In August, Prince William debuted a new look and the internet just couldn’t’t handle it: Facial hair…and lots of it. Since then, his royal following has been fixated on his scruff—and it had me wondering: After years of celebs like Timothee Chalamet and Jeremy Allen White rocking a baby-face, is the clean shaven look no more? Are we really ready to go back to a 2006-era lumber jack vibe?
Here’s a little refresher: Back in the early aughts, beards, alongside skinny jeans and trucker hats, were an easy marker of cool, bad-boy guys. Then, in the second half of the 2010s, the tables turned, with men widening their pants, tossing off their tortoise shell glasses and, yes, picking up a razor. That is, until this fall, when a number of men decided to give the beard a second chance. Think: Chris Pine rocking a full beard (and being coined 'surf daddy’) or Oscar Issac getting all burly for his role in Dune.
Texas-based salon owner Cuyler Engram firmly thinks it’s a power move in 2024. “Short, well-groomed beards are trending as a more modern and professional look,” he shares. “This trend can be attributed to several factors, including a desire for a more rugged and masculine appearance, a growing appreciation for facial hair as a form of self-expression and a broader cultural shift towards embracing natural beauty.”
