Male Shaving Through the Years

1920s: The Rise of the Commercial Razor

After the circulation of commercial razors, more and more people had access to a clean shave at home. During the 20s and 30s, beards were almost exclusively worn by older gentlemen and later even this proportion began to diminish. It certainly was the era of the clean shave! 

1960s: The Creative Beards

Beards made their first come-back during the 1960s among gentlemen in creative industries such as photographers and musicians. A symbol of rebellion amongst the youth!

1970s: The Hippie Beard

The late 60s and 70s saw the hippie movement spread across the western world and with it...the long beard. Often styled with a headband and paired with an incredible free spirit, the hippie beard represented an 'at oneness' with nature. 

1980s: The Moustache, the 5 o'clock shadow and the return of the Clean Shave

Now we really started to see a variety of beards amongst different subcultures. The moustache took a centre stage for some (think Freddie Mercury and Danny Glover). For others, the idea of full-blown facial fuzz was less appealing. So dawned the 5 o'clock shadow. The corporate lifestyle also went hand in hand with the clean shave, a sharp contrast to the hippie movement of years gone by. 

1990s: Dyed beards or the Baby Face

Baby faced youths were a common sight in the 1990s such as Justin Timberlake's smooth face with his bleach blonde curls. There was also plenty of weird and wacky. Music and the arts led the way. The rise of alternative music bands saw plenty of less-sophisticated and trendy beards take centre stage. Soul patches previously worn on jazz musicians of the 50s and 60s made a comeback as a mainstream trend. Some opted to focus their facial hair strength on their upper lip and chin and so the goatee became increasingly popular. Others reached for the green or red dye to spice things up. 

2000s: Goatee and Chinstrap 

The new decade saw men such as Craig David adapting the goalie to feature a fetching chinstrap. Others such as Matt LeBlanc decided to combine the shaggy beard with the goatee, creating a strange hybrid.

2010s: Hipster Beards and the Glitter Beard.

Whilst trends have come and gone in a matter of second in the past 8 years, there has been one stand out style. Often teamed with a hairy accessory, the man-bun, the 2010s have seen a rise in the fuzzy-face young gentleman in the form of the Hipster Beard. This is defined by a bushy but incredibly well groomed and preened beard of varying lengths. 

2018: Traditional Barbers. In York we have noticed there has been many traditional shops popping up for a more luxurious experience. As some women routinely spend 'me time' having their hair preened, men are spending quality time with their newspaper in the local barbers. This has coincided with a rise in production and sales of beard oils and balms to help ensure the evolution of the beard goes in the right direction. The beard in a prized possession!