIII style beard.
There are a good many classical styles too which you might see on Greek vases like the one where Achilles and somebody I can't remember are playing a game; they have pointy beards. But the trend in those days seemed, looking across a wide range of depictions, if one had a beard, was just the typical full beard at a few months growth-length. Like Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, and some of those guys who had beards once they came back into fashion, which is already what you have. A lot of the gods just had typically full beards too much the same. Mars, Serapis, Jove, etc. Though Jove always had a very luxurious, super thick beard, I guess as an example of his godly virility and strength. Now that's odd; to call a god "virile." -- Ultimately from "vir" for man!
You might want to check beardcommunity.com too as they have tonnes of pictures to peruse of every style imaginable.
MB
Jamey Johnson, a country music singer with a cool beard.
Thanks that is very informative and interesting info.
I kinda dig the full beard look, but maybe that's cuz it's the way I like to go. When I get a beard though I tend to not maintain it and it gets really ragged looking and I end up shaving it LOL!
The goatee looks pretty cool there Jim, sure wish I could grow one,
Frank
Whatever beard you want to have is purely your choice. I choose not to grow out a beard myself. The feeling of having hairs on my face can be distracting to me.
Regardless
My MySpace
You asked for opinions... In the looks department, I prefer a man to be either clean-shaven or the full beard. To my eyes, goatees make a male look young, in the sense of immature, a teenager who can't grow a beard yet. Since I'm a woman way out of my teens, I'm more attracted to a man who looks like a man and not a boy. That's just my own opinion. I also have a fondness for the mountain man look, which your lower row of pics have.
However, with your interest in SCA, you should try to be as true to the period as you can.
I personally prefer the bottom-middle picture, but probably only 'cause it's nice and cleanly defined. No matter what you choose, though, they all look great! Seriously, you are definately a "beard man". As for myself, I must wait 'til my body decides to grow it a bit thicker. lol. Ever wonder what you'd look like clean-shaven (although I'm fairly certain the beard's better on you)?
My humble opinion,
-Christian Epp
(n/t)
I think both styles fit you well.. Which ever one feels best to you.. ;-))
Tom
fJim
I like the goatie
But it is up to you alone what you want
Birdman
My pastor has a goatie and he looks good with it
I like the goatie
JSFrodo, Definitely the full beard with your hair down.
An awesome look!
peace, jonalbear
They ALL look good! Do what ever you feel like doing when you feel like doing it. What has been done can always be undone and what has been undone can always be done again. Enjoy! :-)
Full beard!
Definitely the beard. I really like the natural, full look of it.
Without a doubt, I think the full beard looks best. It seems to flatter your face more.
Let us know what you decide!
My Hair Site
Hi Jim,
First off, you have great hair man; you're extremely blessed with very thick hair and your hair care efforts clearly show. I think that your hair looks best in the top-right photo (very medieval!). As for your beard, the full beard looks awesome! I also suggest you try a narrower goatee with a thinner "drip" to see what it looks like; the narrowish goatees tend to look great on everyone. But as between your 2 bears pictured, I think you look awesome with a full.
Good to hear from you Jim.
-Phil
Hey Jim, check out the guy on the far right in this photo. That's the type of goatee I was referring to.
Hi Jim,
Of course all these photos are awesome, but my preference would have to be the full beard. I admit to being a bit "biased", though!
Keep it growing,
David
Thanks to everybody for responding.
A few comments back to various points raised...
To those who mentioned clean-shaven - I was clean-shaven for most of my life, and definitely prefer a beard of some form. While I might shave parts of my face, my chin will never again see the light of day, LOL.
To those who mentioned thinner goatees, I've tried that, but with as quickly as my hair (including facial hair) grows, they become too much of a pain to keep trimmed. The same applies to thinner beards.
The final tally (as of this writing) is 18 votes for a full beard, 7 votes for a goatee, 2 for clean-shaven and 3 for "do what you want". I threw in a couple extra votes for the opinions of the ladies in the studio audience because, let's face it, I'm much more concerned with impressing the ladies than other guys, LOL.
End result: I've decided to run with my original plan of letting the rest fill in for a few months. Whether I stick with it or go back to the goatee.... check back with me in six months.
Thanks again,
Jim
The goatee gets my vote!
Jim;
I like the look in the center photo, bottom row....also I think the glasses enhance the overall appearance.
But, I have a prejudice ! HA!
Walter
Actually, contrary to the way it might appear in the pics I posted, I do wear my glasses most of the time, and I'll agree with you that I like the way they look. The three pics across the top were all taken the same day, and along with the pic on the lower left, were taken while I was in medieval garb. I'll sometimes leave the glasses off while in garb because they can detract from the overall effect.
Jim