Beard Styles
Mustache Styles: Six Classic Shapes and How to Pick Yours
Short answer: The six moustache styles most people choose between are the chevron (thick, covering the top lip), the pencil (a thin line above the lip), the English (long and narrow with pointed ends pulled sideways), the walrus (heavy and hanging over the mouth), the handlebar (ends curled upward) and the horseshoe (ends running down to the jaw). Pick by how thick your upper lip grows and how much face you want the moustache to take up.
The six styles side by side
Each style is defined by two things: how far the hair extends past the corners of the mouth, and whether it sits above the lip, on it or over it. The table lines them up so you can see which one matches the growth you already have.
| Style | Shape | Length to grow | Grooming load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron | Thick, wide, follows the top lip, corners angled down | 4 to 6 weeks | Low: trim the lip line weekly |
| Pencil | Thin line, a few millimetres tall, gap above the lip | 2 to 3 weeks | High: the shaved band above needs shaving every day or two |
| English | Narrow, long, ends combed out to points | 3 months or more | Medium: wax the points daily |
| Walrus | Very full, droops over the mouth | 3 to 4 months | Medium: combing, eating around it |
| Handlebar | Full centre, ends curled up | 3 to 6 months | High: wax and training |
| Horseshoe | Full, with bars down to the jaw | 2 to 3 months | High: shaving the chin around it |
Matching the moustache to your face
A moustache is a horizontal line across the middle of the lower face, so its width changes how wide or long the face looks. Wider moustaches shorten and broaden; narrow ones keep the face long and lean.
- Long or narrow face: go wide, such as a chevron or walrus, to break the length.
- Round face: pick something with vertical or upward movement, like a horseshoe or handlebar, rather than a wide flat block.
- Square face: most shapes work; a chevron with softened corners keeps the look from getting too blocky.
- Small features or a thin upper lip: a pencil or a neat, short chevron stays in proportion.
- Large nose: a fuller moustache balances it; a pencil line tends to make the nose look bigger.
How to keep any moustache off your lip
Unless you are deliberately growing a walrus, the hair should stop at the top edge of the lip when combed straight down. That single rule is what separates a groomed moustache from one that catches coffee and hides your mouth when you talk.
Comb the moustache down while it is dry, then use small, straight scissors to cut along the lip line, working from the centre out to each corner. Do not use a clipper for this; it cuts a flat shelf and takes the corners too short. Take less than you think, check, and repeat.
- Comb straight down with a fine-tooth comb.
- Close your mouth in a relaxed, neutral position, not a stretched smile.
- Snip along the lip line from the middle to one corner, then the other.
- Comb sideways toward the corners and trim only hairs that fall past the mouth edge.
Where to start if you have never grown one
Start with a chevron. It needs the least training, it hides unevenness at the lip, and every other style on this list can be cut out of it later. After four to six weeks you will know how dense your upper lip grows and whether the corners fill in.
Keep the rest of the face either shaved or at even stubble while you decide. A short stubble with a longer moustache is its own look, the beardstache, and it is a common stop on the way to something bigger.
When a moustache needs a barber rather than a mirror
The styles that depend on symmetry, like the English, the handlebar and the horseshoe, are hard to judge in a bathroom mirror because you are always looking at them reversed and slightly from above. Small differences between the two sides compound with every trim.
We set the lip line, the corners and the surrounding shaved areas during a Beard Only + Lineup, finished with a razor after the hot towel. For the full curl, see our dedicated handlebar mustache and horseshoe mustache pages.
Mustache styles: common questions
Which moustache style is most in fashion right now?
Full, natural moustaches like the chevron and the beardstache are the ones we see asked for most. Thin pencil lines come and go and tend to suit smaller faces.
Do I need moustache wax?
Only for styles with shaped ends, such as the English and handlebar. For a chevron or walrus, a comb and a drop of beard oil are enough.
Why does my moustache grow in patchy at the corners?
The corners of the upper lip are one of the last areas to fill in for many men. Give it six weeks before judging, and read our patchy beard page for shapes that work around thin spots.
Should my moustache connect to my beard?
That is a choice rather than a rule. Connected looks fuller and more classic; a small shaved gap at the corners reads more deliberate and suits lighter growth.
