“I only realized what a phenomenon it was when I started working on my book, ‘100 beards, 100 days’,” says the photographer Jonathan Daniel Pryce. “I stumbled upon this entire subculture that I knew nothing about.” Yes, beards are in a boom period and long may they reign. To celebrate this hairy moment, we check out the micro-trends among the city’s urban tribes.
1. The hipster
Most likely to be found in areas like Williamsburg, New York and Shoreditch, London, sporting a beard in an ‘ironic fashion’ – too cool for trends. Look out for square-framed glasses, novelty necklaces and baseball caps.
2. The artist
Overgrown beard from months of creative angst, teamed with a rolled tee, trilby and tattoos inked in by his arty mate. Frequently found hanging out in ‘creative spaces’ – i.e. warehouses and lofts.
3. The city professional
His beard will be as perfectly cut as his made-to-measure suit. Nothing wild here. But his fashionable follicles do separate him from his shave-a-day corporate city friends.
4. The eccentric
He obviously works in the media – nobody else could get away with Rasputin’s beard. The unkempt look takes hours of hair manipulation and the use of premium grooming products – but he’ll never admit to that.
5. The fashionably preened
Ah yes, the ‘fashion beard’. It is of course perfectly groomed, trimmed and runway-ready. You’re most likely to find this one on menswear editors and stylists, like our man Jeremy Langmead, Editor of Mr Porter.
