Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Common Beards

Today we feature two very similar beard styles. One takes a more manicured approach while the other is a little more wild. These two beards are brought to you by Hassan and Kyle.


Hassan
This beard is a very classic, finely shaven goatee look. Not all goatees have a connecting mustache, nor is the additional soul patch required. However, here we have all of that wrapped up into an excellent beard package.

This type of goatee gives off an air of wisdom to the wearer's face. Not only does it make you look a bit older, it also tells people that you care enough to take the time to make your beard look good and proper. A quality beard often means a quality person.

Kyle
If you compare this to Hassan's goatee, it's likely you'll see some distinct similarities. Soul patch? Check. Connected mustache? Check. Even the chin part serves the same purpose. It just looks a little more wild and unpredictable.

It's interesting to look at these two beards and think... One is shaven, one is full and relatively unshaven. However, the root of the beard is the same.



Perhaps when Hassan's style was originally invented, it looked quite like Kyle's and the wearer only felt it necessary to shave his cheeks. Who knows how beards are formed or if they're all completely random happenstances, but there's no doubting the similarity between these two.

Until next time!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

These Beards Speak Japanese

Today's collection of beards comes from my Japanese 101 class. Not only are these our first beards of the site, but they're also pretty fantastic and diverse. These beards are brought to you by Sean, Mike, Jim, and Robert.

A common theme among today's (and possibly many of the future's) beards is that they are accompanied by glasses. Perhaps it is the college setting or perhaps there is a correlation between beards and glasses. This is definitely something to watch for in the coming months.

With that, let us begin...

Sean
I think it's somewhat ironic that our first beard ever, isn't a beard at all!

Sean is rocking some classic chops here which I understand he's been working on for quite some time. What I really like about these, compared to some of the other mutton chops I've seen around campus, is that they're very strong and dark. They don't wanna just be extra long sideburns... they know they're the best and don't mind showing off.

Expect to see more facial hair on here which may not just be a beard. Mustaches, mutton chops, and epic side burns all need love too!


Mike
Here we have a completely different kind of beard. Many like to call this the neck beard but the actual name is a Chin Curtain (with mustache). While the neck beard requires much less effort and patience to grow, it shouldn't be immediately judged as lazy or dull.

Mike makes a classic anti-fashion statement with his neck beard by saying, I don't need a finely manicured or unique beard to be who I am.

This is an admirable quality and I respect Mike and his beard for their rebellious attitude.


Jim
To contrast the previous beard, I bring you Jim and his soul patch/stubble look. While this is a more minimalistic approach, it actually has a lot in common with the neck beard. You might say, "How could this have anything to do with a neck beard?? It's completely the opposite!"

I beg to differ. Both are very similar in that they project the the same image about the wearer. Both beards tell you that the owner could care less about what you, or anyone else, thinks. It's just two different ways of expressing it!

Jim takes a more rock star approach here. He knows he's cool and if you think that's cool well then good for you!


Robert
For today, Robert wins the Beard Of The Day award. His short, boxy looking beard is fantastically manicured and has grown in with little-to-no patchyness. Possibly on its way to a full beard, Robert wears it with pride. Also, it will most certainly keep his face warm in the coming fall months.


Well there you have it folks. I hope you're all looking forward to the many beards to come!

Campus Beards

Campus beards is an ongoing project around the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus. I'm documenting and celebrating the fantastic beards and other forms of facial hair found wandering around throughout the day.

I find that beardkeeping is an underappreciated art form. So this blog's purpose is to help the public recognize these beards and their owners.

As a reader of Campus Beards, you're more than welcome to send in pictures of your own beard or others you may find. I will post and display them for others to admire under future Reader Beards posts.