Goatees: Cool and Progressive or Outdated and Passe?

Goatees: Cool and Progressive or Outdated and Passe?

Goatees had a real moment in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Rock bands, boy bands, your dad's cover band, even people who weren't in bands at all — lots of people sported goatees around the turn of the millennium.

But wearing a beard only on your chin never really went away. Stars in the NBA and Hollywood are still rocking goatees without looking out of date or silly. Is it possible for you, a human who is not famous, to wear a goatee and look good even in these times? The short answer is of course yes. But read on to learn how to keep the look modern rather than retro.

What Exactly Is a Goatee?

Most people know a goatee when they see one. It's facial hair grown on the chin, plus maybe a mustache. But there are a few variations on the style to consider, as some might be more flattering for you than others:

Classic goatee (see image below): The chin hair and soul patch are grown out but kept short, usually less than an inch below the chin.

Disconnected goatee (in graphic above, clockwise from top left): The hair on the chin and the mustache don't connect around the mouth.

Circle beard: This is the style seen most often, where the hair on the chin connects to the mustache around the sides of the mouth.

Anchor beard: The hair on the chin is wider than the mustache so its shape resembles an anchor.